Sustainable and Smart Asphalt Materials: Toward Greener Pavement Systems

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid growth of global infrastructure has increased the demand for high-performance, durable, and environmentally responsible pavement materials. Conventional asphalt binders and polymer modifiers often rely on non-renewable petroleum-based resources, which pose challenges to sustainability and environmental protection. In recent years, bio-based polymers, recycled materials, and smart modification technologies have emerged as promising solutions for developing eco-friendly and long-lasting pavements.

This Special Issue aims to bring together recent advancements and innovative research in the field of sustainable pavement materials, focusing on bio-based binders, recycled additives, self-healing systems, nanomaterial modification, and circular economy applications. Studies addressing the mechanical, rheological, and environmental performance of these materials, as well as life-cycle assessment and durability evaluation, are particularly welcome.

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Bio-based and renewable polymer modification of asphalt;
• Recycling of plastics, rubbers, and industrial waste for pavement use;
• Self-healing and smart materials for extended service life;
• Molecular dynamics simulation and surface energy analysis in material design;
• Environmental impact assessment and circular economy in road construction.

By gathering cutting-edge research in this field, this Special Issue seeks to promote the transition toward sustainable, resilient, and carbon-efficient pavement systems.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions.

Prof. Dr. Zengping Zhang
Guest Editor

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. 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.