Special Issue "Traffic Infrastructure Sustainability in Autonomous Driving and Smart Pavement Environments"

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

Dr. Young-Ji Byon
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi 127788, UAE
Interests: Transportation engineering; autonomous vehicles; smart cities; GPS; GIS; airport systems; optimization; artificial intelligence
Prof. Meng Guo
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The Key Laboratory of Urban Security and Disaster Engineering of Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
Interests: Asphalt; bitumen; pavement; interface interaction; rheology; viscoelasticity; cohesion and adhesion; aging; recycling; infrastructure sustainability

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With substantial impacts on crash reduction, time saving, and fuel economy, autonomous vehicles (AVs) have attracted much attention from the research community and industry. While AVs’ potential abilities to liberate us from dull driving, congestion, and potential crash risk have gained popularity, AVs influence on pavement infrastructure seems, to the best of our knowledge, to have received only limited attention. Given the rapid growth of AV technology, there is a pressing need to uncover its impact on the sustainability of traffic infrastructure. In addition, smart pavement technology, which will also influence infrastructure sustainability, has become the new concept and trend in the development of intelligent transportation. The topics of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:

  • Durable pavement structure design for autonomous driving;
  • Smart road planning and design;
  • Transportation policies for infrastructure sustainability or smart roads;
  • Self-diagnosis or self-healing of pavement damage;
  • Energy harvesting pavement;
  • Sensor system based on smart roads;
  • Big data analysis based on smart roads;
  • Vehicle trajectory perception and prediction based on smart roads;
  • Life-cycle assessment of smart roads;
  • Finite element simulation of pavement service life under autonomous trucks;
  • Simulation models of mixed traffic flow (autonomous driving and manual driving);
  • Facility sustainability and optimal design under a mixed traffic environment;
  • Urban planning strategies for maintaining sustainability under a mixed traffic flow environment;
  • Environment friendly pavement materials and structures;
  • Aging and recycling of pavement materials.

Dr. Young-Ji Byon
Dr. Feng Chen
Prof. Meng Guo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • infrastructure sustainability
  • autonomous driving
  • smart road
  • durable pavement
  • transportation policies
  • traffic volume prediction
  • lateral distribution of wheel load
  • vehicle trajectory
  • pavement structure design
  • pavement self-healing
  • life-cycle assessment
  • pavement service life
  • environment friendly pavement

