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Infrastructures
Special Issues
Sustainable Low-Carbon Road Pavement Infrastructure: Methods and Challenges
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Sustainable Low-Carbon Road Pavement Infrastructure: Methods and Challenges

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 5004

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Shahin Eskandarsefat

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Senior Researcher, Iterchimica S.p.A, Via Guglielmo Marconi 21, 24040 Suisio, Italy
Interests: bituminous binders’ modification; recycling agents; rejuvenators; asphalt additives; asphalt mechanical and performance properties
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pouria Hajikarimi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Assistant Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, Iran
Interests: sustainable constructional materials; modification of bituminous materials; using waste and bio-inspired materials for construction; rheological behavior of bituminous materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue on "Sustainable Low-Carbon Pavement Infrastructure: Methods and Challenges" serves as a critical platform for the dissemination of knowledge and research findings related to sustainable practices in the field of pavement infrastructure. Pavement infrastructure is a fundamental component of transportation systems, and addressing its carbon footprint is crucial in the context of climate change and environmental sustainability. This Special Issue explores various methods, innovations, and challenges associated with achieving low-carbon, sustainable pavement infrastructure.

The main reasons for publishing this Special Issue are as follows:

  1. Environmental Concerns: The transportation sector is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, with pavement infrastructure being a substantial part of it. The urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change underscores the importance of finding sustainable solutions in this domain. This Special Issue addresses this critical environmental concern by focusing on low-carbon pavement technologies;
  2. Research Advances: The Special Issue brings together the latest research and innovations in sustainable pavement design, materials, and construction methods. It serves as a platform for researchers to showcase their work, providing valuable insights into cutting-edge developments and methodologies;
  3. Policy Relevance: Governments and regulatory bodies worldwide are increasingly implementing policies and regulations to reduce carbon emissions in the construction and transportation sectors. This Special Issue can help policymakers and industry stakeholders make informed decisions by presenting evidence-based research and case studies that highlight the feasibility and benefits of low-carbon pavement solutions;
  4. Economic Implications: Sustainable pavement infrastructure not only reduces carbon emissions but also offers economic benefits in terms of durability, reduced maintenance costs, and resource efficiency. This Special Issue explores the economic implications of adopting low-carbon pavement technologies, making a strong case for their widespread adoption;
  5. Interdisciplinary Insights: Addressing sustainability in pavement infrastructure requires a multidisciplinary approach, involving civil engineering, materials science, environmental science, and more. This Special Issue encourages collaboration and knowledge exchange among experts from diverse fields, facilitating a holistic approach to sustainability in infrastructure;
  6. Knowledge Sharing: By publishing a Special Issue on this topic, the research community can share best practices, lessons learned, and case studies from different regions and contexts. This knowledge sharing can accelerate the adoption of sustainable pavement practices globally.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

  • Decarbonization techniques for road pavements;
  • Life cycle assessment of low-carbon pavements;
  • Recycling of road pavements materials;
  • Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) technology;
  • Cold Mix Asphalt (CMA) technology;
  • Bio-modified and bio-inspired materials;
  • Evaluation of carbon footprint.

Dr. Shahin Eskandarsefat
Dr. Pouria Hajikarimi
Guest Editors

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • decarbonization
  • asphalt recycling
  • warm mix asphalt
  • durability
  • perpetual pavements
  • life cycle assessment

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 4528 KiB  
Article
Global Warming and Its Effect on Binder Performance Grading in the USA: Highlighting Sustainability Challenges
by Reza Sepaspour, Faezeh Zebarjadian, Mehrdad Ehsani, Pouria Hajikarimi and Fereidoon Moghadas Nejad
Infrastructures 2024, 9(7), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures9070109 - 10 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1113
Abstract
The mounting impacts of climate change on infrastructure demand proactive adaptation strategies to ensure long-term resilience. This study investigates the effects of predicted future global warming on asphalt binder performance grade (PG) selection in the United States using a time series method. Leveraging [...] Read more.
The mounting impacts of climate change on infrastructure demand proactive adaptation strategies to ensure long-term resilience. This study investigates the effects of predicted future global warming on asphalt binder performance grade (PG) selection in the United States using a time series method. Leveraging Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) data and Superpave protocol model, the research forecasts temperature changes for the period up to 2060 and calculates the corresponding PG values for different states. The results reveal significant temperature increases across the majority of states, necessitating adjustments in PG selection to accommodate changing climate conditions. The findings indicate significant increases in average 7-day maximum temperatures across the United States by 2060, with 38 out of 50 states likely to experience rising trends. Oregon, Utah, and Idaho are anticipated to face the largest temperature increases. Concurrently, the low air temperature has risen in 33 states, with notable increases in Maine, North Carolina, and Virginia. The widening gap predicted between required high and low PG poses challenges, as some necessary binders cannot be produced or substituted with other grades. The study highlights the challenge of meeting future PG requirements with available binders, emphasizing the need to consider energy consumption and CO2 emissions when using modifiers to achieve the desired PG properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Low-Carbon Road Pavement Infrastructure: Methods and Challenges)
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15 pages, 2709 KiB  
Article
Warm-Mix Asphalt Containing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement: A Case Study in Switzerland
by Nicolas Bueche, Samuel Probst and Shahin Eskandarsefat
Infrastructures 2024, 9(5), 79; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures9050079 - 29 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1629
Abstract
Among the technologies proposed for achieving carbon neutralization in asphalt road pavements, warm-mix asphalt (WMA) has garnered increasing attention in recent years. While WMA holds the potential for various environmental and technical benefits, a comprehensive understanding of its implementation, technology selection, and additives [...] Read more.
Among the technologies proposed for achieving carbon neutralization in asphalt road pavements, warm-mix asphalt (WMA) has garnered increasing attention in recent years. While WMA holds the potential for various environmental and technical benefits, a comprehensive understanding of its implementation, technology selection, and additives is essential for successful application. This study presents a case where a bio-based chemical additive was employed to produce WMA containing 50% reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) for a surface course in Bern, Switzerland. To minimize additional variables during testing and analysis, no other additive or rejuvenator was introduced into the mixtures. The testing plan encompassed laboratory tests on samples collected during material placement and recompacted at varying temperatures in the laboratory, as well as cores extracted from the job site. As anticipated, the presence of the chemical WMA additive did not alter the rheological properties of the reference bitumen. Although in the mixture-scale tests, the WMA mixture exhibited comparable properties to the control hot-mix asphalt (HMA), it is not expected that the small dosage of the chemical additive functions the same grade after reheating and compaction. Nevertheless, the cores extracted from the job site proved the efficiency of the applied WMA technology. In addition, consistent with existing literature, the cracking tolerance (CT) index values of 62 for HMA and 114 and 104.9 for WMA mixtures indicated that the latter is less susceptible to cracking. Consequently, this characteristic could contribute to the enhanced durability of asphalt pavements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Low-Carbon Road Pavement Infrastructure: Methods and Challenges)
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Review

