Actual Operating Conditions Research Articles

Characterization of direct-ammonia solid oxide fuel cells (DA-SOFCs) at 650–750 °C in a single-repeating unit stack: Effects of metallic components and residual ammonia

Ammonia can be directly utilized in solid oxide fuel cells, known as direct-ammonia solid oxide fuel cells (DA-SOFCs), which are among the most efficient technologies for ammonia utilization. Current research efforts are directed towards lowering the operating temperatures of DA-SOFCs by incorporating additional catalysts. However, critical analyses regarding the extent of ammonia decomposition on metallic interconnects and Ni current collectors, as well as the negative effect of residual ammonia on performance, are lacking. In this study, we examine DA-SOFCs with a single-repeating unit stack on a small scale, addressing the effects of metallic interconnects and the Ni-current collector on DA-SOFC operation within the temperature range of 650 °C–750 °C. The anode components, including the metallic interconnect, Ni-current collector, and the SOFC cell, are investigated in powder form and in DA-SOFC operation to determine each component's influence under actual DA-SOFC operating conditions. Both Fe-rich and Ni-rich high-temperature alloys demonstrate high catalytic activity for the ammonia decomposition reaction, playing a significant role in actual cell operations. Furthermore, extensive impedance analysis of DA-SOFC operation under various fuel conditions reveals that residual ammonia significantly increases polarization resistance at lower temperatures, which is the primary factor contributing to negative effect on performance at these temperatures.

Effects of compressive cyclic loading on the fatigue properties of oil-well cement slurries serving in deep downhole environments

With the increasing demand for energy from deep oil and gas reservoirs, oil-well cement slurries are subjected to complex compressive cyclic loading in high-temperature and high-pressure (HTHP) environments. Currently, no standard to guide the evaluation of the fatigue performance of cement slurries under cyclic loading or a systematic investigation to help understand it exists. To fill this gap, this study used a set of innovative HTHP curing and testing devices to mimic the actual operating conditions of deep wells. Cement slurries were cast, cured, and subjected to quasi-static and cyclic loading tests at four downhole temperatures (25, 90, 115, and 140 °C). In the cyclic-loading tests, three loading levels (30%, 50%, and 70%) under 20 MPa confining pressure were applied to study the fatigue performance, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was employed to identify internal microcrack damage. When the downhole temperature increased from 25 to 140 °C and the cyclic loading level increased from 30% to 70%, the accumulated plastic strain of samples increased by 13.8 times. A large increase in the plastic strain of oil-well cement slurries can significantly reduce the fatigue resistance and service life of oil and gas wells. Based on this research, the authors propose the addition of compressive cyclic loading tests (particularly under HTHP testing conditions) to the current oil-well cement slurry testing standards, which will be very significant for the fatigue performance evaluation of cement slurries used in HTHP environments in deep wells.

Quantifying the mechanical degradation of solid oxide cells based on 3D reconstructions of the real microstructure using a unified multiphysics coupling numerical framework

In this work, a multiphysics coupling numerical framework is developed to quantitatively investigate the initial performances of solid oxide cells (SOCs) based on the thermodynamically consistent integration of the finite element method (FEM) and the phase field method (PFM) to reveal the interaction between species-defect transport, electrochemical reaction kinetics, stress and mechanical damage in SOC electrodes. The modeling framework is validated by comparing the simulation results based on real 3D microstructure reconstructions of specific SOCs with the experimental measurements in electrolysis and fuel cell modes. The phenomena of internal microstructure fracture and delamination observed in the experiment thus can be numerically modeled to quantify the effects of thermal and chemical stresses on the mechanical degradation of heterogeneous electrodes. The framework is also applied in the cross-scale quantification of the possible mechanical damage in SOCs subjected to different mechanical boundary conditions. The framework proposed in this work is flexible, can be superimposed with other fields, and incorporates input from cross-scale simulations. It provides a great potential platform for the optimization of future energy devices considering actual operating conditions and fills the gap in theoretical multiphysics modeling in the field of SOCs.

