Asphalt Road Pavement Research Articles

Providing a Robust Optimization Model for the Preventive Maintenance of Asphalt Road Pavements

Road maintenance and transportation administration must plan the maintenance of the road asphalt network and manage the annual budget. In addition, the primary purpose of doing preventive maintenance (PM) activities is to improve the condition of the asphalt. The purpose of this paper is to present a model for pavement maintenance planning. The goal of this research is to reduce the total International Roughness Index of asphalt roads by taking into account the weight of each part of the road. This research focuses on pavement conditions, addressing the surface layer and its direct impacts on ride quality and durability. A budget has also been set aside annually for road asphalt maintenance. Additionally, sensitivity analysis is performed on the presented model to observe the impact of parameters on the objective function. As a result of changing the budget values, it is established that the objective function improves when that parameter is increased, since it is more flexible. Additionally, the cost of the PM activity was changed, but the objective function remained unchanged. By providing a proper schedule for PM activities and accurate budget management, this model can assist in improving the condition of asphalt. Moreover, this model has been implemented for the roads of North Khorasan province in Iran and its results have been presented. Road maintenance and transportation administrations could use this model to manage their budgets and carry out their PM activities.

USE OF INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROAD PAVEMENTS

Problem statement. Ukraine, on its way to European integration, faces the challenge not only of joining the European Union, but also of adapting its infrastructure to high European quality standards. After the end of the war, it is necessary not only to rebuild the destroyed roads, aerodromes and buildings, but also to guarantee the sustainability and durability of infrastructure facilities. One of the key industries where innovations can make a significant difference is road construction. Asphalt and concrete are the most common building materials in the construction of flexible and rigid pavements. Innovative technologies for repairing cracks in asphalt and concrete road pavements are constantly evolving. New methods and materials are being sought for more efficient and long-term maintenance of the road surface. The use of advanced technologies allows us to improve the quality of repairs, extend the service life of roads and reduce their environmental impact. Innovative approaches to crack repair help to ensure safety and comfort on the road for all road users. The purpose of the article is to analyze foreign experience in the application of effective innovative technologies in the construction of road pavements and to substantiate the feasibility of using a self-healing top layer of flexible and rigid asphalt and concrete pavements in Ukraine based on the analysis of their properties. Conclusions. The inclusion of self-healing properties in asphalt concrete pavements is an effective method for increasing their service life and achieving environmental friendliness of pavements. Existing and advanced self-healing technologies suitable for use in asphalt pavements, namely, the inclusion of healing agents, induction heating, and hybrid technologies, have been investigated. The mechanisms of self-healing of concrete have been studied: autogenous, based on autonomous bacteria, and based on autonomous capsules. Research on self-healing pavements is aimed at developing a smart and efficient pavement system capable of self-assessment and automated crack repair. The choice of technology should be based on its ability to effectively repair damage and cracks in asphalt and concrete, providing long-term and reliable protection.

CFD Simulation to Assess the Effects of Asphalt Pavement Combustion on User Safety in the Event of a Fire in Road Tunnels

This paper presents a specific 3D computational fluid dynamics model to quantify the effects of the combustion of asphalt road pavement on user safety in the event of a fire in a bi-directional road tunnel. Since the consequences on tunnel users and/or rescue teams might be affected not only by the tunnel geometry but also by the type of ventilation and traffic flow, the environmental conditions caused by the fire in the tunnel under natural or longitudinal mechanical ventilation, as well as congested traffic conditions, were more especially investigated. The simulation results showed that the combustion of the asphalt pavement in the event of a 100 MW fire, compared to the case of a non-combustible road pavement, caused (i) an increase in smoke concentrations; (ii) a greater number of users exposed to the risk of incapacity to escape from the tunnel; (iii) a more difficult situation for the firefighters entering the tunnel upstream of the fire source in the case of natural ventilation; (iv) a higher probability of the domino effect for vehicles queued downstream of the fire when the tunnel is mechanically ventilated.

