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Advances in Sustainable Pavement and Road Construction: Innovations with Asphalt...
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Advances in Sustainable Pavement and Road Construction: Innovations with Asphalt and Recycled Materials

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2026) | Viewed by 2388

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Rudi van Staden

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Sustainable Industries & Liveable Cities (ISILC), Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC 3011, Australia
Interests: pavement engineering; life cycle assessment; asphalt innovation; recycled construction materials; low-carbon roads
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As the global construction sector moves toward more sustainable and resilient infrastructure, innovations in pavement materials and road construction methods are playing a critical role, which is why this Special Issue focuses on recent advancements in sustainable pavement technologies, with a particular emphasis on asphalt innovations and the integration of recycled materials. The use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), recycled plastic, rubber, industrial by-products, and other alternative materials not only reduces the environmental impact but also enhances the performance and longevity of road infrastructure.

We invite original research articles, review papers, and case studies that explore the design, performance evaluation, and implementation of sustainable pavement systems. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, novel asphalt binders, warm mix asphalt technologies, life cycle assessment (LCA), pavement recycling techniques, low-carbon construction practices, digital tools for pavement optimization, and the circular economy in road construction.

This Special Issue aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers working at the intersection of materials science, civil engineering, and sustainability. Contributions that demonstrate innovative approaches, real-world applications, or offer policy and practical insights for transitioning to greener road infrastructure are especially encouraged.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Applied Sciences.

Dr. Rudi van Staden
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable pavement materials
  • asphalt innovation
  • recycled construction materials
  • road infrastructure sustainability
  • life cycle assessment (LCA)
  • circular economy in construction
  • low-carbon road technologies

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 5318 KB  
Article
Mechanical, Physical, and Microstructural Performance of Road Base Materials Prepared with Magnesite Tailings Mixed with Cement
by Buren Yang, Tengteng Zheng, Caiqi Zhao and Lihao Chen
Buildings 2026, 16(1), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16010090 - 25 Dec 2025
Viewed by 537
Abstract
Magnesite tailings are by-products of magnesite mining, yet their utilization rate remains extremely low. Although previous studies have explored their basic physical properties and potential use in cementitious or geotechnical materials, research on cement-stabilized magnesite tailings-particularly regarding their mechanical behavior, engineering applicability, and [...] Read more.
Magnesite tailings are by-products of magnesite mining, yet their utilization rate remains extremely low. Although previous studies have explored their basic physical properties and potential use in cementitious or geotechnical materials, research on cement-stabilized magnesite tailings-particularly regarding their mechanical behavior, engineering applicability, and microstructural evolution-remains limited. Key scientific gaps include the lack of systematic evaluation of their compaction characteristics, strength development, stiffness evolution, and bearing capacity, as well as insufficient understanding of the stabilization mechanisms governing their performance. Addressing these gaps is essential for assessing their feasibility as road construction materials. In this study, magnesite tailings were selected as the primary raw material and mixed with ordinary Portland cement to prepare mixtures for evaluating their suitability as highway subgrade fillers. The compaction characteristics, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) of the mixtures were systematically examined. Furthermore, the evolution of composition and stabilization mechanisms of the mixtures was analyzed using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results show that cement incorporation effectively improves the poor particle gradation of magnesite tailings, leading to a denser and more homogeneous structure. Adding 7% cement increases the maximum dry density and optimum moisture content by 3.7% and 5.1%, respectively. The unconfined compressive strength rises by 100.9–126.3% within 3–28 days, and the maximum uniaxial stress is 119.6% higher than that of the 1% cement mixture. These improvements demonstrate the potential of cement-stabilized magnesite tailings as a sustainable subgrade material and provide insight into their microstructural and mechanical behavior. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Pavement and Road Construction: Innovations with Asphalt and Recycled Materials)
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20 pages, 1750 KB  
Article
Comparative Energy Balance Analysis—Case Study of Total Binder Energy Demand Evaluation
by Matúš Kozel, Ľuboš Remek, Štefan Šedivý, Juraj Šrámek and Grzegorz Mazurek
Buildings 2025, 15(17), 3220; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15173220 - 6 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1041
Abstract
Energy demand is a critical challenge for sustainable infrastructure, yet in road asset management, it is rarely considered a central decision criterion. Most decision frameworks remain focused on financial and structural performance. This study introduces a comparative Energy Balance Analysis (EBA) as a [...] Read more.
Energy demand is a critical challenge for sustainable infrastructure, yet in road asset management, it is rarely considered a central decision criterion. Most decision frameworks remain focused on financial and structural performance. This study introduces a comparative Energy Balance Analysis (EBA) as a complementary tool to existing life-cycle approaches. A case study is presented in which the only variable is binder composition—conventional 50/70 bitumen versus the same binder modified with 3% styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) polymer. The methodology integrates material-level energy demand estimation, laboratory performance testing, and pavement life modeling with HDM-4, and vehicle operational energy analysis. Results show that although SBS modification increases initial binder production energy by 13.3%, it doubles pavement service life and avoids mid-life rehabilitation, leading to a net saving of 110,671.75 MJ over 20 years. These findings confirm that early-stage material improvements can generate long-term energy efficiency gains. The study thus demonstrates the potential of EBA as a practical decision-support tool for sustainable pavement management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sustainable Pavement and Road Construction: Innovations with Asphalt and Recycled Materials)
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