The LPST-Net: A new deep interval health monitoring and prediction framework for bearing-rotor systems under complex operating conditions

Accurate and science-based prediction of bearing performance degradation has been a principal concern and a critical challenge issue in the sector of Prognostics and Health Management in the industry as the solution to promote the engineering system's reliability, availability, and maintainability. Deep Learning (DL) methods are currently a hotspot in Prognostics and Health Management. Nonetheless, with complex operating conditions, existing forecast models still inevitably suffer from three fatal flaws. Firstly, dynamic modern industrial systems and harsh operational environments make the degradation data of the bearing-rotor system highly stochastic and nonlinear. Secondly, in practice, the bearing-rotor system failure process will be governed by complex failure dynamics and degradation mechanisms, resulting in degradation data characterized by intense temporal order. Thirdly, deep learning models use a multi-layer or cellular design containing numerous weights and biases, generating more computational overhead. To fill this research gap, a new deep interval health monitoring and prediction framework named Lightweight Probabilistic Spatiotemporal (LPST-Net) is proposed, which is integrated with the concepts of lightweight and interval prediction and is capable of state monitoring and Remaining Useful Life (RUL) prediction for bearing-rotor systems under complex operating conditions. Mainly inspired by the improvement of the Gate Recurrent Unit (GRU), this paper designs a time series variable prediction algorithm and derives a new formulation named Weight Diminish Recurrent Unit (WDRU). It dramatically reduces the training parameters of the proposed LPST-Net framework and improves the convergence speed while ensuring prediction accuracy. The degradation data are obtained under 2 actual and complex operating conditions of bearing-rotor system unbalance and high temperature. The three metrics show that the proposed LPST-Net framework can achieve high-precision point prediction, suitable prediction intervals, and reliable probabilistic prediction results. It is also verified that the proposed LPST-Net framework has superior performance and more practical application value compared with seven mainstream methods, such as (b)Squeeze-WDRU-GPR-Net.

A new recursive method based on datasheet information to calculate the double diode model parameters of commercially available photovoltaic modules

In this study, a new method is introduced to compute the double-diode model parameters of commercially available photovoltaic modules. The new method has been based solely on datasheet-supplied electrical data. The new method offers two novelties. First, the dark reverse saturation currents are calculated analytically. Second, the parameters of the double-diode model are calculated by a new recursive procedure using tuning parameters. The validity of the new method is tested for twenty commercially photovoltaic modules with different technologies via the normalized root mean square error tool by comparing the datasheet current-voltage curves with simulated curves. In addition, the proposed method is compared with other methods at different operating conditions and also tested in the field under actual operating conditions using the root mean square error tool. It was founded that the new method calculates the parameters of the double diode model and simulates the current-voltage curves of commercially photovoltaic modules under various operating conditions with a high accuracy. Moreover, the new method is also very competitive with the selected methods and even achieves better simulation accuracy with a very low error level. The obtained results show that the new method is highly accurate, practical, and simple for all photovoltaic users.

At-wavelength metrology of an X-ray mirror using a downstream wavefront modulator.

At-wavelength metrology of X-ray optics plays a crucial role in evaluating the performance of optics under actual beamline operating conditions, enabling insitu diagnostics and optimization. Techniques utilizing a wavefront random modulator have gained increasing attention in recent years. However, accurately mapping the measured wavefront slope to a curved X-ray mirror surface when the modulator is downstream of the mirror has posed a challenge. To address this problem, an iterative method has been developed in this study. The results demonstrate a significant improvement compared with conventional approaches and agree with offline measurements obtained from optical metrology. We believe that the proposed method enhances the accuracy of at-wavelength metrology techniques, and empowers them to play a greater role in beamline operation and optics fabrication.

Impedance spectroscopy analysis of thermoelectric modules under actual energy harvesting operating conditions and a small temperature difference

Thermoelectric (TE) devices can convert heat into electricity and have gained great interest as energy harvesters in many applications, such as self-powered sensors, solar TE generators and industrial waste heat recovery. Not many techniques are usually available for their characterization under operating conditions. Consequently, only current-voltage (power output) curves are typically reported to account for their performance, which provide limited information. Impedance spectroscopy, which has been mainly applied to the study of TE modules suspended in air or vacuum, has the advantage to be used under operating conditions. Here, we exploit this advantage and provide an in-depth analysis of the impedance response of standard TE devices when they operate under a small temperature difference. First, we derive the physical models (equivalent circuits) for the two most common operating conditions: (i) constant temperature difference and (ii) constant heat power input. Then, we use the obtained equivalent circuit to successfully fit experimental impedance measurements in both operating modes, which show significant differences. From the fittings, it is possible to obtain the thermal contact resistance between the TE device and the heat exchangers (heat source and heat sink) among other key parameters. In addition, we analyze the variations found in the impedance spectra for different current output levels. Moreover, we show how different electrical resistances, extracted from the impedance results, directly relate to the slope of the I-V curve (power output), and can provide very valuable information about the different processes that determine its value. All these results establish impedance spectroscopy as a very powerful tool to characterize TE devices under operating conditions and as a method that can provide highly valuable insights into their performance.

