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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 15461

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Chaohui Wang

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Guest Editor

School of Highway, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, China
Interests: green pavement materials; intelligent pavement technology; solid waste utilization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Dawei Wang

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Guest Editor

1. School of Transportation Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, 73 Huanghe Rd., Harbin 150090, China
2. Institute of Highway Engineering Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, Mies-van-der-Rohe-Straße 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
Interests: asphalts; concrete; building materials; smart maintenance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Kai Liu

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Guest Editor

1. School of Automobile and Transportation Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
2. Pavement Structure and Materials Research Institute, Hefei 230009, China
Interests: intelligent road traffic infrastructure design and key technologies of vehicle-road coordination; new energy deicing and snow-melting pavement (bridge deck) technology; new technologies and materials for highway maintenance; road numerical modeling and simulation analysis; testing and equipment development

Dr. Qian Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Highway, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710064, China
Interests: green road materials; pavement preventive maintenance; asphalt modifying technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the continuous development of society and the gradual improvement of road engineering construction, humans have increasingly urgent requirements for road service function, green construction and safety guarantee. Since entering the 21st century, the emergence of new functional materials and the development of interdisciplinary approaches have provided strong support for the design and construction of all kinds of green roads. At present, building environment-friendly green and low-carbon roads, expanding road service functions, improving road ecological benefits and further improving road environments have become important challenges for road workers and researchers. At the same time, it is also the frontier direction of the development of the road engineering discipline.

To this end, scholars around the world have carried out a great deal of in-depth research on green road materials and applied technologies, and a number of important innovative results have been achieved, which is of great significance for promoting road service performance and reducing the consumption of road maintenance resources.

This Special Issue addresses the above issues and aims to gather recent research that advances the knowledge about new green road materials and applied technologies. The supplement of these researches will guide the development of functional road materials and promote the design optimization and technological innovation of green roads. For this Special Issue we encourage the submission of academic, empirical, and case study research focusing on the research topics below.

Sustainable transportation;
Green design and construction;
Gravel material use reduction;
Asphalt fume pollution prevention and control;
Automotive exhaust degradation materials;
Drainage pavement;
Recycling for waste asphalt pavement materials;
Biomass asphalt material;
Bulk industrial solid waste recycling;
Carbon footprint capture of road materials in the whole life cycle;
Construction waste recycling.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Chaohui Wang
Prof. Dr. Dawei Wang
Prof. Dr. Kai Liu
Dr. Qian Chen
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

green road
green transportation
sustainability
low carbon
environmental protection
functional materials
pollution prevention
solid waste
pavement recycling

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 5236 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Properties of Concrete Reinforced with a Basalt Fiber Microwave-Absorbing Shielding Layer

by Aqing Jiang, Zihao Song, Xuancang Wang, Jing Zhao and Junru Ren

Sustainability 2023, 15(22), 15919; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152215919 - 14 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 788

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to propose a highly efficient, durable, and environmentally friendly method for the rapid removal of ice and snow. A microwave-absorbing functionality layer was placed between a conductive metal mesh and magnetite sand shielding layer, and ordinary cement concrete (OC). Microwave heating, mechanical strength determination, and indoor and outdoor de-icing tests were performed on the cement concrete specimens with the shielding layer. Basalt fibers were added to the absorbing functionality layer, and the formed specimens were tested for strength and durability. The microstructure was observed using SEM experiments. The results show that the temperature rise of microwave-absorbing cement concrete with a magnetite sand shielding layer (MCMS) and microwave-absorbing cement concrete with a conductive metal mesh shielding layer (MCMM) increased by approximately 17.2% and 27.1%, respectively, compared to that of microwave-absorbing concrete (MAC). After freeze–thaw cycles, the compressive strength and flexural strength of microwave-absorbing concrete with basalt fiber (MAB) increased by 4.35% and 7.90% compared to those of MAC, respectively. The compressive strength and flexural strength of microwave-absorbing concrete with a magnetite sand shielding layer and basalt fiber (MAMB) increased by 8.07% and 6.57%, respectively, compared to those of MCMS. Compared to specimens without basalt fiber, the wear rate per unit area of MAMB decreased by 8.8%, and the wear rate of MAB decreased by 9.4%. The water absorption rate of MAMB specimens decreased by 13.1% and 12.0% under the conditions of 20 and 40 microwave freeze–thaw cycles, respectively, compared to that of MCMS. The water absorption rate of MAB specimens decreased by 9.9% and 8.3% under the conditions of 20 and 40 microwave freeze–thaw cycles, respectively, compared to that of MAC. SEM analysis showed that the addition of basalt fibers improved the compactness and stability of the cement concrete structure as a whole. This study provides valuable references for the promotion and application of microwave de-icing technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in New Green Road Materials and Applied Technologies)

