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Polymeric Composites in Road and Bridge Engineering: Characterization, Production and Application II

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A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Processing and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 7796

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Wensheng Wang

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Guest Editor

College of Transportation, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China
Interests: nondestructive testing technology; structural health monitoring; bridge and infrastructure engineering; road materials and pavement design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Yiming Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Civil Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150038, China
Interests: asphalt pavement; biomass materials; cracking; durability; numerical simulation; performance characterization

Dr. Ping Jiang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Civil Engineering, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing 312000, China
Interests: polymers fiber; fiber reinforced soil; damage model; interface of fiber-soil; dynamic performance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Roads, bridges, airports, and ports are multirole transportation infrastructure assets, which rely heavily on asphalt, cement, and aggregates in traditional civil engineering. Multirole transportation infrastructures should be resistant against structural loads and vehicle loads. Further, multirole transportation infrastructures are greatly affected by climate change, which has the potential to impact infrastructure performance both long- and short-term. Recent developments in materials science, especially polymers, have brought new perspectives in the modification of civil engineering materials and consequent improvements. Being both strong and lightweight, polymer composites have already found wide-ranging uses in civil engineering. The application of various types of polymers includes admixtures and additives (e.g., alternative binders, polymer fibers) for enhanced mechanical performances and functional properties, such as self-healing and self-cleaning abilities. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze advanced functional polymer composites sitting at the intersection of physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering. This Special Issue is concerned with the possible applications of polymeric composites to develop new technologies in road and bridge engineering. We are particularly interested in current and future research on characterization techniques, evaluation tools, and the production of advanced functional polymer composites.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

Recycling and resource recovery to transform polymers into green building materials;
Advanced functional polymer composites for sustainable civil engineering;
Multifunctional civil engineering materials for bio-based polymeric applications;
Modification of cement/asphalt-based composition with polymers;
Characterization of polymer–concrete composites in construction;
Experimental testing and constitutive modeling of polymeric pavement materials;
Rheological behavior and mechanics analysis of polymer matrix composites.

Dr. Wensheng Wang
Dr. Yiming Li
Dr. Ping Jiang
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. Polymers 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 2700 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

functional polymers
polymers recycling and reuse
building materials
fiber-reinforced composites
phase-change materials
modification of road materials with polymers
self-healing
anti-aging
mechanical performance
nondestructive assessment and health monitoring
sustainable development

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 3920 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synergistic Improvement of Strength Characteristics in Recycled Aggregates Using Nano-Clay and Polypropylene Fiber

by Tieyong Zhao, Chenjun Wang, De Zhang, Yanfei Yu, Jiale Luo and Cuihong Li

Polymers 2024, 16(3), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16030374 - 30 Jan 2024

Viewed by 613

Abstract

In order to study the improvement effect of nano-clay and polypropylene fiber on the mechanical properties of recycled aggregates, unconfined compression tests and triaxial shear tests were conducted. The experimental results show that adding polypropylene fibers to recycled aggregates increases the unconfined compressive strength by 27% and significantly improves ductility. We added 6% nano-clay to fiber-reinforced recycled aggregates, which increased the unconfined compressive strength of the recycled aggregates by 49% and the residual stress by 146%. However, the ductility decreased. Under low confining pressures, with the addition of nano-clay, the peak deviatoric stress strength of the fiber-reinforced recycled aggregates first decreased and then increased. When the nano-clay content was 8%, this reached a maximum value. However, under high confining pressures, the recycled aggregate particles were tightly interlocked, so that the improvement effect of the fiber and nano-clay was not obvious. As more nano-clay was added, the friction angle of the fiber-reinforced recycled aggregates decreased, while the cohesion increased. When the content of nano-clay was 8%, the cohesive force increased by 110%. The results of this research indicate that adding both polypropylene fibers and nano-clay to recycled aggregates has a better improvement effect on their strength characteristics than adding only polypropylene fibers. This study can provide a reference for improving the mechanical properties of recycled aggregates and the use of roadbeds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Composites in Road and Bridge Engineering: Characterization, Production and Application II)

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23 pages, 9356 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of the Effects of Polyurethane-Modified Polycarboxylate at Ambient Temperature on the Characteristics of Cement with Supplementary Cementitious Materials

by Shuncheng Xiang, Tingxiang Zheng, Jiake Zhang, Zhen Jiang, Bin Liu and Liangjun Huang

Polymers 2023, 15(17), 3602; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15173602 - 30 Aug 2023

Viewed by 942

Abstract

Via radical polymerization, three polyurethane-modified polycarboxylate molecules of various comb topologies were synthesized. This study investigated the effects of varying types and concentrations of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) on the surface tension, flowability, and zeta potential of cement. An elevation in the molar ratio between isoamyl alcohol polyoxyethylene (TPEG) and acrylic acid (AA) from 1:1 to 5:1 reduced the surface tension of the polycarboxylate molecule from 47.70 mN/m to 35.53 mN/m and increased flowability from 280 mm to 310 mm, as the results indicated. An increase in the SCM and polycarboxylate dosage proportionally decreased liquid-phase surface tension and increased flowability. A decrease in the water-to-cement (w/c) ratio from 0.5 to 0.3 corresponded to an observed increase in the zeta potential of cement pastes. However, a rise in the quantity of polycarboxylate and SCMs corresponded to a decrease in the zeta potential at a w/c ratio of 0.3. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Composites in Road and Bridge Engineering: Characterization, Production and Application II)

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17 pages, 19650 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation and Correlation Analysis of the Rheological Properties of Ground Tire Rubber and Styrene Butadiene Styrene Compound-Modified Asphalt

by Chunli Wu, Xiaoshu Tan, Liding Li, Chunyu Liang, Yongchao Zhao, Hanjun Li, Fuen Wang and Long Zhang

Polymers 2023, 15(15), 3289; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15153289 - 03 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 831

Abstract

With the increase in highway traffic volume, many waste tires are being produced, which puts serious pressure on the global ecological environment. Processing waste tires into powder and adding them to asphalt is an important and effective way to solve this noticeable environmental challenge. In this paper, to produce ground tire rubber (GTR) and styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) compound-modified asphalt, GTR was put into SBS-modified asphalt (GTRSA). Subsequently, some ordinary property tests, frequency sweep tests, and multiple stress creep recovery tests were conducted to investigate the conventional properties and rheological properties of GTRSA. Moreover, the 2S2P1D (two springs, two parabolic elements, and one dashpot) model was adopted to analyze the consequences of adding GTR content on the rheological properties of GTRSA. Finally, the Pearson correlation coefficient was employed to reveal the connection between the conventional properties and the rheological properties. The results show that GTR has a great impact on improving the rutting resistance, thermo-sensitive performance, shear resistance capability, stress sensitivity, and creep recovery performance of GTRSA. Adding 20% GTR can improve the creep recovery rate to 80.8%. The 5 °C ductility index suggests that GTR makes a difference to the low-temperature properties. The rheological properties and conventional properties had a strong linear link. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Composites in Road and Bridge Engineering: Characterization, Production and Application II)

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17 pages, 6381 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on Dynamic Modulus and Damping Characteristics of Modified Expanded Polystyrene Lightweight Soil under Cyclic Load

by Huaqiang Tao, Wenqian Zheng, Xuhui Zhou, Lin Zhou, Cuihong Li, Yanfei Yu and Ping Jiang

Polymers 2023, 15(8), 1865; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15081865 - 13 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1018

Abstract

In recent years, expanded polystyrene (EPS) lightweight soil has been widely used as subgrade in soft soil areas because of its light weight and environmental protection. This study aimed to investigate the dynamic characteristics of sodium silicate modified lime and fly ash treated EPS lightweight soil (SLS) under cyclic loading. The effects of EPS particles on the dynamic elastic modulus (E_d) and damping ratio (λ) of SLS were determined through dynamic triaxial tests at various confining pressures (σ₃), amplitudes, and cycle times. Mathematical models of the E_d of the SLS, cycle times, and σ₃ were established. The results revealed that the EPS particle content played a decisive role in the E_d and λ of the SLS. The E_d of the SLS decreased with an increase in the EPS particle content (EC). The E_d decreased by 60% in the 1–1.5% range of the EC. The existing forms of lime fly ash soil and EPS particles in the SLS changed from parallel to series. With an increase in σ₃ and amplitude, the E_d of the SLS gradually decreased, the λ generally decreased, and the λ variation range was within 0.5%. With an increase in the number of cycles, the E_d of the SLS decreased. The E_d value and the number of cycles satisfied the power function relationship. Additionally, it can be found from the test results that 0.5% to 1% was the best EPS content for SLS in this work. In addition, the dynamic elastic modulus prediction model established in this study can better describe the varying trend of the dynamic elastic modulus of SLS under different σ₃ values and load cycles, thereby providing a theoretical reference for the application of SLS in practical road engineering. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Composites in Road and Bridge Engineering: Characterization, Production and Application II)

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Review

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30 pages, 3441 KiB

Open AccessReview

A State-of-the-Art Review of Organic Polymer Modifiers for Slope Eco-Engineering

by Lei Wang, Yongsheng Yao, Jue Li, Kefei Liu and Fei Wu

Polymers 2023, 15(13), 2878; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15132878 - 29 Jun 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1977

Abstract

In slope ecological restoration projects, reinforcing soil and promoting vegetation growth are essential measures. Guest soil spraying technology can be used to backfill modified soil and vegetation seeds onto the slope surface, resulting in successful ecological restoration. The use of organic polymer modifiers to reinforce soil has several benefits, such as high strength, effective results, and low pollution levels. Organic polymer soil modifiers can be divided into two categories: synthetic polymer modifiers and biopolymer modifiers. This paper provides a thorough review of the properties and interaction mechanisms of two types of polymer modifiers in soil consolidation. The properties of organic polymer modifiers make them applicable in soil and vegetation engineering on slopes. These modifiers can enhance soil mechanics, infiltration, and erosion resistance and promote vegetation growth. Therefore, the suitability of organic polymer modifiers for soil and vegetation engineering on slopes is demonstrated by their properties and potential for improvement in key areas. Furthermore, challenges and future prospects for slope protection technology using organic polymer modifiers are suggested. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Composites in Road and Bridge Engineering: Characterization, Production and Application II)

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20 pages, 4466 KiB

Open AccessReview

Research Progress on Fiber-Reinforced Recycled Brick Aggregate Concrete: A Review

by Zhenya Zhang, Yongcheng Ji and Dayang Wang

Polymers 2023, 15(10), 2316; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15102316 - 16 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1679

Abstract

The addition of fibers to strengthen recycled concrete can strengthen the inherent deficits and deficiencies of concrete containing recycled aggregates to some extent and enlarge the concrete’s application range. In order to further promote the development and application of fiber-reinforced brick aggregate recycled concrete, the research results regarding its mechanical properties are reviewed in this paper. The effect of the content of broken brick on the mechanical properties of recycled concrete and the effects of different categories and contents of fiber on the basic mechanical properties of recycled concrete are analyzed. The problems to be solved in research on the mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced recycled brick aggregate concrete are presented, and the related research suggestions and prospects are summarized. This review provides a reference for further research in this field and the popularization and application of fiber-reinforced recycled concrete. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Composites in Road and Bridge Engineering: Characterization, Production and Application II)

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