Accelerated degradation test method and performance prediction with service mileage of the yaw damper in railway vehicles

The performance of the yaw damper for rail vehicles degrades significantly degradation after long-term operation, which directly affects the dynamic behaviour of the vehicle operation. To quickly achieve the performance degradation of the yaw damper and predict the operating mileage under actual service conditions, the operating displacement spectrum of the yaw damper under actual operating conditions is analysed and decomposed using the short-time Fourier transform. Based on the equivalent principle of energy loss during vibration attenuation, an accelerated test method is proposed for the performance degradation of yaw dampers. By conducting the accelerated degradation test of the yaw damper on the test bench, the continuous degradation relationship between the performance parameters of the damper and the loading times is obtained. By combining the operating displacement spectrum and the accelerated degradation test data, the performance degradation trajectory model of the yaw damper is established, taking into account the equivalent energy loss between the service mileage and the loading times. The mapping relationship among loading times, service mileage and performance degradation is constructed. Finally, parameter performance tests are conducted on yaw dampers under different service mileage to verify the accuracy of the performance degradation trajectory model. The results show that the proposed acceleration test method and degradation trajectory model can quickly realise the performance degradation of the damper and accurately predict the performance parameters for different service mileage under actual operating conditions.

High-Speed Train Running Characteristics Assessments Using Multibody Dynamics Simulation

The development of railway transportation in Indonesia in recent years has increased the number of new vehicles with various types and specifications. These new vehicles should pass a series of running characteristics assessments against standards to ensure safety and comfort in operation. Before the field testing, the assessments using numerical simulation in the design stage need to be done. This study aims to assess the high-speed train running characteristics through modeling and testing using multibody dynamics simulation software. The standards used for the assessments refer to EN 14363 – Testing and Simulation for The Acceptance of Running Characteristics of Railway Vehicles. The high-speed train model was built and validated through four methods with comparative values calculated analytically. The validated model was then run in the simulation to get the parameters for assessment. The parameters include the coefficient of flexibility, critical speed, safety against derailment with various methods, ride comfort, and vibration mode. The parameters obtained from the simulation are compared to the acceptance criteria specified in the standard. The results show that the vehicle performance fulfills the requirement prescribed by EN 14363 standard. After the vehicle and the track infrastructure are ready, they need to be confirmed by a series of testing performed on the main line. This study supports the development of high-speed trains in Indonesia and is expected to give more insight into the usefulness of numerical simulation to predict the characteristic of dynamic performances of railway vehicles in actual operating conditions.

Оптимізація будівельних конструкцій

In the field of the theory of calculation of building structures, there is a constant refinement of the actual operation of these structures, i.e. design schemes are created that most accurately correspond to actual operating conditions. Creating optimal structures is a very urgent task facing designers. Therefore, it is quite natural to try to solve this problem using mathematical programming methods, which involve: selecting dependent and independent variables, constructing mathematical models and establishing criteria for the effectiveness of the selected model. In this case, the model should be a function that fairly accurately describes the research being carried out using mathematical apparatus (various types of functions, equations, systems of equations and inequalities, etc.). In mathematical programming, any set of independent (controlled) variables is called a solution. Optimal solutions are those that, for one reason or another, are preferable to others. The preference (effectiveness) of the study is quantified by the numerical value of the objective function. “Solution Search” is an add-in for Microsoft Excel that is used to solve optimization problems. Simply put, with the Solver add-in, you can determine the maximum or minimum value of one cell by changing other cells. Most often, this add-in is used to find optimal solutions to problems economically. There are not enough results of using this approach for calculating building structures in the public domain. Therefore, it is quite logical to try to use this add-on in problems of optimization of building structures. In this work, an attempt was made to use mathematical programming methods and this add-on to optimize the geometric dimensions of the structure, when the numerical value of the bending moment in a specific section was chosen as an optimization criterion.