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26 pages, 2496 KiB  
Review
Implementation of Crumb Rubber (CR) in Road Pavements: A Comprehensive Literature Review
by Oswaldo Guerrero-Bustamante, Rafael Camargo, Ibrahim Dawd, Jose Duque, Rodrigo Polo-Mendoza, Javier Gálvis, Jesús Díaz, Omar Daza, Juan Cucunuba and Carlos Acosta
Infrastructures 2024, 9(12), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures9120223 - 6 Dec 2024
Viewed by 461
Abstract
The global rise in vehicle ownership has led to a significant accumulation of waste tires, with many ending up in landfills or incinerated, resulting in considerable environmental impacts. Several end-of-life solutions have been developed to repurpose these tires, and one promising approach is [...] Read more.
The global rise in vehicle ownership has led to a significant accumulation of waste tires, with many ending up in landfills or incinerated, resulting in considerable environmental impacts. Several end-of-life solutions have been developed to repurpose these tires, and one promising approach is converting them into crumb rubber for use in road infrastructure. Crumb rubber has been incorporated as a stabilizing agent in asphalt mixtures, Portland cement concrete, base and sub-base granular layers, and subgrades. This application not only mitigates environmental harm but also often enhances the mechanical performance of these materials. Additionally, crumb rubber (CR) serves as a low-carbon material, offering environmental benefits such as reduced carbon footprint. This study provides a comprehensive literature review on the use of crumb rubber in road infrastructure materials, examining aspects such as treatment methods, mix design, mechanical properties, durability, and environmental impacts. It also highlights knowledge gaps and potential research directions to advance the application of crumb rubber in the road infrastructure industry. The findings suggest that, at appropriate dosages (in asphalt mixtures, for example, it is between 15–20% by weight of asphalt binder), crumb rubber can shift from being an environmental burden to a valuable resource across numerous road infrastructure applications. This review aims to guide agencies, designers, engineers, and other stakeholders in informed decision-making. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Low-Carbon Road Pavement Infrastructure: Methods and Challenges)
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25 pages, 397 KiB  
Review
Evaluating Waste-Based Alkali Activated Materials as Pavement Quality Concrete
by Joseph Abdayem, Marianne Saba, Fateh Fakhari Tehrani and Joseph Absi
Infrastructures 2024, 9(11), 190; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures9110190 - 24 Oct 2024
Viewed by 994
Abstract
The utilization of Ordinary Portland Cement as the primary material of choice in the construction industry has had its drawbacks due to the large amounts of pollution Portland cement’s production causes. Significant findings have been discovered, and alkali-activated materials have been implemented as [...] Read more.
The utilization of Ordinary Portland Cement as the primary material of choice in the construction industry has had its drawbacks due to the large amounts of pollution Portland cement’s production causes. Significant findings have been discovered, and alkali-activated materials have been implemented as an alternative cementitious material to the traditional concrete of today. Alkali-activated materials can be formulated using industrial wastes, making them eco-friendly and a more sustainable replacement for concrete. This study aims to assess whether alkali-activated materials can be implemented in infrastructural fields and seeks to evaluate the possibility of alkali-activated materials acting as pavement-quality concrete in infrastructural applications. This review presents the results of various studies, demonstrating that alkali-activated materials can meet the requirements for pavement-quality concrete with the proper incorporation of industrial wastes. This outlines the viability of alkali-activated materials (AAMs) as a green alternative for pavement applications as most AAMs attain required mechanical properties, mostly reaching compressive strength values higher than the required 40 MPa, all while simultaneously adhering to the needed durability, workability, drying shrinkage, and abrasion resistance attributes. Using industrial waste-based alkali-activated materials renders the material eco-friendly and sustainable, all while enhancing the material’s characteristics and properties necessary for large-scale infrastructural applications. This review highlights AAMs’ suitability as a durable and eco-friendly solution for pavement construction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Low-Carbon Road Pavement Infrastructure: Methods and Challenges)
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