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Sustainable Transport Solutions And Construction Materials For Safer And Green Roads

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 10519

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Teresa Iuele

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende - Cosenza, Italy
Interests: road construction and materials; road and traffic safety; pavement engineering; accident analysis; transport planning

Prof. Dr. Rosolino Vaiana

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calabria, Arcavacata Campus, 87036 Rende, Italy
Interests: road pavement surface performances; bituminous materials; recycled and sustainable road materials; sustainable mobility; road safety and driver behavior; traffic microsimulation; geometric design and performance analysis of roundabouts; surrogate safety indicators
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Dr. Claudio Rocco

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Guest Editor

Department of Mechanics, Mathematics and Management, Politecnico di Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy
Interests: sustainability; life-cycle assessment; design for x; green product and services; product service systems; business process management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Improving environmental sustainability and safety has been a key issue in infrastructure construction and management in recent decades. Innovative materials, created through reuse and recycling processes, lower CO₂ emissions from new projects, design and construction solutions supported by integrated information systems (BIM) and the use of ITS systems (which could transform typical infrastructure into an ultra-modern smart system through new modellistic approaches and device-based infrastructures) may contribute to reaching the goals of environmental impact compliance and user safety.

In sum, the safety of road and infrastructure systems can be seen as a global sustainable development issue, especially if combined with a quantitative environmental evaluation by the Life Cycle Assessment methodology (ISO 14040). In light of this, safer and green roads may help support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Therefore, there is need to enrich the scientific literature about these topics, in order to propose advanced solutions, which can be introduced in common practice in road construction and road transport system development.

This Special Issue aims to collect contributions from researchers, scholars and practitioners in this articulated and multidisciplinary scenario, which is characterized by several aspects that can no longer be considered divisible.

Dr. Teresa Iuele
Prof. Rosolino Vaiana
Dr. Claudio Rocco
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 submissions that pass pre-check are 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 2400 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

sustainable road materials
pavement design
road construction
road infrastructure safety
ITS, LCA, Smart Roads

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 12175 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Performance Zoning of Asphalt Pavement and Performance Grade (PG) of Asphalt Binder in Karamay: A Case Study of Xinjiang, China

by Chaofei Dong, Liqun Feng and Yafeng Xu

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9742; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129742 - 19 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1153

Abstract

Asphalt binder is a temperature-sensitive material with a performance that is greatly affected by changing climates. Improper selection of asphalt will cause a lot of damage and affect the durability of the road. The establishment of asphalt pavement performance zoning in Xinjiang, a vast area with great temperature differences, will provide a reference for the selection of asphalt suitability, the refinement of pavement design, and the sustainable development of road engineering. In this study, 11 years of temperature data in the Xinjiang region have been collected and analyzed, and 98% reliability of pavement design temperature has been used to draw a performance grading map of asphalt pavement in the Xinjiang region based on the ArcGIS platform. Finally, the Xinjiang region is divided into nine performance zones. At the same time, the performance grades (PG) of five kinds of asphalt binders in Karamay are explored. The result shows that there is little difference in continuous PG span between different matrix asphalt binders; the lower the penetration grade, the better the high-temperature performance, and the worse the low-temperature performance. After adding the SBS modifier, the continuous PG span can be about 20 °C higher than the matrix asphalt. The indoor test of asphalt mixture also shows that SBS-modified asphalt has better durability. All these provide the basis for a reasonable selection of asphalt binders in different areas of Xinjiang. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Solutions And Construction Materials For Safer And Green Roads)

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14 pages, 2794 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High-Temperature Rheological Properties and Storage Stability of Bitumen Modified with the Char Produced from Co-Pyrolysis of Different Wastes

by Neslihan Atasağun

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8119; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108119 - 16 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1168