Modern approaches to determining the standardised parameters of vibration state of NPP steam pipelines

During the operation of NPP steam pipelines the main damaging factors are not only corrosion and erosion leading to thinning of the pipe wall but also fatigue damage resulting not only from temperature self-compensation efforts, but also high vibration load. As practice shows, the most promising direction of ensuring the vibration resistance of steam pipelines at present is the computational and experimental study of the stress-strain state of pipelines under vibration loading. This work shows that the strength of the most commonly used standard sizes of steel pipelines under the influence of vibration loads is determined in accordance with Russian State Standard R 59115.9-2021. Taking into account the stress concentration, the amplitudes of the conditional elastic reduced stresses were determined for the 4 variants of the calculation schemes accepted for consideration. The permissible amplitude of stresses from an operating condition of 60 years is determined. It is shown that the permissible voltage amplitude for the design temperature t = 350°C will be no more than 46.4 Mpa for a pipe made of 12X18H10T. As for NPP pipelines, the normalized vibration parameters in the regulatory documentation were not established until 2022, when the following vibration velocity limits were adopted for pipelines of nuclear power plants in Russian State Standard R 59115.11-2021, vibration resistance testing is not required: nmax up to 15 mm/s, nmsv up to 7 mm/s. Thus, currently in the Russian regulatory documentation there are no normalized values of vibration parameters (as a rule, vibration velocity) for pipelines selected depending on the frequency of vibration exposure. It is proposed to develop and introduce into the regulatory documentation frequency-dependent criteria for limiting vibration parameters of NPP pipelines, specified in accordance with the actual operating conditions of these pipelines.

Transient lubrication analysis of journal-thrust coupled bearing considering time-varying loads and thermal-pressure coupled effect

The journal-thrust coupled bearing (abbreviated as JTC bearing) works at the end of the crankshaft in diesel engine, with the function of carrying radial load and prevent axial movement of the crankshaft. The journal part and the thrust part of this special bearing both form the oil film lubrication when subjected to the time-varying loads in axial and radial directions during the working condition. In this work, the JTC bearing in marine diesel engines was analyzed using a transient thermal elastohydrodynamic (TEHD) lubrication model. The thermal and pressure (thermal-pressure) coupled effects were taken into consideration based on the flow, pressure, and thermal continuity conditions between the journal and thrust parts. Moreover, the transient time-varying load was considered in the lubrication analysis to explore the coupled effect under the actual operating conditions. A test rig was built to validate the established transient TEHD lubrication model for the JTC bearing. The thermal-pressure coupled effect between the journal and thrust parts was found to significantly affect the transient lubrication behaviors of the JTC bearing, which cannot be ignored. Also, different boundary conditions were investigated for the influence of the coupled effect on transient lubrication characteristics, including axial clearances, radial clearances, waveforms of radial load, incline angles and inlet oil temperatures. This work could theoretically support the lubrication design of the JTC bearings used in the diesel engine crankshafts.

A Long-Term Study on the Bactericidal Effect of ZrN-Cu Nanostructured Coatings Deposited by an Industrial Physical Vapor Deposition System.

ZrN-Cu coatings containing two different amounts of Cu (~11 at.% and ~25 at.%) were deposited using an industrial physical vapor deposition (PVD) system. The as-deposited coatings exhibited 100% bactericidal efficiency against Escherichia coli CCM 3988 for an exposure time of 40 min. Subsequently, the samples were attached onto our faculty's door handles for six months to study the coatings' long-term effectiveness and durability under actual operational conditions. The samples were periodically evaluated and it was observed that the coatings with 25 at.% Cu performed better than the ones with 11 at.% Cu. For example, following 15 days of being touched, the bactericidal effectiveness of the sample containing 25 at.% Cu dropped to 65% while it fell to 42% for the sample containing 11 at.%. After 6 months, however, both samples showed bactericidal efficiency of ~16-20%. The bactericidal efficiency of the samples touched for 6 months was successfully restored by polishing them. Furthermore, a group of samples was kept untouched and was also evaluated. The untouched samples with Cu content of ~25 at.% did not show any drop in their bactericidal properties after 6 months. ZrN-Cu coatings were concluded to be promising materials for self-sanitizing application on high-touch surfaces.

