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Sustainable Life Cycle Approaches in Road Construction, Pavement Engineering, and Management

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Engineering and Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 371

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Edificio 8, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: road pavements; pavement design; transportation infrastructure; life cycle assessment; circular economy; recycling

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Edificio 8, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: railway infrastructures; materials; road infrastructures; pavement management; circular economy; life cycle cost analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The road infrastructure sector plays a vital role in global development but is also a major contributor to environmental impacts. In recent years, increasing attention has been given to the application of life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) approaches to road construction and pavement engineering. Traditionally, research has focused on the environmental footprint of pavement materials; however, a truly sustainable transition demands a more holistic perspective.

This Special Issue aims to explore integrated life cycle approaches that encompass the entire lifespan of road infrastructure—from design, material production, and construction to maintenance, rehabilitation, and end-of-life management. By addressing the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability, this Special Issue aligns with the journal’s scope on advancing innovative, interdisciplinary methods for sustainable infrastructure development.

We welcome original research articles and review papers covering (but not limited to) the following themes:

  • Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA), and Social LCA in road engineering;
  • Circular economy and decarbonization strategies in pavement design and maintenance;
  • Sustainable construction practices and material innovations;
  • Resilience and long-term performance in infrastructure planning;
  • Digital tools (e.g., BIM, DT) for sustainable infrastructure management.

We look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Dr. Konstantinos Mantalovas
Dr. Gaetano Di Mino
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. Sustainability 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 2400 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

  • life cycle assessment (LCA)
  • sustainable pavement engineering
  • road infrastructure sustainability
  • circular economy in construction
  • life cycle cost analysis (LCCA)
  • pavement materials and design
  • end-of-life management
  • carbon footprint and decarbonization
  • infrastructure maintenance strategies
  • digital tools for sustainable infrastructure (e.g., BIM, digital twins)

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 3625 KB  
Article
Life Cycle Assessment of Asphalt Mixtures Incorporating Secondary Raw Materials Under a Circular Economy Perspective
by Konstantinos Mantalovas, Francesco Graziano, Rosalia Teresi, Maria Cristina Mangano, Gianluca Sarà and Clara Celauro
Sustainability 2025, 17(23), 10869; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172310869 - 4 Dec 2025
Viewed by 165
Abstract
The road construction sector is increasingly striving to reduce its environmental footprint while advancing circular economic goals. Conventional asphalt mixtures depend on virgin aggregates and bitumen, which significantly contribute to emissions and resource depletion. This study addresses the issue by assessing the environmental [...] Read more.
The road construction sector is increasingly striving to reduce its environmental footprint while advancing circular economic goals. Conventional asphalt mixtures depend on virgin aggregates and bitumen, which significantly contribute to emissions and resource depletion. This study addresses the issue by assessing the environmental performance of asphalt mixtures incorporating secondary raw materials—reclaimed asphalt, recycled fishnets, and cellulose fibres. A cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment was conducted on four mixtures, using the ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H) impact assessment methodology. The results along with the hotspot and sensitivity analyses show that reclaimed asphalt offers the most consistent environmental benefits, notably mitigating climate change and resource depletion impacts by replacing virgin aggregates. Recycled fishnets, despite addressing marine plastic waste, showed higher toxicity and eutrophication burdens due to energy-intensive processing. Cellulose fibres reduced climate impacts but increased land use and terrestrial ecotoxicity. Results highlight that the environmental benefits of introducing recycled materials are incremental rather than transformative at the production stage, and that the influence of supply-chain logistics can outweigh differences among mixtures. Although the cradle-to-gate perspective provides valuable insights for material selection and procurement, future studies should include use and end-of-life phases, where larger environmental benefits may emerge for certain mixtures. Full article
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