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17 pages, 4757 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comprehensive Laboratory Evaluation of Crack Resistance for an Asphalt Rubber Stress-Absorbing Membrane Interlayer (AR-SAMI)

by Ping Li, Wenju Peng, Shuaituan Tian, Zhaohui Liu, Junbin Liu and Shende Liu

Sustainability 2023, 15(11), 8982; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118982 - 2 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1144

Abstract

Reflective cracking is a common distress of semi-rigid base asphalt pavements and overlay pavement projects. An asphalt rubber stress-absorbing membrane interlayer (AR-SAMI) prepared by waste tires is an effective engineering solution for treating reflective cracking. This method can also reduce black pollution. However, there is no unified test method and index for crack resistance evaluation. In this work, AR-SAMIs with different air voids and gradations were investigated. A small beam bending test (BBT) at −10 °C and 15 °C, crack expansion SCB (CE-SCB) test, low-temperature SCB (LT-SCB) test, and Overlay Test (OT) were performed to evaluate the crack resistance of AR-SAMI comprehensively. Statistical analysis was also performed. Results showed that the crack resistance of AR-SAMI improved as the air voids decreased. The crack resistance of 10-A gradation with more fine aggregate was excellent. However, the AR-SAMI with more coarse aggregate had better crack extension resistance under the condition of pre-existing cracks. There are differences in the evaluation results of different test methods due to the various evaluation focus. The −10 °C BBT, CE-SCB, and OT were recommended to evaluate the crack resistance comprehensively. Research results can guide the evaluation method or index selection of crack resistance and the optimization of AR-SAMI mixture design under different working conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in New Green Road Materials and Applied Technologies)

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12 pages, 5349 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Durability Performance of PVA Fiber Cement-Stabilized Macadam

by Songyuan Tan, Chaohui Wang, Qi Zheng, Feng Chen and Yunjie Huang

Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16953; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416953 - 17 Dec 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1344

Abstract

To further improve the durability of cement-stabilized macadam and guarantee the use quality and sustainability of a semi-rigid base, the current study was carried out. With the help of a dry shrinkage test, temperature shrinkage test, freeze–thaw bending test, and fatigue test, the effect of incorporating PVA fiber on the deformation characteristics of cement-stabilized macadam was analyzed, and the changes in low-temperature residual toughness of the mixture before and after modification were compared. The low-temperature toughness of PVA fiber cement-stabilized macadam was evaluated with the help of the standard toughness evaluation method. The fatigue life prediction equation of PVA fiber cement-stabilized macadam was established based on the Weibull distribution. The results showed that PVA fiber can effectively improve the deformation characteristics, low-temperature toughness, and fatigue performance of cement-stabilized macadam. The low-temperature residual flexural tensile strength and low-temperature bearing capacity were increased by 10.3% and 55.3%, respectively. The residual toughness indices were increased by 58.6%, 88.1%, and 98.3% and the residual strength index was increased by more than 100%. The fatigue life was improved by 178~368% under different stress intensity ratios. The fatigue life values obeyed the two-parameter Weibull distribution, and the correlation between the fatigue life prediction equation and the measured data was significant. The fatigue life prediction error was between 0.03 and 4.9% under different stress intensity ratios. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in New Green Road Materials and Applied Technologies)

