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Advanced Materials and Technologies in Pavement Engineering (2nd Edition)

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2027 | Viewed by 4779

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Dr. Yanhai Wang

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Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Interests: durable, sustainable, resilient, and smart transportation infrastructure
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Dr. Yangming Gao

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School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
Interests: understanding, predicting, and optimizing the mechanical response of transport infrastructure and materials
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Dr. Yuanyuan Li

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School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
Interests: novel asphalt materials; fast-repairing asphalt concretes; anti-ultraviolet aging technologies for asphalt materials; road maintenance technology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Transportation infrastructure is facing unprecedented challenges due to increasing traffic loads, climate change, sustainability requirements, and the urgent need for digital transformation. Advanced materials and emerging technologies are offering innovative solutions to extend pavement service life, enhance resilience, and enable real-time performance monitoring. Recent breakthroughs in self-sensing asphalt and concrete, nanomaterial-modified binders, digital twins, and artificial intelligence applications are reshaping the future of pavement engineering.

This Special Issue aims to collect high-quality research articles and reviews that present the latest progress in advanced materials and innovative technologies for pavement infrastructure. We are particularly interested in contributions that address both fundamental mechanisms and practical applications, bridging laboratory investigations with large-scale field implementations.

We are pleased to invite you to submit your original research articles, reviews, or case studies to this Special Issue to showcase cutting-edge advances in advanced materials and innovative technologies for pavement engineering.

Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Sustainable and low-carbon binders, additives, and modifiers.
Emerging technologies such as nanomaterials, self-healing pavements, and smart infrastructure solutions are highlighted for their potential to revolutionize pavement engineering.
Advanced testing, modeling, and characterization of pavement materials.
Durability, resilience, and climate adaptation strategies for pavements.
Structural health monitoring and in-service performance evaluation.
Field demonstrations and case studies of innovative pavement technologies.
Conductive and self-sensing asphalt and concrete for smart pavements.
Digital twins, AI, and machine learning for pavement monitoring and management.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Yanhai Wang
Dr. Yangming Gao
Dr. Yuanyuan Li
Guest Editors

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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 transport infrastructure
pavement engineering
advanced materials
nanomaterials
resilient road systems
structural health monitoring
self-sensing asphalt and concrete
self-healing asphalt
smart pavements
digital twins

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 6024 KB

Open AccessArticle

Fatigue Life Prediction of Pavement Base Layers Using Supersulfated Cement-Treated Aggregates Considering Stress-Dependent Resilient Modulus

by Jianying Deng, Xingyu Hu, Yucheng Li, Tiqiang Shan, Yuqing Zhang and Yang Zhou

Materials 2026, 19(14), 2952; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19142952 - 9 Jul 2026

Viewed by 279

Abstract

To reduce carbon emissions from cement-treated aggregate base layers and examine the nonlinear service behavior of semi-rigid materials, supersulfated cement (SSC) was used to replace ordinary Portland cement (OPC). A dynamic triaxial loading protocol was adopted to separate the effects of bulk stress and shear stress on the dynamic resilient modulus of supersulfated cement-treated aggregate (SSC-CTA). A fatigue damage equation was developed based on the strain energy balance during cracking, and Paris’ law damage parameters were introduced to compare the damage growth rates of SSC-CTA and ordinary Portland cement-treated aggregate (OPC-CTA). Finite element analysis and partial differential equations were further used to link the stress-dependent resilient modulus with structural fatigue life. The results show that SSC-CTA had a lower dynamic resilient modulus than OPC-CTA under the same stress state. The average resilient modulus of SSC-CTA was 978 MPa, which was 15.47% lower than that of OPC-CTA. For both materials, the modulus increased with bulk stress and decreased with octahedral shear stress, and the NCHRP 28A model accurately predicted this nonlinear behavior. Although SSC-CTA had a lower modulus, its indirect tensile strength reached 864.3 kPa, representing a 52.65% increase compared with OPC-CTA. The Paris’ law parameters further indicated that SSC reduced the damage growth rate during crack propagation. The finite element results showed that the predicted structural fatigue life of SSC-CTA increased by 4.49–35.90% under different load levels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials and Technologies in Pavement Engineering (2nd Edition))

