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Advances in Performance-Based Asphalt and Asphalt Mixtures

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A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Materials, and Repair & Renovation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 8827

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Runhua Guo

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Guest Editor

School of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Interests: asphalt paving materials; performance-based properties; pavement design; pavement asset management; pavement testing and evaluation

Dr. Yun Hou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

China Highway Engineering Consulting Corporation, Beijing 100089, China
Interests: highway maintenance; infrastructure digitization; high-resolution remote sensing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Asphalt and asphalt mixtures are the dominant materials in modern pavements. Asphalt is fundamental to improving and renovating the transportation infrastructure, which is extensively employed in highways, streets, and airports. Asphalt pavements are subject to a combined impact generated by complex environmental factors and traffic loading. Advances in both research and industry have provided many novel materials, testing methods, and construction technologies related to asphalt and asphalt mixtures. Some representative examples include modified asphalt, warm-mix asphalt, recycled asphalt pavement, a balanced mix design, and so on. It is of paramount importance to better understand and enhance the properties of asphalt and asphalt mixtures in order to extend the surface life of pavements. A series of challenges remain to be addressed in asphalt material design, testing, construction, and field performance. Therefore, this Special Issue welcomes the submission of experimental, modeling, and in situ studies related to asphalt and asphalt mixtures. The articles presented in this Special Issue shall clearly identify their novelty and contribution to the field.

Dr. Runhua Guo
Dr. Yun Hou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

asphalt binder
hot-mix asphalt
warm-mix asphalt
cold-mix asphalt
recycled asphalt pavement
performance-based properties
asphalt mix design
asphalt paving construction

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2576 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Viscoelastic and Damping Behavior of Composed Modified Asphalt for Functional Interlayers in Photovoltaic Pavements

by Jianrong Rao, Yian Zhao, Xichun Cao, Jiantao Li and Jinbo Xie

Buildings 2025, 15(16), 2830; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15162830 (registering DOI) - 9 Aug 2025

Abstract

This study presents the development and performance evaluation of a rock asphalt-modified damping asphalt binder tailored for interlayer applications in photovoltaic pavement systems. A series of composite binders was formulated by incorporating Qingchuan rock asphalt, crumb rubber powder, and SBS polymer into base asphalt using an orthogonal design approach. The effects of different modifiers and their interactions were systematically assessed through conventional physical tests, DSR, BBR and damping ratio measurements. Furthermore, full-scale specimens (30 cm × 30 cm) were subjected to both single-pass and 24 h sustained loading tests to simulate real-world stress conditions. The results revealed that rock asphalt (RA) significantly enhanced the high-temperature stiffness and rutting resistance, while SBS improved ductility and low-temperature flexibility. Rubber powder (RP) notably increased the damping ratio, demonstrating superior energy dissipation potential. Among the nine formulations, the ternary blend of SBS, RA, and RP (denoted as L5) exhibited the most balanced and optimal performance, with G*/sinδ exceeding 5.0 kPa at 64 °C, a ductility of 132 cm, and damping ratios above 0.14. Load testing confirmed the material’s capacity for both instantaneous deformation resistance and delayed elastic recovery. These findings suggest that the L5 formulation is well suited for use in smart pavements where both mechanical durability and vibration attenuation are required. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Performance-Based Asphalt and Asphalt Mixtures)

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20 pages, 11405 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Three-Dimensional Strong Force Chain Properties of Mineral Aggregate Mixtures Based on the Discrete Element Method

by Yuan Gao, Guoqiang Liu and Nan Jiang

Buildings 2024, 14(10), 3289; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14103289 - 17 Oct 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 815

Abstract

The skeleton structure composed of mineral aggregates is the main body to bear and transfer external loading in asphalt mixtures. To investigate the loading transfer mechanism of the mineral aggregate skeleton, the uniaxial penetration test and Discrete Element Method (DEM) were conducted for the Mineral Aggregate Mixture (MAM) to analyze its mechanical behavior. The three-dimensional strong force chain (SFC) was identified and evaluated based on the proposed recognition criterion and evaluation indices. The results indicate that 4.75 mm should be the boundary to distinguish the coarse and fine aggregates. The skeleton composed of aggregates located on SFCs has better bearing and transferring loading capacity due to its SFC number, average length, and total length decreasing with an increase in the aggregate size. Compared to SMA-16 and OGFC-16, AC-16 exhibits a higher number and total length of its SFC, a smaller average length of its SFC, and a lower average strength of its SFC. Consequently, AC-16 has a lower bearing and transferring loading capacity than that of SMA-16 and OGFC-16. In addition, approximately 90% of SFCs can only transfer external loading downward through 3–5 aggregates. The average direction angle of the SFC formed by fine aggregates is significantly higher than those formed by coarse aggregates. This indicates that the load transfer range of MAM composed of fine aggregates is noticeably larger, leading to lower loading transfer efficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Performance-Based Asphalt and Asphalt Mixtures)

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17 pages, 5739 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Viscoelastic Characteristics and Mechanical Performances of Asphalt Mastic and Mixtures with Fly Ash from Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Residues

by Ling Xu, Yinfei Du, Salvatore Bruno, Giuseppe Loprencipe and Laura Moretti

Buildings 2024, 14(3), 672; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14030672 - 3 Mar 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1780

