Special Issue "Road Traffic and Pavement Engineering toward Sustainable Development"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Hernán Gonzalo-Orden
E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Burgos, 09001 Burgos, Spain
Interests: pavement engineering; transport systems; road safety
Dr. Heriberto Pérez-Acebo
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering of Bilbao, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Pº Rafael Moreno Pitxitxi, 2, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
Interests: pavement deterioration; pavement performance; models, skid resistance; traffic calming measures; tunneling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the growing concern about climate change, major efforts are being introduced in all fields that produce greenhouse gases (GHG). Transportation is said to be responsible for more than 25% of GHG emissions and, hence, many initiatives are taken to reduce emissions. For example, in 2011, the European Union established numerous goals toward building a competitive transportation system but, at the same time, to also cut carbon emissions due to transportation by 60% in 2050. In the field of road transportation, efforts are oriented to develop two main areas: sustainable roads and efficient road transportation.

With regard to sustainable roads, research is focused on the production of new long-lasting materials in pavement construction, introduction of more sustainable materials (as a result of introducing waste materials, for example), better management of pavements and maintenance and rehabilitation techniques, etc. The development of energy-harvesting pavements is another way of creating greener road infrastructures.

On the other hand, efficient road transportation of passenger and freight aims to implement road traffic policies as well as innovative mobility services and solutions aiming to reduce pollution and, at the same time, support the present road transportation demands. This objective can be developed by means of any of the smart and emerging technologies (shared mobility, cooperative driving), intelligent transportation systems (ITS), digitalization, new policies, model simulation, use of big data, etc.

Consequently, submitted papers can target various different fields including, but not limited to the following.

In the area of sustainable roads:

  • Geometric design of roads, including junctions and roundabouts
  • Safer roads
  • Introduction of waste materials in pavement construction
  • Recycling of reclaimed asphalt pavement
  • Soil stabilization
  • Structural performance modeling
  • Surface characteristics
  • Analysis of the lifecycle cost analysis of pavements
  • Road infrastructure preservation
  • Pavement design methodologies
  • Maintenance and rehabilitation strategies
  • Pavement performance prediction models
  • Pavement maintenance optimization models
  • Energy-harvesting pavements

In the area of efficient road transportation:

  • Road transportation demand analysis and evaluation
  • Road transportation policies developing innovative mobility services and solutions
  • Sustainable passenger and freight transportation model simulation
  • Congestion reductions innovative techniques
  • Sustainable road transportation policies
  • Economics of road mobility and transportation
  • Road transportation digitalization
  • Evaluation of road transportation emissions
  • Safer road transportation
  • Innovative road mobility services for people and goods
  • Big data analysis for sustainable road transportation
  • Changes in road mobility behavior
  • Shared road mobility

Prof. Dr. Hernán Gonzalo-Orden
Dr. Heriberto Pérez-Acebo
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 papers will be 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 1900 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

roads; highway; freeway; sustainability; pavement design; road materials; sustainable pavements; pavement management; pavement maintenance; pavement rehabilitation; lifecycle cost analysis; pavement performance models; pavement deterioration models; big data; soil stabilization; reclaimed asphalt pavement; waste materials in pavements; sustainable construction materials; road infrastructure management; geometric design of roads; roundabout; road safety; environment friendly pavement; pavement service life; cementitious materials; pavement design; energy-harvesting pavements; sustainable road transportation; innovative road mobility; road transportation modeling; travel behavior; road transport demand analysis; transport economics; road transportation policy; traffic delays; sustainable road passenger transportation; sustainable freight road transportation; congestion mitigation; shared mobility; traffic flow modeling; traffic simulation; smart infrastructures; smart road mobility; road transport emissions