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17 pages, 2214 KB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Performance of Modified Asphalt Mixture Incorporating MSWI Bottom Ash

by Fanlong Tang, Ting Chen, Yufan Hu and Yinhao Sun

Materials 2026, 19(13), 2714; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19132714 - 24 Jun 2026

Viewed by 186

Abstract

To achieve the valorization of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash and investigate its engineering feasibility as an aggregate replacement in asphalt mixtures, this research adopted MSWI bottom ash in three particle size fractions (2.36–9.5 mm, 9.5–16 mm and 2.36–4.75 mm) to replace basalt aggregate in SBS-modified AC-20 asphalt mixtures. Five dosages of MSWI bottom ash (0%, 7.5%, 15%, 22.5% and 30%) were designed, and high-temperature stability, low-temperature cracking resistance, moisture stability, dynamic modulus and fatigue resistance were tested. The results indicate that the incorporation of MSWI bottom ash causes different degrees of performance degradation. At a dosage of 30%, the dynamic stability of Groups I, II and III decreased by 37.5%, 49.3% and 27.5%, respectively, while the fatigue lives decreased by 48.1%, 60.3% and 31.3%, respectively. The failure strain of Group III at 30% was 2007 microstrain, still slightly higher than the specification limit, whereas Groups I and II dropped to 1825 microstrain and 1575 microstrain. The freeze–thaw splitting tensile strength ratios of Groups I and III at 30% were 81.6% and 84.1%, both meeting the 80% requirement, while Group II decreased to 78.7%. Overall, the 2.36–4.75 mm fraction produced the smallest deterioration, followed by the 2.36–9.5 mm fraction, whereas the 9.5–16 mm fraction showed the most significant reduction. Considering both pavement performance and resource utilization efficiency, MSWI bottom ash is recommended to replace basalt aggregate at dosages not exceeding 30% for the 2.36–4.75 mm fraction and 22.5% for the 2.36–9.5 mm fraction. In addition, the asphalt–aggregate ratio should be adjusted with the slag dosage to compensate for the high absorption of MSWI bottom ash. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials and Technologies in Pavement Engineering (2nd Edition))

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22 pages, 1876 KB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Slow-Release Salt Storage Fillers and Performance Evaluation of Salt-Storage Pavement

by Yanhai Yang, Dongning Ban, Ye Yang and Guanliang Chen

Materials 2026, 19(12), 2450; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19122450 - 8 Jun 2026

Viewed by 288

Abstract

To address the issues of poor sustained-release behavior and limited long-term efficacy associated with conventional salt-storage materials, this study developed the epoxy-resin-encapsulated slow-release salt-storage filler to enhance both the engineering performance and the deicing/snow-melting capacity of salt-storage pavements. In this study, attapulgite was optimized and selected as the salt storage carrier through the adoption of pesticide coating technology and experimental testing, wherein a deicing salt blend with a CaCl₂ to NaCl mass ratio of 2:1 was loaded via a wet adsorption method. Subsequently, using dimethicone as the surface modifier, the optimal encapsulation process was determined to involve the dilution ratio of epoxy resin to cyclohexanone of 4:1 and the curing agent dosage of 30% by weight. The results indicated that the recommended content of the filler should not exceed 5%. The filler reduced the high-temperature stability and water stability of the mixture, while the low-temperature crack resistance first increased and then decreased, peaking at the 2% filler content with an improvement of 12.2%. The water stability was the most significantly affected by the filler content. Ice–snow melting performance tests demonstrated that the salt-storage mixture with 5% filler achieved the deicing rate of 56.35% at −5 °C, meeting the industry standard requirements. The self-prepared slow-release salt-storage filler exhibited superior long-term ice–snow melting performance to V-260, with the slow-release duration extended by 60%. The salt release process was divided into three distinct stages: rapid dissolution, stable release and slow dissolution. The 60 °C was determined as the optimal temperature for the accelerated immersion testing, which the accelerated test could effectively simulate the natural immersion process. Based on the prediction model established accordingly, the functional service life of snow-melting for this slow-release salt-storage asphalt pavement in northern area was estimated be approximately 4.07 years. The slow-release salt-storage filler fabricated in this work possesses both remarkable sustained-release behavior and deicing efficacy. The findings provide the technical foundation for the development of novel salt-storage pavement materials, performance characterization, and mechanistic analysis of snow-ice melting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials and Technologies in Pavement Engineering (2nd Edition))