Warm-Mix Asphalt Containing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement: A Case Study in Switzerland

Among the technologies proposed for achieving carbon neutralization in asphalt road pavements, warm-mix asphalt (WMA) has garnered increasing attention in recent years. While WMA holds the potential for various environmental and technical benefits, a comprehensive understanding of its implementation, technology selection, and additives is essential for successful application. This study presents a case where a bio-based chemical additive was employed to produce WMA containing 50% reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) for a surface course in Bern, Switzerland. To minimize additional variables during testing and analysis, no other additive or rejuvenator was introduced into the mixtures. The testing plan encompassed laboratory tests on samples collected during material placement and recompacted at varying temperatures in the laboratory, as well as cores extracted from the job site. As anticipated, the presence of the chemical WMA additive did not alter the rheological properties of the reference bitumen. Although in the mixture-scale tests, the WMA mixture exhibited comparable properties to the control hot-mix asphalt (HMA), it is not expected that the small dosage of the chemical additive functions the same grade after reheating and compaction. Nevertheless, the cores extracted from the job site proved the efficiency of the applied WMA technology. In addition, consistent with existing literature, the cracking tolerance (CT) index values of 62 for HMA and 114 and 104.9 for WMA mixtures indicated that the latter is less susceptible to cracking. Consequently, this characteristic could contribute to the enhanced durability of asphalt pavements.

Modification of Petroleum Bitumen with Secondary Polyethylene in the Presence of Vermiculite

This article presents studies on the modification of petroleum bitumen with polymer waste in the presence of vermiculite. An increase in temperature leads to an increase in the interaction of components, partial breakage of polyethylene and bitumen macromolecules, and the formation of radical-free valences. As a result, fragments of polyethylene and bitumen molecules react with each other, and the formation of qualitatively new structural formations occurs via the strong connection of polar and amorphous bitumen with nonpolar structurally viscous polyethylene. Domestically produced Kulantau vermiculite was used to ensure stable adhesion over a wide temperature range and increase the specific surface area, which acquired additional energy, resulting in an increase in the degree of adhesion to bitumen and increased durability of the binder with improved rheological characteristics. Because of the increased service life of road asphalt pavements, the use of the latter results in a considerable decrease in the cost of polymer-bitumen binders. Based on improved binder formulations, asphalt concrete exhibits excellent water resistance and strength at 50 °C (4.7 to 5.0 MPa). In summary, the modification of bitumen with polymer waste and vermiculite offers a promising avenue for improving the performance and longevity of asphalt pavements.

A comparative environmental life cycle assessment of road asphalt pavement solutions made up of artificial aggregates

The construction and maintenance of road pavements entail detrimental impacts on the consumption of resources and damage to the natural environment but also make up an opportunity for the large-scale application of circular economy principles and innovative waste valorisation paths. The present study focuses on developing a comprehensive procedure to evaluate the technical and environmental sustainability of replacing high percentage of limestone aggregates with artificial aggregates from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) into hot or cold recycled asphalt mixtures for asphalt pavements.The technical feasibility of the designed mixtures was investigated in terms of the main physical and mechanical properties of both the raw materials and the asphalt mixtures with content of artificial aggregates or sand in the range 25–40 % by mass. The environmental feasibility of the asphalt mixtures was evaluated through the SEM-EDS technique, the analysis of the eluate of the leaching test and the ecotoxicity for living organisms.Afterwards, the life cycle assessment (LCA) was applied to detect the critical spots of the life cycle of 1 m2 of a 6 cm-thick binder layer with high percentage of artificial aggregates or sand built and maintained through 30 years analysis period according to 18 impact category indicators.The main results show that, recycling the artificial aggregates into hot asphalt mixtures has on average a negligible effect on the overall environmental performance of the life cycle, and appears to be detrimental only for the consumption of fossil resources due to the higher optimum bitumen content. Looking at the results for cold mixes, the introduction of the artificial aggregates has an effect on the predicted durability of the asphalt layers, which is maximized in the case of coarse artificial aggregates. Consequent environmental benefits regard the global warming potential, fossil resource scarcity and freshwater eutrophication indicators.

Field temperature performances of in-use permeable sidewalks and asphalt vehicle roads and the potential impacts on apparent temperature and land surface temperature.

