Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.4
3.2
Journals
Materials
Special Issues
Integrating Sustainable Innovations in Pavement Materials and Engineering
materials-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Materials Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Integrating Sustainable Innovations in Pavement Materials and Engineering

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2025 | Viewed by 813

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yanhui Niu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, China
Interests: sustainable pavement; asphalt binder modification; low-emission materials; green infrastructure; recycling; environmental impact; intelligent construction; life cycle assessment; green pavement maintenance
Prof. Dr. Jiangmiao Yu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
Interests: high-performance asphalt and asphalt mixtures; new pavement structures and materials; modern road maintenance and management technologies; non-destructive testing and evaluation techniques for pavements; green intelligent road construction technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable pavement materials and engineering practices are essential for reducing environmental impact and enhancing infrastructure durability. As global focus shifts toward minimizing carbon footprints and optimizing resources, integrating sustainable materials, technologies, and practices in pavement construction is increasingly critical.

This Special Issue of Materials, titled "Integrating Sustainable Innovations in Pavement Materials and Engineering", invites contributions to explore advancements in sustainable materials and engineering practices.

We welcome submissions on:

  • Sustainable Materials: Bio-based, recycled, and low-emission asphalt materials that enhance performance while reducing environmental footprints.
  • Smart Technologies: Use of sensors and real-time monitoring to improve material performance and construction efficiency.
  • Recycling and Reuse: Techniques for low-carbon asphalt recycling and enhancing the use of reclaimed materials.
  • Multidisciplinary Approaches: Research bridging materials science, civil engineering, and environmental engineering.
  • Integrated Practices: Case studies and best practices combining material innovations with engineering techniques.
  • Green Maintenance: Innovative pavement structures and green materials play an important role in developing green maintenance stargates for lower life-cycle carbon emission, such as ultra-thin asphalt wearing course, cold-in-place recycling, etc.

This Issue aims to advance the development of sustainable pavement materials and engineering solutions, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across materials science, civil engineering, and environmental engineering. We invite original research, case studies, and reviews that offer novel insights into innovative material technologies, real-world applications, and the integration of sustainable practices in pavement design and construction.

Prof. Dr. Yanhui Niu
Prof. Dr. Jiangmiao Yu
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. 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 pavement
  • asphalt binder modification
  • low-emission materials
  • green infrastructure
  • recycling
  • environmental impact
  • intelligent construction
  • life cycle assessment
  • green pavement maintenance

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 1071 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Cold Mix Asphalt Repair: An Analytic Hierarchy Process–Grey Relational Analysis Optimization Framework
by Li Li, Dongwen Guo, Li Teng, Chongmei Peng and Runzhi Yang
Materials 2025, 18(10), 2265; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18102265 - 13 May 2025
Viewed by 378
Abstract
Cold mix asphalt (CMA) pothole repair is extensively utilized in time-sensitive highway maintenance due to its rapid deployment and all-weather applicability. However, premature failures caused by suboptimal construction practices under operational constraints (e.g., emergency repairs and adverse weather) necessitate frequent reworks, inadvertently escalating [...] Read more.
Cold mix asphalt (CMA) pothole repair is extensively utilized in time-sensitive highway maintenance due to its rapid deployment and all-weather applicability. However, premature failures caused by suboptimal construction practices under operational constraints (e.g., emergency repairs and adverse weather) necessitate frequent reworks, inadvertently escalating material consumption and associated environmental burdens. To address this challenge, this study proposes a quality-driven optimization framework integrating enhanced Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Grey Relational Analysis (GRA). The methodology systematically evaluates 18 technical parameters across six critical construction phases—grooving/molding, cleaning/drying, bonding layer application, material paving, compaction, and edge trimming—to identify dominant quality determinants. The analysis highlights material placement and compaction as the most significant phases in the repair process, with specific technical parameters such as compaction standardization, paving uniformity, compactor dimension selection, and material application emerging as key quality drivers. To assess the feasibility of the optimized process, a grey relational analysis was adopted to compare the proposed protocol with the cold-patch practices currently adopted by two municipal maintenance agencies in Shanghai, demonstrating superior alignment with an ideal repair benchmark. The developed model empowers highway agencies to achieve dual operational–environmental gains: maintaining urgent repair efficiency while mitigating secondary resource depletion through reduced repetitive interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrating Sustainable Innovations in Pavement Materials and Engineering)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 6902 KiB  
Article
Effect of Waste Cigarette Butt Fibers on the Properties and CO2 Footprint of Bitumen
by Kai Yang, Cheng Cheng, Yong Yan, Qinglin Wu and Ru Du
Materials 2025, 18(9), 2059; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18092059 - 30 Apr 2025
Viewed by 257
Abstract
This research utilized recycled acetate fibers from discarded cigarette butts (CBs) as reinforcing materials, reducing solid waste and enhancing the properties of bitumen. The surface properties of the fibers significantly impacted the binder characteristics. The treatment of CB fibers with anhydrous ethanol was [...] Read more.
This research utilized recycled acetate fibers from discarded cigarette butts (CBs) as reinforcing materials, reducing solid waste and enhancing the properties of bitumen. The surface properties of the fibers significantly impacted the binder characteristics. The treatment of CB fibers with anhydrous ethanol was employed to remove the plasticizer glycerol triacetate (GTA), enabling the better homogeneity of the fibers in the binder. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to assess the effectiveness of the fiber treatment. A dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) was used to explore the properties of bitumen with varying CB contents (0%, 0.25%, 0.75%, and 1.25% by weight). A whole life cycle analysis further confirmed the eco-efficiency of CB binders. The results show that the pretreatment effectively removed GTA, leading to a more homogeneous dispersion of fibers in the binder. Adding CBs can significantly improve bitumen properties, but this effect does not increase with higher dosages; when the CB content exceeded 1.25%, a reduction in fatigue resistance was observed. Among the tested dosages, the optimal amount was 0.75%, which improved the high-temperature performance of the binder by 2.7 times, the medium-temperature fatigue life by 1.78 times, and the low-temperature performance by 1.08 times. In terms of ecological benefits, the addition of CB fibers to bitumen pavement reduced carbon emissions by two-thirds compared to traditional bitumen pavement, resulting in a significant decrease in carbon emissions. This study provides valuable insights into the construction of sustainable transportation infrastructure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrating Sustainable Innovations in Pavement Materials and Engineering)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop