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Recycling
Special Issues
Recycled Materials in Sustainable Pavement Innovation
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Recycled Materials in Sustainable Pavement Innovation

A special issue of Recycling (ISSN 2313-4321).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2025 | Viewed by 1192

Special Issue Editors

Dr. José Neves

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CERIS, Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georesources, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: road and airfield infrastructure systems; pavement design and analysis; pavement materials; pavement construction and maintenance technologies; pavement management and performance; sustainability; safety; transportation geotechnics; testing and evaluation; quality management systems; intelligent transportation systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ana Cristina Freire

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil, Av. do Brasil, 101, 1700-066 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: pavement materials and construction technologies, including innovative technologies and alternative/recycled/sustainable materials; behavior assessment of road and airport pavements; circular economy; extreme weather events; mitigation of climate change effects; life cycle assessment (LCA); greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recycling has proven to be a viable and effective waste management procedure that promotes the sustainability of transport infrastructure and of the architecture, engineering and construction sectors. It can also help enhance the resilience of infrastructure, such as in facing extreme events linked to climate change. Research has increasingly focused on recycling on pavements, leading to improvements in engineering design and practice.

This Special Issue aims to collect fundamental and applied research on recycling materials, showcasing innovative approaches in pavement sustainability. The incorporation of different types of waste, namely recycled asphalt pavement (RAP), recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) and other construction and demolition waste (CDW); fly ash; tire rubber; natural fibers (e.g., corn husks, coconut shell or pal fibers); waste plastic and paper mill sludge can be considered. In addition, studies on the incorporation of waste from other sources, such as food or tissues, which enhance the environmental sustainability and durability of new road pavements and reduce waste landfill, are welcome. Examples of such include biodegradable asphalt binders, organic additives, cork residues, and recycled aggregates from food waste materials such as almond or walnut shells.

To summarize, the focus of this Special Issue is on innovative materials and techniques that promote ecofriendly design and green construction and maintenance, integrating a circular and carbon-neutral economy model along the pavement life cycle.

Dr. José Neves
Dr. Ana Cristina Freire
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. Recycling 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 1800 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

  • carbon-neutral economy
  • circular economy
  • climate changes
  • ecofriendly design
  • green technology
  • pavements
  • recycled materials
  • sustainability

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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26 pages, 5528 KiB  
Article
Quality Assurance Framework for Recovered Binders and Aggregates from Asphalt Mixtures Incorporating Recycled Materials
by Eslam Deef-Allah and Magdy Abdelrahman
Recycling 2025, 10(2), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling10020071 - 13 Apr 2025
Viewed by 274
Abstract
This study proposes that a proactive quality assurance (QA) framework for asphalt mixes with recycled materials, i.e., reclaimed asphalt pavement and recycled asphalt shingles, should be developed. Quality control (QC) is generally concerned with the contractor’s obligation to produce mixes which meet the [...] Read more.
This study proposes that a proactive quality assurance (QA) framework for asphalt mixes with recycled materials, i.e., reclaimed asphalt pavement and recycled asphalt shingles, should be developed. Quality control (QC) is generally concerned with the contractor’s obligation to produce mixes which meet the job mix formula (JMF) targets. However, QA considers the variability in fabrication processes and materials and offers monitoring by evaluating the contractor’s performance. Although both aggregate gradations and asphalt contents were within the JMF specifications, the recovered binders revealed significant differences from the contract binders in the JMF. Rheological tests indicated increased stiffness and elasticity but reduced capability to relax thermal stresses in binders recovered from plant–lab- and lab-fabricated mixtures, compared to field mixtures. Thermal-rheological analysis models corroborated these results by demonstrating reduced decomposition areas for more aged binders, enhancing performance prediction—especially for limited binder amounts. The creation of a QA decision matrix facilitated uniform, performance-oriented assessments. The matrix indicated only 23% of the mixtures satisfied JMF criteria and reported QC data—predominantly field mixtures—underscoring the impact of the fabrication mechanisms and the use of soft binders. This matrix integrates statistical analysis and binder performance assessments as a tool for verifying material compliance and tracking contractor efficiency. It reflects a transition from traditional QC toward a more proactive QA framework for sustainable pavements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycled Materials in Sustainable Pavement Innovation)
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Review

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32 pages, 328 KiB  
Review
Rutting and Aging Properties of Recycled Polymer-Modified Pavement Materials
by Nuha S. Mashaan and Chathurika Dassanayake
Recycling 2025, 10(2), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling10020060 - 1 Apr 2025
Viewed by 438
Abstract
Recycled polymer-modified binders have emerged as a sustainable solution for improving the performance and durability of pavement materials. This review examines the rutting and aging properties of pavements modified with recycled polymers, highlighting their potential for sustainable infrastructure development. The incorporation of recycled [...] Read more.
Recycled polymer-modified binders have emerged as a sustainable solution for improving the performance and durability of pavement materials. This review examines the rutting and aging properties of pavements modified with recycled polymers, highlighting their potential for sustainable infrastructure development. The incorporation of recycled polymers into bitumen enhances resistance to rutting and aging by improving the binder’s mechanical stability and oxidative durability. Key laboratory techniques, including the rolling thin-film oven test (RTFOT) and the pressure aging vessel (PAV), are evaluated for their effectiveness in assessing the thermal and oxidative aging behavior of modified binders. The review demonstrates that recycled polymers improve binder elasticity, delay oxidative degradation, and mitigate deformation under repeated loading, thus extending pavement lifespan and reducing maintenance costs. However, challenges such as optimizing polymer dosage, ensuring homogeneity, and predicting long-term performance require further investigation. This paper underscores the environmental and economic benefits of utilizing recycled polymers in pavement construction and advocates for improved testing protocols and advanced characterization techniques to enhance the reliability and sustainability of polymer-modified pavements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycled Materials in Sustainable Pavement Innovation)
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