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11 pages, 2953 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on a New Loading Method for Nano TiO₂ Photocatalytic Asphalt Pavement

by Jingxiao Shu, Xiaoyang Wang, Bo Yang and Xiaofeng Wang

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 11977; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141911977 - 22 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1506

Abstract

The main goal of our work was to study a new loading method for photocatalytic asphalt pavement that could effectively solve the problems of photocatalytic degradation efficiency and durability. We adhered nano TiO₂ particles to the microscopically textured structure on the surface of glass microbeads by cold alkaline corrosion and high-temperature adhesion technology. We observed good adhesion of nano TiO₂ on glass microbeads by a microscopic performance characterization of the composites. The improvement in the light transmittance of the composite material improved the catalytic efficiency of nano TiO₂ to a certain extent. Three different groups were established to verify the durability of the nano TiO₂ loading method. The result shows that the exhaust gas degradation rate of the spray embedding group did not decrease significantly with the increase in road friction time. Our research provides a new idea for the design of exhaust degradation pavement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in New Green Road Materials and Applied Technologies)

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18 pages, 8759 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Laboratory Evaluation of Dynamic Characteristics of a New High-Modulus Asphalt Mixture

by Haiwei Zhang, Xingwang Yang, Yan Li, Qilong Fu and Huayu Rui

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 11838; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141911838 - 20 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1506

Abstract

With the rapid increase in traffic volume and heavy-duty vehicles, rutting has become one of the most serious problems threatening the service quality and life of asphalt pavement. High-modulus asphalt concrete is a promising method to overcome this problem, contributing to the sustainable development of asphalt pavement. In this study, a new composite high-modulus agent (CHMA)-modified asphalt binder and mixture were prepared, and their dynamic mechanical characteristics were investigated by the dynamic shear rheometer, dynamic modulus test, wheel tracking test, frequency sweep test at a constant height (FSCH), and repeated shear test at a constant height (RSCH) to comprehensively evaluate its high-temperature stability. Test results showed that the rheological property of the CHMA-modified asphalt binder was similar to that of low-graded asphalt binder, implying that it had a strong potential in resisting deformation. The dynamic modulus of AC-20(CHMA) was 19,568 MPa at 15 °C and 10 Hz condition, meeting the requirement for the high-modulus asphalt mixture (higher than 14,000 MPa). The dynamic stability of AC-20(CHMA) was 8094 times/mm, lower than that of AC-20(20#), but remarkably higher than that of AC-20(SBS). AC-20(20#) and AC-20(CHMA) both showed strong shear resistance according to the FSCH test results. Under the repeated shear loadings, the growth rate of the shear strain increased rapidly in the primary stage, and then slowed down gradually, finally reaching a constant growth rate. The shear slope of AC-20(CHMA) was between that of AC-20(20#) and AC-20(SBS), demonstrating that its resistance to repeated shear loadings was superior to AC-20(SBS), although slightly weaker than AC-20(20#). The findings in this study provide references for alleviating rutting problems and improving the lifespan of asphalt pavement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in New Green Road Materials and Applied Technologies)

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16 pages, 6821 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fatigue Properties and Damage Characteristics of Polyurethane Mixtures under a Stress Control Mode

by Min Sun, Guangzhen Qu, Litao Geng, Derui Hou and Shuo Jing

Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10966; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710966 - 2 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1653

Abstract

A polyurethane mixture (PUM) is an energy-saving and emission-reducing pavement material with excellent temperature stability; however, the fatigue properties and fatigue damage models of PUM still require further research. Therefore, four-point bending static load tests, fatigue tests, and digital speckle correlation method (DSCM) tests with different load levels of PUM and styrene butadiene styrene (SBS)-modified asphalt mixture (SMA) were carried out. The fatigue life, stiffness, midspan deflection, and maximum tensile strain were obtained and compared. The fatigue damage factor calculation method of PUM based on stiffness degradation was proposed, and the fatigue damage function of PUM at different load levels was fitted. The results show that the fatigue life of PUM was much larger than that of SMA, and the static loading failure and fatigue failure modes of PUM were both brittle. The fatigue damage of PUM exhibits an obvious three-stage damage law: the rapid development stage (accounting for about 10–20% of the fatigue life), the deformation stability expansion stage (accounting for about 70–80% of the fatigue life), and the instability development stage (accounting for about 10–20% of the fatigue life). The fatigue damage factors (D_B) were calculated based on stiffness, according to