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19 pages, 3931 KB

Open AccessArticle

Self-Healing Property of Asphalt Mixtures Containing Corn Oil Microcapsules

by Yuejing Lv and Jinlin Cheng

Materials 2026, 19(11), 2216; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19112216 - 25 May 2026

Viewed by 328

Abstract

Asphalt pavements are prone to the formation of microcracks due to aging under environmental factors, and microcapsule-based self-healing technology represents an effective means of preventive maintenance. In this study, corn oil, a renewable and environmentally friendly material, was selected as the asphalt rejuvenator to prepare corn oil microcapsules via in situ polymerization, and the self-healing performance of corn oil microcapsule-modified asphalt was investigated. By analyzing the effects of corn oil microcapsules on the high-temperature performance, salt resistance, chemical structure, and microscopic morphology of asphalt, as well as the influence of temperature, time, and corn oil microcapsule content on the self-healing performance of asphalt mixtures, the self-healing mechanism of corn oil microcapsule-modified asphalt was elucidated at both the microscopic and macroscopic levels. The results showed that during the preparation of corn oil microcapsules, the optimal molar ratio of M_F:M_(M+U) was 2.5, with an emulsification rate of 1.2 kr/min. The prepared corn oil microcapsules exhibited high yield and good encapsulation efficiency, possessed excellent high-temperature resistance that met the requirements of the asphalt mixing stage, and showed superior salt resistance. FTIR analysis confirmed the successful incorporation of microcapsules into the asphalt system. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) observations revealed that the microcapsules mitigated microscopic surface damage caused by aging. The healing index of the asphalt mixtures incorporating corn oil microcapsules increased with prolonged healing time and elevated temperature. By establishing the relationship between the healing index and the content of corn oil microcapsules, the recommended content of corn oil microcapsules within the tested range is 6 wt%. This study elucidates the self-healing mechanism of corn oil microcapsule-modified asphalt from both microscopic (surface parameter recovery) and macroscopic (mechanical property restoration) scales, providing a scientific basis for the application of microcapsule technology in green and sustainable asphalt pavement maintenance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials and Technologies in Pavement Engineering (2nd Edition))

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21 pages, 36514 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparative Analysis of the Properties of Coal Liquefaction Residues and Limestone Fine Aggregates

by Hao Wu, Zhe Wang, Pengfei Li, Mingliang Li, Jun Li and Shuangfeng Guo

Materials 2026, 19(10), 1994; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19101994 - 12 May 2026

Viewed by 335

Abstract

Coal liquefaction residues (CLRs), including both indirect (ICLR) and direct (DCLR) variants, represent industrial by-products whose conventional landfill disposal raises environmental concerns. This study comparatively analyzes ICLR and DCLR properties against limestone fine aggregates through physicochemical characterization. Results indicate that ICLR contains predominant SiO₂ crystalline phases (50.05%) with trace Fe-Ti-Al-Mg oxides, demonstrating higher Vickers hardness (615 HV vs. 246 HV for limestone) and elastic modulus (98 GPa vs. 81 GPa for limestone), while its apparent relative density (2.612) closely matches that of limestone (2.783). Conversely, DCLR features abundant carbonaceous components (75.9% C) with olefinic/aromatic structures (asphaltene content 66.2%), exhibiting lower mechanical strength (Vickers hardness 21 HV) but enhanced asphalt affinity, as indicated by strong C=C (1591 cm⁻¹) and aromatic C–H (744 cm⁻¹) absorption peaks in FTIR. Both CLRs share comparable gradation curves and micromorphological characteristics with limestone aggregates, including uniform surface scaly textures. While pore-size distributions differ minimally between CLRs, both present finer porosity than limestone and show no leachate toxicity risks, confirming their viability as sustainable alternatives to asphalt fine aggregates. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials and Technologies in Pavement Engineering (2nd Edition))