Permeable pavements help reduce surface temperatures and have been widely implemented in urban areas. This study utilized an in-use permeable pavement sidewalk in front of a mass rapid transit station in the Taipei city center of Taiwan to determine the actual pavement surface temperature performance. A neighboring asphalt road and impervious pavement were also monitored. With a full year of continuous monitoring, the results showed that the temperature of permeable pavement was 3.7°C lower than that of impervious pavement and 4.5°C lower than that of asphalt pavement in the hot season. The frequent rainfall in spring resulted in the smallest temperature differences between the different pavement types. The cooling effects of permeable pavement differed at the different air temperatures. At air temperatures lower than 15 °C, the differences among pavement surface temperatures were noticeable. However, when the air temperature was higher than 35 °C, the surface temperature of permeable pavement was not different from that of impervious pavement and was greater than 55 °C. Field observations were carried out to determine the effects on the apparent temperature and the future surface temperature of climate change scenarios. The results showed that permeable pavement could reduce the average apparent temperature to near the air temperature, and asphalt pavement could increase the apparent temperature by 1.2°C, assuming that the pavement temperature completely affects the air temperature. With the good prediction ability of the machine learning approach and 15 environmental factors, the preliminary prediction showed the projected surface temperature change in Taipei city in 2033. In the worst-case scenario, the average impervious pavement temperature is as high as 39.12°C, whereas the average permeable pavement temperature is 32.50°C.

Evaluation of Properties of Asphalt Concrete Mixture Using Basalt Aggregate from Jeju Island

In this study, the engineering properties of basalt aggregate used for asphalt road pavement on Jeju Island were evaluated, and the characteristics of the asphalt mixtures used were evaluated to assess the suitability of Jeju Island basalt as road construction material. Chemical composition and surface morphology analysis of the basalt and granite aggregate, engineering characteristics analysis, and filler property evaluation were performed. Mix design was performed, and the basic properties of three asphalt mixtures for the surface, intermediate, and base layers were evaluated. Permanent deformation resistance was evaluated through a wheel tracking test, and moisture resistance was evaluated through a dynamic immersion test and a tensile strength ratio test. The optimum asphalt contents of the asphalt mixture using low-porosity basalt aggregate and high-porosity basalt aggregate were determined to be 5.7% and 5.9% in the surface layer, 5.3% and 5.4% in the intermediate layer, and 4.7% and 5.1% in the base layer, respectively. It was found that the basic properties of the asphalt mixtures satisfied Korean quality standards. The dynamic immersion test results of low-porosity basalt aggregate and high-porosity basalt aggregate were 20% and 10%, respectively, which fall far below the quality standard of 50%. The tensile strength ratios of the basalt asphalt mixtures for the intermediate layer were 0.69 and 0.40, and they were found to increase significantly to 0.87 and 0.80 after the application of a suitable anti-stripping agent. Therefore, it was concluded that in order to apply Jeju Island basalt to asphalt pavement, an appropriate anti-stripping material must be applied.

Sustainable Prioritization of Public Asphalt Paved Road Maintenance

The development of transportation infrastructure is crucial for a country's progress as it enables access to social and economic amenities and acts as a vital link between production and consumption. This is particularly significant for landlocked nations like Zambia, which heavily rely on a wide network of public highways, including both paved and unsurfaced roads. Regardless of their quality and construction, all road surfaces degrade over time due to the combined effects of traffic load and environmental factors. If not properly managed, this can lead to costly repairs and rehabilitation efforts. Government organizations face a dilemma when deciding which public roads to prioritize for maintenance. This follows that the inherent hurdle is competing needs within limited finances for infrastructure development. However, the challenge of road maintenance prioritization can be addressed by adopting a multi-criteria approach. This study aims to address the issue of sustainability and provides insights into which public roads should be given priority for maintenance. The research proposes a comprehensive set of criteria focusing on sustainability and assigns relative importance to them, with emphasis on state of deterioration, emergency function, climate resilience, environment, strategic importance, social considerations, economic factors, and political importance. It suggests that road maintenance decision-making should prioritize sustainability, resilience, and societal well-being, challenging traditional assumptions.

