New Materials and Sustainable Development in Pavement Engineering

The global imperative to mitigate climate change and foster a circular economy has positioned the development of sustainable pavement technologies as a key focus for the road engineering field. This Special Issue calls for the participation of researchers, engineers, and industry professionals to contribute innovative research and case studies on the integration of novel materials to advance sustainable development in pavement engineering. Our primary aim is to explore and disseminate knowledge on novel material technologies, recycled resources, and advanced design methodologies that collectively reduce the environmental footprint of pavement infrastructure while enhancing its resilience, longevity, and life-cycle performance. The scope encompasses a wide range of critical areas, including the development and application of high-performance eco-friendly binders, advanced ground modification techniques and novel composites for subgrade stabilization, the high-value utilization of recycled aggregates and industrial by-products, engineering self-healing asphalt and concrete, the use of phase-change materials for thermal regulation in pavement engineering, smart maintenance technology, digital twin technology, image processing, and the application of photocatalytic coatings for air purification within pavement systems. Contributions are also encouraged on life-cycle assessment (LCA), circular economy models, and multi-functional pavements that contribute to the broader goals of climate change mitigation and urban resilience. The purpose of this Special Issue is to provide a comprehensive platform for sharing cutting-edge findings that bridge the gap between material innovation and sustainable infrastructure development, paving the way for the next generation of eco-efficient and durable roadways. This Special Issue will usefully supplement the existing literature by moving beyond siloed discussions of individual material properties to present a holistic, system-level perspective that explicitly connects material innovation with environmental symbiosis and full life-cycle performance; it will thereby fill a critical gap by curating and synthesizing the latest knowledge on how these synergistic technologies can be integrated into real-world design, construction, and maintenance practices to meet the pressing challenges of climate change and resource scarcity.

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, ‘New materials and Sustainable development in Pavement Engineering’. The global imperative to mitigate climate change and foster a circular economy has positioned the development of sustainable pavement technologies as a key focus for the road engineering field. Traditional pavement construction is a resource-intensive process that is heavily reliant on finite virgin aggregates and petroleum-based binders, contributing significantly to carbon emissions and environmental degradation. As the backbone of global transportation networks, the sustainability of our pavements is not merely an engineering challenge, but also a critical component of our collective climate action.

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive platform for sharing cutting-edge research and case studies that bridge the gap between material innovation and sustainable infrastructure development. It will explore and disseminate knowledge on the novel material technologies, recycled resources, and advanced design methodologies that will collectively reduce the environmental impact of pavements while improving their longevity and performance. This subject aligns closely with the journal’s scope by emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches that integrate material science, environmental engineering, and circular economy principles into pavement design, construction, and maintenance.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Image processing.
• Digital twin technology.
• Smart maintenance technology.
• Phase-change materials for thermal regulation in pavement engineering.
• The development and application of high-performance, eco-friendly binders.
• The application of photocatalytic coatings for air purification within pavement systems.
• Advanced ground modification techniques and novel composites for subgrade stabilization.
• The engineering of self-healing asphalt and concrete, including long-term performance and economic feasibility studies.
• The high-value utilization of recycled aggregates and industrial by-products to address challenges in material quality and performance variability.
• Life-cycle assessment (LCA), circular economy models, and multi-functional pavements that contribute to broader climate mitigation and urban resilience goals.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Mofreh Saleh
Prof. Dr. Songtao Lv
Dr. Svetlana Besklubova
Prof. Dr. Hui Yao
Dr. Hailu Yang
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.

• sustainable pavements
• eco-friendly binders
• recycled aggregates
• subgrade stabilization
• life-cycle assessment (LCA)
• pavement durability
• self-healing asphalt
• phase-change materials
• photocatalytic coatings
• resilient infrastructure
• smart maintenance technology
• digital twin technology
• image processing