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30 pages, 7927 KB

Open AccessArticle

Construction and Performance Study of BDDE-Toughened Modified Mannich Base Epoxy System

by Siyu Wu, Suining Zheng, Wenlan Zhang and Huaxin Chen

Materials 2026, 19(7), 1332; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19071332 - 27 Mar 2026

Viewed by 563

Abstract

To mitigate the issue of brittleness and cracking in epoxy resin (EP) anti-skid systems, this study investigates four key aspects tailored to application scenarios: toughening, low shrinkage, strong adhesion, and rapid curing at ambient temperature. 1,4-Butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE) was used to extend the chain of triethylenetetramine (TETA), followed by a Mannich reaction with formaldehyde (F) and cardanol to prepare a flexible aliphatic amine Mannich base curing agent containing flexible segments (Curing Agent B). The influence of composition ratios on the mechanical properties of the cured product was studied. The curing performance of the epoxy system under various temperature conditions and its adhesion to asphalt substrates were characterized. The thermal shrinkage behavior of the epoxy system under temperature-variable environments was also investigated. The results indicated that the elongation at break of the epoxy curing system, after chain extension and toughening, increased from 28.7% to 40.4%, representing a 28.9% increase. When n (Cardanol):n (TETA):n (F):n (BDDE) = 1:1.4:0.8:0.7 (molar ratio of reactants), m (EP):m (Curing Agent B) = 1:1 (mass ratio), and epoxy-terminated polyurethane (EPU) prepolymer constituted 10% of the epoxy resin mass; the epoxy curing system exhibited an elongation at break of 44.3%, a tensile strength of 7.0 MPa, a bond strength of 6.9 MPa, and an impact toughness of 1.77 J/cm². Furthermore, it exhibited rapid curing at a low temperature (0~5 °C) and at room temperature (25 °C). Additionally, when bisphenol F epoxy resin was used, the system demonstrated optimal thermal expansion properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials and Technologies in Pavement Engineering (2nd Edition))

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33 pages, 3628 KB

Open AccessArticle

Stone Matrix Asphalt with Fischer–Tropsch Wax and Recycled Rubber: A Multi-Scale Evaluation of Mechanical and Functional Performance

by Roman Pacholak, Biruh Alemayehu Seyoum and Mohamed Eladly

Materials 2026, 19(5), 928; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19050928 - 28 Feb 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 635

Abstract

This study investigates the synergistic use of Fischer–Tropsch wax (FTW) and recycled rubber powder (RP) as dual modifiers in stone mastic asphalt (SMA11) to improve its mechanical and functional performance. Rheological analysis demonstrated that an FTW content of 4% achieves the optimal balance of high-temperature rutting resistance, aging resistance, and workability, with a binder viscosity of 1.6 Pa·s at 135 °C. When incorporated into SMA11 mixtures at 15%, RP yielded the best overall mechanical performance, including a reduction in rut depth to 1.22 mm and a 25% decrease in wheel tracking slope (WTS). The 15% RP mixtures also exhibited superior long-term skid resistance (μ_m = 0.329 after 180,000 polishing cycles, corresponding to a 13% reduction in braking distance) and enhanced thermal cracking resistance (failure temperature improved by 8.0 °C to −32.7 °C). An RP content of 5% maximized moisture resistance (ITSR = 100%), while 10% RP produced the highest mid-frequency sound absorption coefficient (α = 0.050). The hybrid modification system enables a 20 °C reduction in production temperature, consistent with published data on wax-based warm-mix technologies, and is associated with reduced energy consumption and lower emissions. The approach simultaneously supports sustainable pavement design through the high-value reuse of waste tire rubber. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials and Technologies in Pavement Engineering (2nd Edition))

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29 pages, 8015 KB

Open AccessArticle

From Pre-Swelling to Performance Enhancement: Mechanisms and Effects of an Instant Ultra High-Performance Bituminous Material Modifier

by Yuanyuan Li, Haowen Ji, Chonghui Wang, Derun Zhang, Fu Wang, Gangping Jiang, Jiahui Deng and Junjie Ke

Materials 2026, 19(3), 633; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19030633 - 6 Feb 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 717

