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

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 2101

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yanhai Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Interests: durable, sustainable, resilient, and smart transportation infrastructure
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yangming Gao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
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
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yuanyuan Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
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
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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:

  1. Sustainable and low-carbon binders, additives, and modifiers.
  2. Emerging technologies such as nanomaterials, self-healing pavements, and smart infrastructure solutions are highlighted for their potential to revolutionize pavement engineering.
  3. Advanced testing, modeling, and characterization of pavement materials.
  4. Durability, resilience, and climate adaptation strategies for pavements.
  5. Structural health monitoring and in-service performance evaluation.
  6. Field demonstrations and case studies of innovative pavement technologies.
  7. Conductive and self-sensing asphalt and concrete for smart pavements.
  8. 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

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. Materials 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 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 (4 papers)

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Research

30 pages, 7927 KB  
Article
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 360
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 [...] Read more.
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  
Article
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
Viewed by 377
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 [...] Read more.
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 (μm = 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  
Article
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
Viewed by 483
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 [...] Read more.
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 (KIC) reached 39.8 N/mm1.5, significantly outperforming SBS-MBM (27.9 N/mm1.5) and remaining close to HVE-MBM (43.9 N/mm1.5). 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  
Article
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 416
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 [...] Read more.
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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