Smart and Safe Pavements: Advanced Techniques for Design, Inspection and Maintenance

A special issue of Infrastructures (ISSN 2412-3811).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 935

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Messina, Contrada di Dio, 98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: road traffic safety; driving behaviour; the digitalization of infrastructure; road design; smart road
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Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Messina, Contrada di Dio, 98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: road and railway infrastructure; maintenance management; asset management; smart mobility; BIM for infrastructure; infrastructure safety

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, infrastructure design and maintenance have increasingly embraced the potential of digitalization, sustainability, and smart technologies. This Special Issue aims to collect innovative research contributions on advanced techniques for the design, inspection, and maintenance of Infrastructure, with a specific focus on the integration of smart systems, data-driven approaches, and sustainable materials.

We encourage the submission of original studies that explore novel methods in condition assessment using BIM and I-BIM frameworks, virtual inspection procedures, and intelligent asset management platforms. We are particularly interested in contributions addressing the use of recycled or industrial by-products in pavement materials, as well as experimental and modelling approaches assessing their mechanical and environmental performance. Furthermore, studies investigating the interaction between human factors and smart infrastructure are also welcome.

The goal is to provide a comprehensive perspective on the transformation of traditional infrastructure towards resilient, efficient, and intelligent systems. We invite researchers and professionals from both academia and industry to share their findings and help shape the future of smart and safe pavements.

Dr. Alessia Ruggeri
Prof. Gaetano Bosurgi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Infrastructures is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 1800 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

  • smart infrastructure
  • infrastructure maintenance
  • digital twins and BIM
  • smart road design
  • sustainable construction materials
  • road and railway asset management
  • driver behaviour analysis
  • workload assessment related to road safety and management
  • intelligent inspection systems

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

37 pages, 3051 KB  
Article
Application of Value of Information-Based Approaches in Road Inspection Processes and Asset Management: A Literature Review
by Stefan Sedivy, Lubos Remek, Matus Kozel, Juraj Sramek and Jan Mikolaj
Infrastructures 2026, 11(4), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures11040116 - 26 Mar 2026
Viewed by 467
Abstract
Modern road infrastructure asset management faces increasing pressure to improve the quality of decision-making processes, also due to limited public resources. The field of road diagnostics is no exception. The aim of the research is to analyze, through a literature review, the possibilities [...] Read more.
Modern road infrastructure asset management faces increasing pressure to improve the quality of decision-making processes, also due to limited public resources. The field of road diagnostics is no exception. The aim of the research is to analyze, through a literature review, the possibilities of applying the theoretical concept of information value. The selected point of interest is the tasks associated with the selection of specific sections intended for inspection, monitoring the level of information gain that this inspection can bring. Methodologically, the research is based on a systematic bibliometric analysis of the literature from the Web of Science and SCOPUS databases for the period January 2010 to June 2025. This is supplemented by a non-systematic content review, while the identified publications were processed by the Bibliometrix and VOSviewer tools and subsequently qualitatively interpreted. The result of the research is a synthesis of knowledge from the finally analyzed set of relevant scientific papers. The findings point to a growing interest in linking the process of planning and performing road infrastructure diagnostics with asset management decision-making processes. At the same time, they point to the development of data-oriented and digital approaches, as well as the limited application of the concept of information value in planning inspections before their implementation. The findings indicate that the assessment of expected information benefit represents a promising tool for reducing uncertainty, determining priorities, and allocating resources more efficiently, while its implementation in road infrastructure management requires further methodological research and practical verification. Full article
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