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

Article
Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and the Environmental Impact of the Production of Asphalt Mixes Modified with Recycled Materials
Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 8081; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13148081 - 20 Jul 2021
Viewed by 414
Abstract
This research focuses on the production and construction stages of the life cycle analysis (LCA) of asphalt mixtures modified with industrial waste and by-products, based on the quantification of methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions [...] Read more.
This research focuses on the production and construction stages of the life cycle analysis (LCA) of asphalt mixtures modified with industrial waste and by-products, based on the quantification of methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions produced during these processes. A laboratory-designed and calibrated gas measurement system with a microcontroller and MQ sensors is used to compare the emissions (GHG) of a “conventional” asphalt mix with those emitted by waste-modified asphalt mixes (polyethylene terephthalate and nylon fibres) and industrial by-products (copper slag and cellulose ash). The results obtained show that the gases emitted by each type of material can influence the design criteria from an environmental perspective. Methane gas emissions for asphalt mixes made with polymeric materials increase compared to the production phase of a conventional mix (M1) by 21% for PET and 14% for nylon. In contrast, for mixtures made with copper slag and cellulose ash, this emission is reduced by 12%. In addition, the use of copper slag and cellulose ash to replace natural aggregates reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 15% during the production phase and contributes to the creation of photochemical ozone for a shorter period of time. Regarding carbon dioxide emission, it increases considerably for all asphalt mixes, by 26% and 44.5% for cellulose ash and copper slag, respectively. For asphalt mixtures made of polymeric materials, the increase in carbon dioxide emission is significant, 130% for PET and 53% for nylon. In addition, it is noted that for this type of material, not only the emission of the gas must be taken into consideration, but also the time that the volatile particles spend in the atmosphere, affecting climate change and photochemical ozone (smog). The carbon monoxide gases emitted in the production phase of all the asphalt mixes analysed is similar among them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Road Traffic and Pavement Engineering toward Sustainable Development)
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Article
Managing Traffic Data through Clustering and Radial Basis Functions
Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2846; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052846 - 05 Mar 2021
Viewed by 536
Abstract
Due to the importance of road transport an adequate identification of the various road network levels is necessary for an efficient and sustainable management of the road infrastructure. Additionally, traffic values are key data for any pavement management system. In this work traffic [...] Read more.
Due to the importance of road transport an adequate identification of the various road network levels is necessary for an efficient and sustainable management of the road infrastructure. Additionally, traffic values are key data for any pavement management system. In this work traffic volume data of 2019 in the Basque Autonomous Community (Spain) were analyzed and modeled. Having a multidimensional sample, the average annual daily traffic (AADT) was considered as the main variable of interest, which is used in many areas of the road network management. First, an exploratory analysis was performed, from which descriptive statistical information was obtained continuing with the clustering by various variables in order to standardize its behavior by translation. In a second stage, the variable of interest was estimated in the entire road network of the studied country using linear-based radial basis functions (RBFs). The estimated model was compared with the sample statistically, evaluating the estimation using cross-validation and highest-traffic sectors are defined. From the analysis, it was observed that the clustering analysis is useful for identifying the real importance of each road segment, as a function of the real traffic volume and not based on other criteria. It was also observed that interpolation methods based on linear-type radial basis functions (RBF) can be used as a preliminary method to estimate the AADT. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Road Traffic and Pavement Engineering toward Sustainable Development)
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Article
Environmental Effects of Eco-Driving on Courier Delivery
Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1415; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031415 - 29 Jan 2021
Viewed by 665
Abstract
In recent years, eco-driving has proven to be an effective tool for reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Until now, most research carried out has focused on ordinary drivers applying eco-driving techniques on their usual routes. However, there is little research [...] Read more.
In recent years, eco-driving has proven to be an effective tool for reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Until now, most research carried out has focused on ordinary drivers applying eco-driving techniques on their usual routes. However, there is little research on professional driver couriers. This research is aimed at analyzing the effects that eco-driving has on fuel consumption and GHG emissions on courier deliveries in small cities such as Caceres (Spain). For this purpose, a real-life experiment was performed with professional drivers with Spanish post vans from the public sector company Correos. In the first period, driving was under normal conditions (non-eco), and after a theoretical training eco-driving course, there was a second driving period (eco). Driving parameters (speeds, accelerations, rpm, and consumptions) were recorded on all trips to analyze how effective the eco-driving was. The research concluded that eco-driving training does not correlate with more sustainable driving for professional drivers under pressure with the need to deliver packages on time. However, there is a trend in fuel savings when using higher capacity routes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Road Traffic and Pavement Engineering toward Sustainable Development)
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Article
Influence of Pavement Structure, Traffic, and Weather on Urban Flexible Pavement Deterioration
Sustainability 2020, 12(22), 9717; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12229717 - 21 Nov 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 718
Abstract
Various studies have been recently conducted to predict pavement condition, but most of them were developed in a certain region where climate conditions were kept constant and/or the research focused on specific road distresses using single parameters. Thus, this research aimed at determining [...] Read more.
Various studies have been recently conducted to predict pavement condition, but most of them were developed in a certain region where climate conditions were kept constant and/or the research focused on specific road distresses using single parameters. Thus, this research aimed at determining the influence of pavement structure, traffic demand, and climate factors on urban flexible pavement condition over time. To do this, the Structural Number was used as an indicator of the pavement capacity, various traffic and climate variables were defined, and the Pavement Condition Index was used as a surrogate measure of pavement condition. The analysis was focused on the calibration of regression models by using the K-Fold Cross Validation technique. As a result, for a given pavement age, pavement condition worsens as the Equivalent Single Axle Load and the Annual Average Height of Snow increased. Likewise, a cold Annual Average Temperature (5–15 °C) and a large Annual Average Range of Temperature (20–30 °C) encourage a more aggressive pavement deterioration process. By contrast, warm climates with low temperature variations, which are associated with low precipitation, lead to a longer pavement service life. Additionally, a new classification of climate zones was proposed on the basis of the weather influence on pavement deterioration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Road Traffic and Pavement Engineering toward Sustainable Development)
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