Abstract

By enhancing the bitumen properties with the additives produced from waste, not only can the performance of flexible pavements be improved, but it can also contribute to the environment. This research aims to produce a novel pyrolytic char from different wastes and to investigate the usability of this char as an additive in bitumen. In this study, first, the pyrolytic char was produced from the co-pyrolysis of three different wastes, including waste paper cups, polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste. Properties of the char were determined by using CHN (carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses. The high-temperature rheological properties of binders were evaluated by using DSR (dynamic shear rheometer), RV (rotational viscometer), softening point, and penetration tests. Additionally, specific gravity, storage stability, high-temperature performance grades (PGs), and temperature susceptibilities of binders were determined. Test results showed that this pyrolytic char enhanced the high-temperature properties of neat bitumen by increasing softening point, viscosity, rutting resistance, and high-temperature PG of pure bitumen. Additionally, it can be said that the bituminous binder modified with this pyrolytic char had good storage stability when it was used at an 8% ratio in neat bitumen. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Solutions And Construction Materials For Safer And Green Roads)

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18 pages, 3310 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Railway Station Infrastructure to Facilitate Bike–Train Intermodality

by Margherita Pazzini, Claudio Lantieri, Annalisa Zoli, Andrea Simone and Hocine Imine

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3525; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043525 - 14 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1543

Abstract

In recent years, emissions into the atmosphere have been brought to the attention of the authorities and some action has been taken to try to solve the problem. One is the application of EU legislation 2008/50/EC, which requires states adhering to this law to constantly monitor air quality and subsequently find solutions to reduce the impact of emissions. The data show that 20% of emissions come from transport, 70% of which come from private vehicles. Sustainable mobility can be a possible solution to reduce pollution and traffic congestion. The promotion of cycling, as part of sustainable mobility, is a required action to achieve the objectives pursued. This research aims to define the quality of infrastructure and accessibility of railway stations to the use of bicycles. The approach used was to define a technical checklist to estimate the criticalities of the structure in a quantitative way. An example is the case study developed in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy) within the PREPAIR project where 33 railway stations were classified and analyzed. In the end, the checklist was effective in defining the necessary interventions and the required activities and can be used in similar cases during the decision-making processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Solutions And Construction Materials For Safer And Green Roads)

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15 pages, 2328 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Network-Level Methodology for Evaluating the Hydraulic Quality Index of Road Pavement Surfaces

by Gaetano Bosurgi, Orazio Pellegrino, Alessia Ruggeri and Giuseppe Sollazzo

Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010072 - 21 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1141

Abstract

Traffic loads and environmental factors cause various forms of distress on road pavements (cracks, depressions, potholes, ruts, etc.). Depressions and ruts produce localized variations of longitudinal and cross slopes, which are very hazardous for drivers, especially during rain. In such conditions, these defects alter the surface water path, creating abnormal water accumulations and significant water film depths to induce aquaplaning risk. In current practice, in preliminary analysis phases and at the network scale, the control of road surfaces is carried out with expeditious techniques and with synthetic indicators, e.g., pavement condition index (PCI), through which a quality judgment related to the detected distresses on the pavement surface, is given. In truth, the detection of specific defects (ruts and depressions) should also include further analyses to evaluate the hydraulic efficiency of the carriageway related to their severity. Therefore, in this paper, a synthetic indicator called Hydraulic Condition Index (HCI) is proposed for evaluating the hydraulic quality of road pavement surfaces. This index is related to the hydrologic conditions of the site, the pavement characteristics, and the defects that can alter the flow of water on the carriageway, determining and increasing the risk of aquaplaning. The methodological framework is discussed by means of some numerical applications developed for different road typologies according to their functional classification. The final aim is to provide road agencies with another solution to evaluate road quality and ensure safer roads for users. The methodological framework for evaluating the HCI may be adopted by the road agencies for the network-scale priority ranking of road segments maintenance needs also involving safety traffic conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Solutions And Construction Materials For Safer And Green Roads)

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16 pages, 9587 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Preliminary Laboratory Evaluation of Artificial Aggregates from Alkali-Activated Basalt Powder

by Sergio Copetti Callai, Piergiorgio Tataranni, Manuel De Rose, Annalisa Natali Murri, Rosolino Vaiana and Cesare Sangiorgi

Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16653; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416653 - 12 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1210