Abstract

The extraction and utilization of non-renewable mineral resources impose significant transportation and economic challenges in infrastructure construction. At the same time, recycling fly ash derived from the bottom ash in municipal solid waste incineration residues (MSWIRs) presents a waste management hurdle. This study investigates the viscoelastic characteristics and mechanical performances at different scales of asphalt mastic and mixture with fly ash from MSWIRs. Firstly, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) was adopted to distinguish the physically blended states of asphalt and fillers. Then, a frequency test using a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) was conducted to construct viscoelastic master curves, focusing on asphalt mastic. A dynamic modulus test characterized the viscoelastic behavior at the asphalt mixture scale. Furthermore, the mechanical performances of asphalt mixtures were evaluated, including the resilient modulus through indirect tension tests, moisture susceptibility via the immersed Marshall stability test, and anti-cracking properties with a low-temperature bending test. The FA incorporation in the mixture decreased the immersion residual stability by 7.40%, and increased the flexural tensile strength by 5.03% and the stiffness modulus by 78.67%. The mechanical evaluation of the mixture with FA could meet the application requirements of the asphalt layer. Finally, statistical analyses were conducted to present strong correlations (coefficient R² over 0.70) among the mechanical results. Fly ash in asphalt mixtures revealed potential as a sustainable approach for waste reuse in road construction. Additionally, substituting mineral fillers at the mastic scale significantly influences the viscoelastic characteristics and mechanical performances of asphalt materials at the mixture scale. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Performance-Based Asphalt and Asphalt Mixtures)

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16 pages, 4069 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Petroleum-Based and Bio-Derived Recycling Agents on High-RAP Asphalt Mixtures Performance

by Ibrahim Elnaml, Louay N. Mohammad, Gaylon L. Baumgardner, Jun Liu, Samuel Cooper III and Samuel Cooper, Jr.

Buildings 2024, 14(3), 567; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14030567 - 20 Feb 2024

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1787

Abstract

Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) has been utilized as a potential partial substitute for virgin asphalt binder in asphalt mixtures. However, a primary concern with increasing RAP content in asphalt mixtures is the cracking potential, attributed to the aged RAP asphalt binder (RAP-binder). To address this, the use of petroleum-based and bio-derived recycling agents (RAs) in enhancing the cracking resistance of high-RAP asphalt mixtures has been explored. The objective of this study is to ascertain the effectiveness of six RAs in mitigating cracking in high-RAP asphalt mixtures. The RAs considered include petroleum-crude-oil-derived aromatic oil, soy oil, and four types of tall-oil-derived phytosterol (industrial by-product, intermediate, purified, and fatty acid-based). The RAs’ dosages were optimized, based on RAP-binder and unmodified asphalt binder properties, to produce target PG 70-22 asphalt binder when incorporated in asphalt mixtures containing 30% RAP. To assess the engineering performance of these 30%-RAP asphalt mixtures for each RA, a conventional asphalt mixture incorporating styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS)-modified PG 70-22 asphalt binder without RAP or RAs was benchmarked for comparison. Mechanical tests performed included Hamburg wheel-track testing (HWTT), intermediate-temperature fracture tests (semi-circular bend, Illinois flexibility index, and IDEAL cracking tolerance), and thermal stress-restrained specimen tensile strength test to evaluate permanent deformation, intermediate-temperature cracking resistance, and low-temperature cracking resistance, respectively. Results showed that petroleum-crude-oil-derived aromatic oil and tall-oil-derived fatty-acid-based oil RAs were able to rejuvenate RAP-binder as measured by the cracking tests performed. Further, the use of these RAs did not adversely impact the asphalt mixtures’ permanent deformation performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Performance-Based Asphalt and Asphalt Mixtures)

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29 pages, 9354 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of a Framework for Assessing Bitumen Fatigue Cracking Performance under Different Temperatures and Aging Conditions

by Songtao Lv, Dongdong Ge, Shihao Cao, Dingyuan Liu, Wenhui Zhang, Cheng-Hui Li and Milkos Borges Cabrera

Buildings 2024, 14(2), 311; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14020311 - 23 Jan 2024

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1386

Abstract

A full understanding of bitumen fatigue cracking behavior is extremely important as this phenomenon has a considerable influence on bituminous pavement performance. The current framework for assessing this asphalt binder property is inconsistent in ranking bitumen fatigue performance in terms of the failure definition and damage characteristic curve (DCC) analysis. This study used four different types of asphalt binders: neat asphalt (NA), self-healing thermoplastic polyurethane (STP)-modified bitumen, self-healing poly (dimethyl siloxane) crosslinked with urea bond (IPA1w)-modified bitumen, and styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS)-modified bitumen (SBSB). All the bitumens were subjected to short-term and long-term aging, and they were also tested by utilizing the linear amplitude sweep (LAS) test and the simplified viscoelastic continuum damage (S-VECD) model. LAS and S-VECD procedures were used to apply the newly proposed and current frameworks in order to analyze bitumen performance. The current framework showed that the bitumens that used a higher number of loading cycles (N) to reach their failure points (