Analysis of environmental data obtained from meteorological road stations in Latvia for 20 years

AbstractThe events of recent years indicate climate change in nature. Climate change could affect the lifetime of transport infrastructure. Changes in the temperature, humidity, and use of de‐icing material may stimulate the development of damages in road and bridge structures. According to Latvian Environment, Geology, and Meteorology Centre data, average air temperature values have increased by 0.7 °C (1981‐2010 compared to 1961‐1990 g). Road maintenance organizations need information on the actual weather conditions on each road: above the road pavement, on the surface, and below the surface. Sixtyfive meteorological stations on roads throughout Latvia's territory provide this information. This paper analyzes data from six road metrological stations obtained from 2001 to 2021. The results show that over the 20 years period, the average temperature determined nearby asphalt pavement of the road has increased by 1.4 C. This is because the road asphalt pavement heats more, and the temperature measured in its vicinity is higher and should be considered when modeling the development of damage to the transport infrastructure.

Research evolution on self-healing asphalt: A scientometric review for knowledge mapping

Abstract This study employed a novel approach by analyzing the self-healing asphalt literature based on scientometric analysis. The most difficult components of modern study are the mapping and analysis of knowledge, co-citations, and co-occurrences. Scopus was searched to find the necessary data for the analysis, which consisted of keywords, abstracts, citations, and bibliographic information. Throughout the data assessment process, the most prolific research locations, the most often referenced articles, and the most influential authors in the field of self-healing asphalt were analyzed, along with their correlations. The need for self-repairing asphalt was also emphasized, along with the main problems of using it. The keyword analysis showed that researchers have studied self-healing asphalt for crack repair in asphalt road pavements as a sustainable maintenance method. The literature study showed that heating and encapsulating rejuvenating chemicals are two techniques of self-healing asphalt. Encapsulation uses rejuvenating capsules, whereas the heating technique uses induction heating and microwave radiation. Researchers have also developed hybrid asphalt self-healing methods as enhanced self-healing for asphalt. Academics may benefit from the quantitative assessment of regions and researchers as well as the scientific description of these areas in order to form joint initiatives and spread new ideas and approaches.

Preparation, characterization, and properties of asphalt modified by surface-treated anhydrous calcium sulfate whiskers

In this study, anhydrous calcium sulfate whiskers (ACSW) were surface-treated with sodium carbonate and stearic acid to prepare inorganic–organic surface-co-treated ACSW modified asphalt. To investigate the mechanism, the co-treated ACSW were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), water contact angle (WCA), and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Additionally, the rough surface of the calcium stearate was examined. The effects of the co-treated ACSW on asphalt binder properties were examined using conventional tests (penetration, ductility, softening point, and storage stability) and rheological tests, such as dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) and multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) tests. The results indicated that 2–3% of the co-treated ACSW enhanced the high-temperature stability and deformation resistance properties of asphalt but weaken the low-temperature performance to a lesser extent. Microstructural analysis showed that the co-treated ACSW were physically modified with asphalt and uniformly distributed in the modified asphalt binder. This study provides a new concept for the ACSW surface treatment for practical applications in asphalt road pavement engineering in high-temperature regions.

Laboratory evaluation of carbon nanotubes modified bio-asphalt

With the construction of road engineering and asphalt pavement maintenance, the asphalt demand has been increasing. Petroleum asphalt reserves are limited. It is urgent to find a substitute for petroleum asphalt. In order to ensure the sustainable development of asphalt road construction, biologic materials were successfully applied to petroleum asphalt. Biologic materials can reduce the demand of petroleum asphalt. First, the different contents of bio-asphalt were set to be in the range (2.5–10 %). Carbon nanotubes (CNT) were used to enhance the bio-asphalt high-temperature behavior, hence a carbon nanotubes modified bio-asphalt (CTMBA) was prepared. Secondly, the conventional tests were conducted to reveal the performance of CTMBA. The optimum content of bio-oil and CNT were determined by utilizing rheological properties, including temperature scanning, frequency scanning, and BBR test. Finally, the fluorescence microscope was carried out to investigate the compatibility and dispersion among bio-oil, CNT, and neat asphalt. The results showed that CNT could significantly enhance the temperature sensitivity, viscosity, and high-temperature property of CTMBA. However, CNT could decrease the CTMBA ductility and low-temperature property. Bio-oil could increase the ductility and low-temperature property of CTMBA but reduces its deformation capacity. When the CNT and bio-oil contents in the range 1.5–2 % and 5–7.5 %, respectively, CTMBA could maintain outstanding rheological properties. It was found that there was no fluorescent material in the bio-asphalt. However, there were obvious fluorescent substances in the CNT-modified neat asphalt and CTMBA. Fluorescence microscope images showed that bio-oil, CNT, and neat asphalt had excellent compatibility.