Abstract

To elucidate the modification and pre-swelling mechanisms of instant bituminous modifiers and their contribution to bituminous materials’ performance, this study investigates an instant ultra-high-performance bitumen modifier (SHVE-M). Fluorescence microscopy (FM), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), physical property tests, viscoelastic properties tests, dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), and mixture pavement performance tests were employed to systematically characterise the instant modified bitumen (SHVE-MB) and its mixture (SHVE-MBM). The results indicate that SHVE-M forms a stable “bitumen phase–polymer spherical phase” structure. ImageJ-win64 analysis revealed that SHVE-M exhibits a modifier area fraction of 46.68% and an average area fraction of 0.22‰, while SHVE-MB achieves a modifier area fraction of 17.54% and an average area fraction of 0.18‰. This morphology is supported by a large molecular size (LMS) content of 43% in SHVE-M. In terms of physical properties, the SHVE-MB (prepared via 10 min shearing) exhibited a penetration of 46.2 dmm, a softening point of 91.7 °C, and a ductility of 34.3 cm. These values are highly comparable to the conventional wet-process HVE-MB (prepared via 4 h maturation), with negligible differences of 0.5 dmm, 1.7 °C, and 1.4 cm, respectively. Quantitatively for viscoelasticity, SHVE-MB achieved a dynamic viscosity of 425,283.4 Pa·s at 60 °C and an elastic recovery rate of 92.1%, paralleling the 414,623.7 Pa·s and 93.6% of HVE-MB. Regarding mixture performance, the high-temperature dynamic stability (DS) of SHVE-MBM reached 7974 times/mm, approaching the 8256 times/mm of HVE-MBM. The water stability was excellent with a splitting tensile strength ratio (TSR) of 97.4% (vs. 98.0% for HVE-MBM). Furthermore, the low-temperature fracture toughness (K_IC) reached 39.8 N/mm^1.5, significantly outperforming SBS-MBM (27.9 N/mm^1.5) and remaining close to HVE-MBM (43.9 N/mm^1.5). These findings indicate that SHVE-MB effectively bridges the performance gap between instant and traditional high-viscosity modified bitumen, and the pre-swelling mechanism of SHVE-M is well characterized in this study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials and Technologies in Pavement Engineering (2nd Edition))

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20 pages, 9280 KB

Open AccessArticle

Adsorption Characteristics of Chloride Ions by Calcined Hydrotalcite and Its Influence on the Salt Corrosion Resistance of Asphalt Binder

by Jun Sheng, Yingxue Zou, Yuejing Lv, Dan Huang, Zenggang Zhao, Yuanlin Ding, Siyu Cheng and Jinxian Xiao

Materials 2026, 19(3), 587; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19030587 - 3 Feb 2026

Viewed by 610

Abstract

This study aims to address the issue of asphalt pavement performance deterioration caused by chloride salt erosion. Layered double hydroxides (CLDHs) calcined at different temperatures, including 400 °C, 500 °C, and 600 °C, were used for the modification of asphalt binder. The structural evolution and chloride ion adsorption characteristics of CLDHs were analyzed. The adsorption kinetic behavior of CLDHs for chloride ions was investigated by combining adsorption kinetic experiments and electrochemical titration experiments. Through characterizing the interfacial adhesion performance between CLDH-modified asphalt binder and aggregates, the chemical composition of asphalt–ash binder before and after salt corrosion, and the leaching stability of organic substances in an environment with abundant chloride ions, the influence of CLDHs on the salt corrosion resistance of asphalt–ash binder was quantified. The results indicate that chloride adsorption by CLDHs is predominantly chemisorption-driven. With increasing calcination temperature, the chloride adsorption capacity of CLDHs gradually improved. In chloride-rich environments, CLDHs significantly enhanced the interfacial adhesion between asphalt binder and aggregates, particularly for coarse aggregates with a particle size of 9.5–13.2 mm. Furthermore, CLDHs effectively suppressed the formation of carbonyl and sulfoxide groups during salt corrosion and substantially decreased the leaching of organic components from asphalt binder. In summary, CLDHs can specifically enhance the salt corrosion resistance of asphalt binder, with the 600 °C-CLDHs demonstrating the most significant improvement, followed by the 400 °C-CLDHs, while the 500 °C-CLDHs performed the least effectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials and Technologies in Pavement Engineering (2nd Edition))

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