Prospect of 3D printing technologies in maintenance of asphalt pavement cracks and potholes

Abstract

With the advantages of automation, precision, and speed, 3D printing technology has been successfully applied in various fields and has achieved favorable socio-economic benefits. The duration, cost, manpower, and workers’ safety risk of asphalt pavement maintenance could be reduced with the application of the increasingly mature 3D printing technology. The objective of this study is to illustrate the development trend and key points of 3D printing technology for crack and light pothole maintenance engineering. Based on common 3D printing technologies and characteristics of asphalt materials, the characteristics and maintenance methods of cracks and potholes as well as the techniques and materials of 3D printing were reviewed. The distress detection technology, equipment, printability evaluation, and application to 3D asphalt printing pavement maintenance were summarized and analyzed. Suggestions and conclusions are drawn as follows: (1) The accuracy and efficiency of distress detection system could be further developed with improved algorithms and equipment to obtain available information on cracks and potholes. (2) In the 3D printing process, the printing temperature and parameters of 3D printed asphalt should be controlled within a certain range to ensure quality and performance. (3) For severe cracks and light potholes, a movable 3D printing robot is recommended. A UAV equipped with a 3D asphalt printing device is recommended to repair dense-slight cracks. The endurance and load capacity of the equipment need to be further developed.