Investigation of Emission Inventory for Non-Road Mobile Machinery in Shandong Province: An Analysis Grounded in Real-World Activity Levels

In tandem with the advancement of urban intelligent technology, the construction of remote monitoring platforms and databases for non-road mobile machinery is gradually improving in various provinces and cities. Employing the remote monitoring platform for non-road mobile machinery enables a detailed big data analysis of the actual operational state of the machinery. This method yields precise data on the activity levels of various machinery types. Importantly, it addresses the issue of reduced accuracy in emission inventories, which often arises from the conventional practice of using standard recommended values from the Guide to determine machinery activity levels during the compilation of non-road mobile machinery emission inventories. Based on the remote monitoring and management system of non-road mobile machinery, the actual value of the activity level of non-road mobile machinery was obtained, and the emission inventory of non-road mobile machinery in Shandong Province was established. The emission levels of PM, HC, NOx, and CO from main non-road mobile machinery, including forklifts, excavators, loaders, off-road trucks, and road rollers, were measured. The findings indicate that the operational activity levels of non-road mobile machinery in Shandong Province typically exceeded the guideline’s recommended values. Among them, the annual use time of port terminal ground handling equipment was the longest, with an average annual working time of 4321.5 h per equipment, more than six times the recommended value. Among all types of non-road mobile machinery, loader emissions accounted for the highest proportion, reaching 43.13% of the total emissions of various pollutants. With the tightening of the national standard for non-road mobile machinery from Stage II to Stage III, a significant reduction in actual mechanical emissions was observed, primarily manifested as a 91% decrease in NOx emissions. Based on the data from the remote monitoring platform, a new method for compiling the emission inventory of non-road mobile machinery is proposed in this paper. The calculated emission inventory can reflect more real emission situations and provide a reference and basis for emission control and sustainable emission reduction policy measures for non-road mobile machinery.

Numerical analysis on ammonia decomposition for hydrogen production in a membrane reactor assisted by a parabolic trough solar collector

Ammonia (NH3) has emerged as a promising hydrogen storage carrier due to its considerable hydrogen storage density, storage and transportation convenience, and zero carbon emissions during endothermic decomposition. By utilizing a parabolic trough solar collector to provide heat and integrating NH3 decomposition with a membrane reactor, a clean and sustainable method of hydrogen production can be achieved. This paper establishes a comprehensive numerical model for NH3 decomposition within a parabolic trough solar receiver/membrane reactor (PTSMR). The model incorporates heat and mass transfer in porous catalyst beds, membrane permeation, and reaction dynamics to accurately capture the intricate phenomena under actual operating conditions. Special attention is paid to the influences of inlet temperature, flow rate, flow pattern, and reaction pressure on NH3 conversion and hydrogen recovery. The results demonstrate that the temperature distribution within the PTSMR exhibits non-uniformity, and the temperature at the bottom is always higher than that at the top, especially at the outlet, where the temperature difference is more than 100K. The NH3 conversion rate in counterflow is higher than that in parallel flow, while the hydrogen recovery rate in parallel flow is higher due to the reverse permeation of hydrogen in counterflow. For a 2-mm-thickness catalyst bed, the addition of membranes increases NH3 conversion rate by 9% at a reaction pressure of 5 bar, compared to a 3% increase for an 8-mm-thickness catalyst bed. The PTSMR with a 2-mm-thickness catalyst bed obtains the optimum hydrogen yield rate.

Thermal creep analysis and correlation development for manufactured HT9 cladding

HT9 cladding was manufactured through successive cold working and heat treatments, and its creep strains were obtained at various stresses and temperatures in the range of 10–120 MPa and 843–953 K, respectively, for up to 20,000 h. Primary and secondary creep regimes were observed, whereas only a few specimens at extreme conditions experienced a tertiary creep regime and creep rupture. The reference creep models, including the theta projection and modified Garofalo equation for HT9 cladding, did not fit the experimentally obtained creep strain curves; the manufactured HT9 cladding showed higher creep resistance than the reference models. Hence, a new correlation was developed by deriving various constants, such as the activation energy, stress exponent, and material constants, from the measured creep strains. The creep correlation successfully predicted the creep behavior of HT9 cladding manufactured. Obtained extensive creep strains over a range of stresses and temperatures, closely approximate actual operating conditions, and developed correlation in this study are valuable in various applications using HT9, providing essential data for analyzing and estimating creep resistances of cladding during the operation of nuclear reactors.