Leveraging Infrastructure BIM for Life-Cycle-Based Sustainable Road Pavement Management.

The latest developments in the field of road asphalt materials and pavement construction/maintenance technologies, as well as the spread of life-cycle-based sustainability assessment techniques, have posed issues in the continuous and efficient management of data and relative decision-making process for the selection of appropriate road pavement design and maintenance solutions; Infrastructure Building Information Modeling (IBIM) tools may help in facing such challenges due to their data management and analysis capabilities. The present work aims to develop a road pavement life cycle sustainability assessment framework and integrate such a framework into the IBIM of a road pavement project through visual scripting to automatically provide the informatization of an appropriate pavement information model and evaluate sustainability criteria already in the design stage through life cycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis methods. The application of the proposed BIM-based tool to a real case study allowed us (a) to draw considerations about the long-term environmental and economic sustainability of alternative road construction materials and (b) to draft a maintenance plan for a specific road section that represents the best compromise solution among the analyzed ones. The IBIM tool represents a practical and dynamic way to integrate environmental considerations into road pavement design, encouraging the use of digital tools in the road industry and ultimately supporting a pavement maintenance decision-making process oriented toward a circular economy.

Use of Hybrid Mineral Filler with High Emissivity in Asphalt Mixture for Cooling Road Pavements

Road asphalt pavements cover a high percentage of urban size and contribute to heat islands. This study proposed a new method to cool asphalt pavement by incorporating a kind of hybrid mineral filler (HMF) with high emissivity into a reference asphalt mixture prepared with limestone mineral filler (LMF). The physical, emissive, solar reflective, and rheological properties of asphalt mastic and the thermal performances of asphalt mixture were covered to investigate the possibility of the proposed strategy. From Fourier transform infrared spectrum test, it can be found that HMF was physically blended with asphalt. The emissivity results show that HMF increased the emissivity of asphalt mastic from 0.9204 to 0.9820. The asphalt mastic containing HMF had similar solar reflectance with the control one. In addition, HMF could enhance the rutting resistance of asphalt mastic according to the results of multiple stress creep recovery tests. When HMF replaced LMF, the thermal conductivity of the asphalt mixture with HMF increased by 0.26 W/(m·K) (the reference value was 1.72 W/(m·K)). The combined effect of high emissivity and thermal conductivity led to a lower surface temperature (i.e., -5.4 °C) in the tests. The results of this study demonstrate that HMF is a potential material to cool asphalt pavements.

Asphalt Road Pavements to Address Climate Change Challenges—An Overview

Climate change is already happening. It is one of the significant challenges that the planet has to face. Asphalt road pavements cover a large area of the Earth’s surface; consequently, climate change challenges can significantly affect their performance and serviceability. Thus, pavement solutions have been developed to address the problem. This paper aims to present an overview of those topics to increase awareness among transportation engineers and practitioners. First, the most significant aspects of road asphalt pavements’ materials, design and condition are presented. Second, the most relevant climate change challenges for asphalt pavements are described. Then, different pavement solutions are presented. This overview concludes that there are pavement solutions able to address climate change. These depend on local climate conditions and should be incorporated into the decision-making process in planning, design and maintenance.

Research and Measuring Technology Needs to Better Model and Measure Fatigue Crack Development of Thinly Surfaced Asphalt Road Pavements

The root cause of premature failures in relatively thin (<50 mm) asphalt surfaced roads is often a challenge to solve during forensic investigations in South Africa (SA). This description is based on peer review type discussions with forensic investigations experts as well as published research papers. The areas of ignorance or areas where research effort is needed are identified. These observations serve to identify areas of new knowledge needed in terms of actual verification with measurements, measurement technology, and modeling of the observed phenomena. The main objectives of this discussion paper are to highlight the evolution of distress development in asphalt layers starting from the identification and description of the kind of microcracks, effects of microcracks in the debonding of the asphalt layer from lower layer, and vehicle–pavement interactions (VPI) of moving truck wheels focusing on the thin asphalt layer. Specific reference is made to the need to measure and model the effects of bow waves in front of and next to the loaded rolling wheel.