N_{f}

) failed to exhibit greater fatigue performances in terms of DCC analysis. The developed framework (mainly based on the damage intensity [S] instead of N) was used to solve the inconsistency between the failure definition and DCC assessment in ranking bitumen performance. Additionally, the current framework (failure criterion) presented two R² values below 0.1, but the developed framework (failure criterion) showed that all R² values were greater than 0.9. The developed framework represents a turning point because, for the first time, this type of procedure is mainly being based on S instead of N. Although further tests are needed to confirm its efficiency, it eliminates the inconsistency between the failure definition and DCC assessment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Performance-Based Asphalt and Asphalt Mixtures)

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19 pages, 4250 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Viability of Waste Plastic Aggregate in Stone-Modified Asphalt Concrete Mix for Bus Rapid Transit Pavement Maintenance

by Byung-Sik Ohm, Kyungnam Kim, Yeong-Min Kim and Tri Ho Minh Le

Buildings 2023, 13(12), 3069; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13123069 - 9 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1773

Abstract

This research takes on a scientific problem originating from the pervasive deterioration observed in the pavements of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems, which presents formidable challenges to their durability and imposes significant financial burdens on BRT organizations. While wear and tear on BRT pavements is a widely recognized concern, there exists a pronounced deficiency in sustainable solutions to address this issue comprehensively. This study endeavored to bridge this scientific gap by exploring the option of incorporating waste plastic aggregate (WPA) and recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) into the pavement material. The series of comprehensive investigations commenced with an assessment of modified binders. We identified a 25% extracted RAP binder as the most suitable candidate. Our research next determined that a 4% WPA content offers optimal results when used as an aggregate replacement in a stone-modified asphalt concrete mix, which is further refined with a 13 mm nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS) gradation, resulting in superior performance. Under double-load conditions of the Hamburg Wheel Tracking test, rutting in the 10 mm NMAS mixture rapidly increased to 9 mm after 12,400 HWT cycles, while the 13 mm NMAS mixture showed a more gradual ascent to the same critical rutting level after 20,000 HWT cycles (a 61% increase). Real-world application at a designated BRT station area in Seoul reinforced the findings, revealing that the use of 13 mm NMAS with 4% WPA and RAP significantly improved performance, reducing rutting to 75 µm and enhancing pavement resilience. This configuration increased Road Bearing Capacity (RBC) to 5400 MPa at the center zone, showcasing superior load-bearing capability. Conversely, the 10 mm NMAS mixture without RAP and WPA experienced severe rutting (220 µm) and a 76% reduction in RBC to 1300 MPa, indicating diminished pavement durability. In general, this research highlights the need for innovative solutions to address BRT pavement maintenance challenges and offers a novel, environmentally friendly, and high-performance alternative to traditional methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Performance-Based Asphalt and Asphalt Mixtures)

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Review

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21 pages, 5433 KiB

Open AccessReview

Research Progress on Adhesion Mechanism and Testing Methods of Emulsified Asphalt–Aggregate Interface

by Hao-Yue Huang, Xiao Han, Sen Han, Xiao Ma, Jia Guo and Yao Huang

Buildings 2025, 15(15), 2611; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15152611 - 23 Jul 2025

Viewed by 386

Abstract

With the deepening of the green and low-carbon concept in the field of road engineering, the cold construction asphalt pavement technology has developed rapidly due to its advantages such as low energy consumption, low pollution, and convenient construction. The adhesion between emulsified asphalt and aggregates, as a core factor affecting the performance of cold-mixed mixtures and the lifespan of the pavement, has attracted much attention in terms of its mechanism of action and evaluation methods. However, at present, there are still many issues that need to be addressed in terms of the stability control of adhesion between emulsified asphalt and aggregates, the explanation of the microscopic mechanism, and the standardization of testing methods in complex environments. These problems restrict the further promotion and application of the cold construction technology. Based on this, this paper systematically analyzes the current development status, application scenarios, and future trends of the theory and testing methods of the adhesion between emulsified asphalt and aggregates by reviewing a large number of relevant studies. The research aims to provide theoretical support and practical references for the improvement of adhesion in the cold construction asphalt pavement technology. Research shows that in terms of the adhesion mechanism, the existing results have deeply analyzed the infiltration and demulsification adhesion process of emulsified asphalt on the surface of aggregates and clarified the key links of physical and chemical interactions, but the understanding of the microscopic interface behavior and molecular-scale mechanism is still insufficient. In terms of testing methods, although objective and subjective evaluation methods such as mechanical tensile tests, surface energy evaluation, and adhesion fatigue tests have been developed, the standardization of testing, data comparability, and practical engineering applicability still need to be optimized. Comprehensive analysis shows that the research on the adhesion between emulsified asphalt and aggregates is showing a trend from macroscopic to microscopic, from static to dynamic. There are challenges in predicting and controlling the adhesion performance under complex environments, as well as important opportunities for developing advanced characterization techniques and multiscale simulation methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Performance-Based Asphalt and Asphalt Mixtures)

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