Tribological properties of graphene-reinforced polyurethane bearing material

For water-lubricated stern tube bearing in ships, bearing material with low friction can prevent severe damage on the shaft surface when lubrication failure occurs, and hence improve operation reliability of the whole propeller system. In this work, 0.25–5 wt% of solid lubricant graphene platelets were blended with commonly used bearing matrix thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) via melting injection, and tribological performance of TPU composites were investigated at a set of applied loads and sliding speeds which mimics the actual operating conditions. Graphene inclusion at a low content (< 0.5 wt%) reduced friction and wear compared to neat TPU, while maintaining mechanical properties. Graphene-induced tribofilm is formed and it is believed to offer low shear strength at the sliding surfaces while also regulating the size of wear particles. Since more platelets are exfoliated due to the greater extent of surface damage under high loads, it presents a pressure-dependent anti-friction ability. Higher concentration of graphene led to further friction reduction but deteriorated both the strength and ductility of materials due to the agglomeration. Results from Raman spectroscopies show that graphene-reinforced TPU composites underwent no chemical changes but mechanical deformation during rubbing, and this resulted in wear particles and tribofilm, containing graphene platelets with modified structure.

Lifetime prediction of lithium-ion capacitors using electro-thermal-aging co-simulation platform

Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) have attracted more and more attention as energy storage device candidates because of their high energy density, high power density and high security. It is important to predict lifetime for various applications in advance. Further research is needed for searching suitable application scenarios of LICs. In the paper, a simulation platform for predicting the lifetime of LICs is established, combining fractional-order electrical model, lumped parameter thermal model and aging model. The results show that the coupling between the models can effectively reduce the prediction relative error by 4 %. The platform can be used to predict cycling and calendar lifetime of LICs under actual operating conditions, reducing the investment of trial and error in scenario selection.

A PDMS coating with excellent durability for large-scale deicing

The icing of wind turbine blades leads to a decrease in output power, seriously jeopardizing the economic benefits and operational reliability of wind farms. Conventional deicing techniques require expensive equipment and consume a large amount of energy. Low-interfacial toughness coatings without energy dissipation are believed to be a highly potential passive deicing technology. However, the durability in service is facing challenges. Herein, low-interfacial toughness PDMS coatings were prepared by physical blending. Through the optimization of added plasticizers and SiO2, PDMS coatings with excellent large-scale deicing performance were obtained. The constant deicing force and ice adhesion strength were reduced to 14.69 N/cm and 12.63 kPa, respectively. Moreover, a systematic durability assessment of the PDMS coating was carried out to address the actual operating conditions of wind turbines. Fortunately, the results showed that the PDMS coating could withstand 200 icing/deicing cycles while maintaining constant deicing force and ice adhesion strength of less than 50 N/cm and 30 kPa, respectively. After long-term thermal aging (21 days), UV irradiation (42 days) and salt spray corrosion (20 days), the PDMS coating still retained superior icephobicity and outstanding large-scale deicing performance. This work contributes to the research and development of low-interfacial toughness materials for large-scale deicing applications on wind turbine blades.

Modified Asphalt with Graphene-Enhanced Polymeric Compound: A Case Study

In recent years, the increased use of heavy commercial vehicles with higher axle weights has required the development of innovative technologies to improve the mechanical properties of asphalt concrete conglomerates, such as fatigue resistance and rutting. This study offers a comprehensive comparative analysis of different types of asphalt concrete tested in four trial sections (S1, S2, S3, S4) of the SP3 Ardeatina rural road in Rome, under actual traffic and operational conditions. More precisely, the pavement technologies applied include modified asphalt concrete with graphene and recycled hard plastics for S1, asphalt concrete modified with styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) for S2, asphalt concrete with a standard polymeric compound for S3, and traditional asphalt concrete for S4. The evaluation approach involved visual inspections in order to calculate the pavement condition index (PCI) and falling weight deflectometer (FWD) tests. In addition, back-calculation analyses were performed using ELMOD software to assess the mechanical properties. The laboratory tests revealed superior properties of M1 in terms of its resistance to permanent deformations (+13%, +15%, and +19.5% compared to M2, M3, and M4, respectively) and stiffness (10,758 MPa for M1 vs. 9259 MPa, 7643 MPa, and 7289 MPa for M2, M3, and M4, respectively). These findings were further corroborated by the PCI values (PCIS1 = 65; PCIS2 = 17; PCIS3 = 28; PCIS4 = 29) as well as the FWD test results after 5 years of investigation, which suggests greater durability and resistance than the other sections.