Experimental Testing and Constitutive Modelling of Pavement Materials

Dear Colleagues,

Pavement materials such as asphalt mixtures, granular aggregates, and soils exhibit complex material properties and engineering performance under external loading and environmental conditions. For instance, the asphalt mixture shows highly nonlinear viscoelastic and viscoplastic properties at high temperatures, and it presents fatigue cracking damage and fracture properties at intermediate or low temperatures. Constitutive models based on mechanics theories have been the kernel of performance prediction of pavement infrastructures and materials. They lay down a solid foundation for material selection, design and pavement structural evaluation, and maintenance decisions. Advances in mechanics modeling and the associated experimental testing for pavement infrastructures and construction materials are emerging constantly, such as nonlinear viscoelasticity, viscoplasticity, fracture, and damage mechanics models. Meanwhile, various numerical modeling technologies are being developed and implemented to solve the multiscale and multiphysical equations and models for pavement structures and materials. Examples include finite element, discrete element, and micromechanics or molecular dynamics simulations at different dimensions and scales. These are being applied to both existing traditional pavement materials and novel and emerging materials such as recycled, modified or alternative materials. All the aforementioned advances have been leading to a large number of new studies and discoveries in the relevant areas. This Special Issue provides a unique platform to collect and present these novel studies and new discoveries in the areas of mechanics, numerical modeling and experimental testing of pavement infrastructures and materials.

Some suggested topics related to this Special Issue include:

• Advanced constitutive modeling and experimental testing of pavement materials;
• Viscoelastic, viscoplastic, fracture, and damage mechanics analysis;
• Finite/boundary/discrete element modeling of pavements and materials;
• Molecular dynamics modeling and micromechanics modeling;
• Performance predictions of pavement structures and materials;
• Multiscale and multiphysics modeling and evaluations;
• Modified, renewable, recyclable or alternative pavement materials;
• Artificial-intelligence-based constitutive behavior of asphalt mixtures;
• Microscopic test method and instrument development of pavement materials;
• Rapid repair materials for pavement structures: development or application.

Dr. Xueyan Liu
Prof. Dr. Linbing Wang
Prof. Dr. Zhanping You
Dr. Yuqing Zhang
Dr. Changhong Zhou
Guest Editors

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