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Article
Research on the Anti-Reflective Cracking Performance of a Full-Depth Asphalt Pavement
Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9499; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179499 - 24 Aug 2021
Viewed by 183
Abstract
In order to analyze the anti-reflective cracking performance of a full-depth asphalt pavement and study the propagation process of a reflection crack and its influencing factors, a mechanical model of pavement structural crack analysis was established based on the ABAQUS finite element software [...] Read more.
In order to analyze the anti-reflective cracking performance of a full-depth asphalt pavement and study the propagation process of a reflection crack and its influencing factors, a mechanical model of pavement structural crack analysis was established based on the ABAQUS finite element software and the extended finite element method (XFEM). Based on two different loading modes of three-point bending and direct tension, the propagation process of a reflection crack is analyzed. The results show that the anti-reflective cracking performance of a full-depth asphalt pavement is better than that of a semi-rigid base pavement structure, and the loading mode II based on direct tension is more consistent with the propagation mechanism of pavement reflection cracks, while the loading mode II is more suitable for analyzing the anti-reflective cracking performance of the pavement structure. Appropriately reducing the elastic modulus of the stress-absorbing layer can significantly improve the anti-reflective cracking performance of the full-depth asphalt pavement. Full article
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Article
Using Molecular Dynamics Simulation to Analyze the Feasibility of Using Waste Cooking Oil as an Alternative Rejuvenator for Aged Asphalt
Sustainability 2021, 13(8), 4373; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084373 - 14 Apr 2021
Viewed by 418
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the regeneration effect of waste cooking oil (WCO) on aged asphalt with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, comparing it with a rejuvenator. Firstly, the molecular models of virgin and aged asphalt were established by blending the [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the regeneration effect of waste cooking oil (WCO) on aged asphalt with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, comparing it with a rejuvenator. Firstly, the molecular models of virgin and aged asphalt were established by blending the four components of asphalt (saturate, aromatic, resin, and asphaltenes). Then, different dosages of the rejuvenator and WCO (6, 9, and 12%) were included in the aged asphalt model for its regeneration. After that, MD simulations were utilized for researching the mechanical and cohesive properties of the recycled asphalt, including its density, viscosity, cohesive energy density (CED), shear modulus (G), bulk modulus (K), and elastic modulus (E). The results show that the density values of the asphalt models were relatively lower than the existing experimental results in the literature, which is mostly attributed to the fact that the heteroatoms of the asphalt molecules were not considered in the simulation. On the other hand, the WCO addition decreased the viscosity, the shear modulus (G), the bulk modulus (K), and the elastic modulus (E) of the aged asphalt, improving its CED. Moreover, the nature of the aged asphalt was gradually restored with increasing rejuvenator or WCO contents. Compared with the rejuvenator, the viscosity of the aged asphalt was more effectively restored through adding WCO, while the effect of the CED and the mechanical properties recovery of the aged asphalt was relatively low. This implies that WCO could restore partial mechanical properties of aging asphalt, which proves the possibility of using WCO as an asphalt rejuvenator. Additionally, the MD simulation played an important role in understanding the molecular interactions among the four components of asphalt and the rejuvenator, which will serve as a guideline to better design a WCO rejuvenator and optimize its content. Full article
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Article
Exploring the Impacts of Driving Environment on Crashes in Tunnel–Bridge–Tunnel Groups: An Eight-Zone Analytic Approach
Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2272; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042272 - 19 Feb 2021
Viewed by 377
Abstract
Tunnel–bridge–tunnel groups (TBTGs) are emerging roads that often involve simple road alignments, but complex driving environments. Investigating crashes occurred in TBTGs is essential for revealing the driving environment–adaptability relationships for such roads. This study seeks to analyze the crash characteristics of component sections [...] Read more.
Tunnel–bridge–tunnel groups (TBTGs) are emerging roads that often involve simple road alignments, but complex driving environments. Investigating crashes occurred in TBTGs is essential for revealing the driving environment–adaptability relationships for such roads. This study seeks to analyze the crash characteristics of component sections in TBTGs with different driving environments and compare the impact of differences in the key factor on the crashes. After TBTGs were defined through a proposed safety-critical distance metric determined via visual theory and actual crash analyses, an eight-zone analytical method considering road types and lighting was developed to probe into crashes in TBTGs. The results show that the proper safety-critical distances for bridge–tunnel and tunnel–tunnel groups are 150 and 500 m, respectively. In TBTGs, the crash rate in ordinary sections is higher than that in bridges and tunnels, particularly in the access zone. The first passed tunnel witnesses a higher proportion of crashes at the access zone and transition zone than the second tunnel. The influence of bridge and tunnel ratios on crashes is related to the ratio and type of bridges and tunnels. The findings presented herein can provide evidence-based guidance for the safety design and management of TBTGs. Full article
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Article
Preliminary Evaluation of Plasmix Compound from Plastics Packaging Waste for Reuse in Bituminous Pavements
Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2258; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042258 - 19 Feb 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 511
Abstract
Finding an appropriate technical solution for reusing waste plastics is crucial for creating a circular plastic economy. Although mechanical recycling is the best option for recycling post-consumer plastics, some heterogeneous mixed plastics cannot be recycled to produce secondary material due to their very [...] Read more.
Finding an appropriate technical solution for reusing waste plastics is crucial for creating a circular plastic economy. Although mechanical recycling is the best option for recycling post-consumer plastics, some heterogeneous mixed plastics cannot be recycled to produce secondary material due to their very low properties. In this case, alternative routes should be considered in order to limit their disposal as much as possible. Therefore, in order to solve the environmental problems in the landfills of plastic waste recycling, and to improve the mechanical performance of bitumen for road pavement, the reuse of these post-consumer plastic wastes are preliminarily evaluated for the modification of bitumen for road use. The field of polymers used so far and widely studied concerns virgin materials, or highly homogeneous materials, in case of recycled plastics. In this work, a highly heterogeneous mixed plastic—Plasmix—from the separate collection in Italy, is used as a bitumen modifier for road construction. The research focused on the dry (into the mixture) and wet (into the binder) addition of different content of the Plasmix compound, with the aim of assessing the feasibility of the modification itself. Results of the mechanical tests carried out prove an increase in performance and that there is a potential of the addition of the Plasmix compound both for binder and mixture modifications. Full article
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Article
Optimization of International Roughness Index Model Parameters for Sustainable Runway
Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2184; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042184 - 18 Feb 2021
Viewed by 484
Abstract
Pavement roughness is a critical airport pavement characteristic that has been linked to impacts such as safety and service life. A properly defined roughness evaluation method would reduce airport operational risk, prolong the life of aircraft landing gear, and optimize the decision-making process [...] Read more.
Pavement roughness is a critical airport pavement characteristic that has been linked to impacts such as safety and service life. A properly defined roughness evaluation method would reduce airport operational risk, prolong the life of aircraft landing gear, and optimize the decision-making process for pavement preservation, which together positively contribute to overall airport sustainability. In this study, we optimized the parameters of the International Roughness Index (IRI) model to resolve the current poor correlation between the IRI and aircraft vibration responses in order to adapt and extend the IRI’s use for airport runway roughness evaluation. We developed and validated a virtual prototype model based on ADAMS/Aircraft software for the Boeing 737–800 and then employed the model to predict the aircraft’s dynamic responses to runway pavement roughness. By developing a frequency response function for the standard 1/4 vehicle model, we obtained frequency response distribution curves for the IRI. Based on runway roughness data, we used fast Fourier transform to implement the frequency response distribution of the aircraft. We then utilized Particle Swarm Optimization to determine more appropriate IRI model parameters rather than modifying the model itself. Our case study results indicate that the correlation coefficient for the optimized IRI model and aircraft vibration response shows a qualitative leap from that of the original IRI model. Full article
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Article
Acoustic Emission Wave Velocity Attenuation of Concrete and Its Application in Crack Localization
Sustainability 2020, 12(18), 7405; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187405 - 09 Sep 2020
Viewed by 432
Abstract
The accurate localization of an acoustic emission (AE) source is a vital aspect of AE nondestructive testing technology. A model of wave velocity attenuation caused by the extension of transmission distance is established to analyze the attenuation of AE wave velocities in concrete [...] Read more.
The accurate localization of an acoustic emission (AE) source is a vital aspect of AE nondestructive testing technology. A model of wave velocity attenuation caused by the extension of transmission distance is established to analyze the attenuation of AE wave velocities in concrete and thus improve the acoustic source localization accuracy from the perspective of modified velocity. In combination with the exhaustive and region localization methods, a region exhaustive localization method is established based on the modified wave velocity. The results indicate that the smaller the water–cement ratio, the larger the reference wave velocity, and the spatially dependent attenuation of wave velocity increase. Moreover, the larger the aggregate particle size, the larger the reference wave velocity, and the greater the attenuation of wave velocity with distance. For a propagation distance of 1000 mm, the AE wave velocity attenuation exceeds 50% compared with the AE velocity. The optimized localization method reduces the number of nodes calculated, thus improving the method’s accuracy when used for localization. Full article
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