Sustainable paving alternative for low-volume roads using cold recycled asphalt

Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is a waste generated by removing asphalt material from a pavement. If RAP is not recycled, the pavement will require new asphalt layers, typically formed by virgin materials (bitumen and aggregates). One way to recycle RAP is by applying the cold-asphalt technique with bitumen emulsion as an additive, which potentially has environmental benefits. This technique can be a cost-effective alternative for low-volume road (LVR) networks that connect to main asphalt-paved roads. The objective of this research is to analyse the alternative of paving with RAP using cold bitumen emulsion as a binder. This pavement structure was compared with a traditional hot-mix asphalt pavement as an alternative for LVRs. The environmental impact analysis, through a streamlined life-cycle analysis, showed that the cold recycled alternative typically generates 50% less impact than a traditional pavement. In terms of global warming, the hot-mix asphalt pavement generates three times more emissions than the cold recycled alternative. The most important factors in these differences are the in situ construction technique of the RAP alternative and, as is the case in Chile, the long distances to a hot-mix asphalt plant.

Analisis Perbandingan Perkerasan Kaku dan Perkerasan Lentur Pada Proyek Peningkatan Jalan Celukan Bawang-Pelabuhan

Road pavement is a layer structure located above the subgrade, there is a layer of upper foundation and sub-base which each layer consists of compacted aggregates which have a function to transmit stress due to wheel load. There are 3 road pavements, asphalt or flexible pavement, concrete/ rigid pavement (rigid pavement) and composite pavement (Composit pavement). In determining pavement thickness there are several methods to use, including in this study using the 1993 AASHTO method for flexible pavements and the 2017 Road Pavement Manual method (Bina Marga 2017) for rigid pavements. The location of this research is located on Jalan Celukan Bawang – Pelabuhan, Kec. Gerokgak, Kab. Buleleng. This final project aims to determine the comparison of flexible pavement thickness using the 1993 AASHTO method compared to rigid pavement using the 2017 Highways method and the comparison of implementation costs and maintenance costs on flexible0pavement0and rigid pavement0with0a design life of 10 years. From the results of calculations that have been carried out, the 1993 AASHTO method produces a total thickness of 61 cm with an implementation cost of Rp. 2.363.603.825,33 and maintenance costs of Rp 118.180.191,27, and the 2017 Road Pavement Manual method produces a total thickness of 54.5 cm with an implementation cost of Rp.5.230.581.646,07 and maintenance costs of Rp. 261.529.082,30. From the results obtained, flexible pavement using the 1993 AASHTO method has agreate thickness with lower implementation and maintenance costs than rigid pavement using the 2017 Road Pavement Manual method.

Estimating the Thermal Conductivity of Asphalt Binders

Abstract Nowadays, there is a common worldwide interest in environmental issues and pavements. How to save energy and mitigate the urban heat island (UHI) effect are topics that are drawing the attention of different researches and industrial organizations. In road infrastructure, one of the important properties addressing environmental and UHI aspects of pavements is the determination of the thermal conductivity. Asphalt concrete represents the third most widely used resource in the world, with asphalt-paved roads being its principal usage. One of the most important components of asphalt concrete is bitumen. Bitumen is a viscoelastic material susceptible to temperature changes. The determination of the bitumen’s thermal conductivity becomes very important in understanding and improving its thermal performance. There are very few test methods and equipment to measure thermal conductivity of bitumen (asphalt binders). Some are expensive and require special equipment and instrumentation. This study developed and validated a simplified testing technique to measure thermal conductivity of asphalt binders. This test is a steady state–based method to estimate the thermal conductivity of asphalt binders using cylindrical samples poured into a silicon mold. The method was validated using material of known thermal conductivity. A total of 18 samples of different binder grades were tested, and the test results were repeatable and within known thermal conductivity values. Sensitivity analysis and accuracy of the proposed method were validated modifying the asphalt binder with a material with a very low thermal conductivity. This method to estimate thermal conductivity of bitumen samples was found to provide an affordable alternative test procedure with good accuracy and precision.