Abstract

The widespread use of natural aggregates is one of the main causes of the depletion of natural resources, as aggregates are constituents of several construction materials. Alternatively, it is, today, proven to be feasible to use mining tailings, either natural or recycled materials, to produce artificial aggregates through specific processes. A possible way to produce artificial aggregate is through the alkali activation of the powdered material in a process called geopolymerization. This study proposes to use a basalt powder and two different metakaolins as precursors for the production of an alkali-activated artificial aggregate, with a specific shape and size achieved by using 3D-printed molds. The experimental aggregates were evaluated using traditional tests for natural aggregates, such as resistance to compression, specific density and resistance to abrasion and fragmentation. Furthermore, the material was chemically analyzed in order to evaluate the geopolymerization process promoted by the two adopted metakaolins. The physical tests showed that artificial aggregates do not perform well in terms of resistance to wear and fragmentation, which can be improved. However, they revealed promising results in terms of skid, polishing and micro-texture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Solutions And Construction Materials For Safer And Green Roads)

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16 pages, 924 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Landfilling of Municipal Solid Waste and the Sustainability of the Related Transportation Activities

by Laura Cirrincione, Maria La Gennusa, Giorgia Peri, Gianfranco Rizzo and Gianluca Scaccianoce

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5272; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095272 - 27 Apr 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 1906

Abstract

The management of municipal solid waste is a crucial issue to address as we move toward the decarbonization of urban contexts. Not by chance, this sector plays a relevant role in the Covenant of Mayors program, whereby municipalities are called to design their own Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SECAPs). However, despite new regulations strongly pushing the recycling and reuse of materials contained in municipal waste, many cities still use large landfills. As part of the overall environmental pressure exerted by these urban systems, the transport of waste from collection points to landfills or treatment facilities must be considered in order to correctly assess the full environmental burden of waste management. To this aim, in this paper, the Ecological Footprint method is applied to the municipal solid waste management system of the city of Palermo (Sicily). The results show that the impacts produced by the means of transport used, both in the status quo and in the assumed enhanced scenario (with less municipal waste disposed to landfills in favor of recycling), are significant compared to those caused by the other segments of the waste management system. The concept of a “saved footprint” is also introduced here, in order to properly compare the two scenarios. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Solutions And Construction Materials For Safer And Green Roads)

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13 pages, 753 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Road Safety Policies for Saudi Females: A Fuzzy Logic Analysis

by Maha M. A. Lashin and Wafaa Salah Eldin Shoukry Saleh

Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 4154; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14074154 - 31 Mar 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1283

Abstract

Perceptions, attitudes and anticipated behavior represent very useful information for decision and policy makers before they implement proposed new policies. Road safety is one of the most critical fields in the built environment. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, women started driving in 2019. There is a huge shortage of studies that investigate users’ attitudes and behavior, particularly women, in Saudi Arabia. It is very timely therefore, to assess their perceptions, attitudes and raise their awareness towards road safety. In this paper, the perceptions and attitudes towards road safety and relevant policies and programs were assessed and compared using two approaches: analytical and a fuzzy logic system. By means of a questionnaire, a total of 17 road safety policies, including engineering, enforcement programs, education programs and legislation programs, were presented to the participants and assessed. These policies were assessed from the viewpoint of Saudi women. The engineering policies included the use of road signs and marking, improving road network alignment, monitoring driver speed and engineering speed reduction measures. The assessment was in terms of the usefulness of the policies to reduce traffic accidents and improve road safety in Riyadh. A total of 375 participants were surveyed. Using a Likert scale response system to report the Saudi female participants’ opinions, two sets of indices were calibrated to evaluate the perceived usefulness and acceptability of the safety policies. A MATLAB simulation of a fuzzy logic system was utilized to assess, investigate and compare travel attitudes and perceptions of road safety. The results indicate overall encouragement for the safety programs and policies by the participants. Most of the support seems to be for the engineering program. The physical presence of traffic police was observed to have scored the highest. This is an interesting result that shows that enforcement policies are still perceived to be the most effective. In this category, the policy of enforcing speed limits showed high support, amongst the other policies. While a fuzzy logic analysis is typically used in hard engineering assessments and investigations, such as mechanical engineering and system design applications, the results obtained in this investigation show that the efficacy and adequacy of the proposed fuzzy logic control system in assessing attitudinal data was sufficiently good to be recommended for future research. The outcomes from both sets of approaches, the analytical and the fuzzy logic, showed comparable results, which also demonstrates the potential benefits of using the fuzzy system in many attitudinal and behavioral studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Solutions And Construction Materials For Safer And Green Roads)

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