D_{B} = \frac{E I_{0} - E I_{n r}}{E I_{0} - E I_{N r}}

, and the fatigue damage functions of PUM were fitted based on the stiffness degradation, according to

f (\frac{n}{N}) = 1 - \frac{1 - {(n / N)}^{a}}{{(1 - n / N)}^{b}}

. The fatigue damage fitting curves have good correlation with the calculation results of the damage factor based on test data, which can predict the stiffness degradation of PUM at different load levels. The results can help further the understanding of the fatigue characteristics and damage mechanism of PUM, which will provide theoretical support for the application of PUM in pavement structures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in New Green Road Materials and Applied Technologies)

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19 pages, 3484 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermal Conductivity Evaluation and Road Performance Test of Steel Slag Asphalt Mixture

by Yangsen Cao, Aimin Sha, Zhuangzhuang Liu, Fan Zhang, Jiarong Li and Hai Liu

Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7288; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127288 - 14 Jun 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2130

Abstract

Substituting steel slag for mineral materials in road construction has potential economic and environmental benefits. Due to the excellent thermal conductivity of steel slag, it is often used in functional pavements. However, there are few studies on the thermal conductivity characterization of steel slag asphalt mixture (SSAM). For this reason, the thermal conductivity of SSAM was first qualitatively evaluated by microscopic characterizations. The thermal conductivity was the quantitatively evaluated by the heating wire method. Theoretical calculations were used to verify the reliability of the quantitative characterization. Finally, the effects of steel slag on the volume indices and the road performance of SSAM were studied. Results showed that active minerals such as iron oxides make the steel slag thermally conductive, while a large number of protrusions and micropores on the surface of the steel slag may be detrimental to thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity first increases and then decreases with the steel slag content. The asphalt mixture with 60% steel slag replacing aggregate of 3–5 mm (6.6% of the mixture) had the highest thermal coefficient of 1.746 W/(m·°C), which is only 4.78% different from the theoretical value. The porosity and water absorption of SSAM gradually increased with the content of steel slag. The road performance test indicated that steel slag increased the high-temperature performance of the asphalt mixture to a certain extent, but weakened the low-temperature performance and moisture resistance. After comprehensive consideration of the thermal conductivity and road performance, it is recommended that the optimum content of steel slag is not more than 60%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in New Green Road Materials and Applied Technologies)

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Review

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21 pages, 7917 KiB

Open AccessReview

Research Progress and Performance Evaluation of Polyvinyl Alcohol Fiber Engineered Cementitious Composites

by Long Cheng, Shaochang Chen, Feng Chen, Chaohui Wang and Qian Chen

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 10991; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151410991 - 13 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1292

Abstract

Polyvinyl alcohol fiber engineered cementitious composites (PVA-ECC) have attracted wide attention due to their high toughness and narrow cracks. This review evaluated research results on PVA-ECC to further promote its research and application. The suitable length, diameter, and content of PVA fiber for ECC were recommended. The surface modification method of PVA fiber was determined and the dispersion evaluation method of PVA fiber was explored. An investigation into the mechanical properties of PVA-ECC was conducted, and the influence of PVA fiber content and fly ash content was evaluated. The improvement degree of PVA fiber on the durability of ECC and the strengthening mechanism was clarified. Results indicate that the recommended PVA fiber length for ECC was 12 mm, the diameter was 39 μm or 40 μm, and the content was 0.60–2.00%. The surface physical modification method was recommended for PVA fiber surface modification, and the mass equalization method was recommended for the evaluation of PVA fiber dispersion. With ordinary concrete, the tensile strain of PVA-ECC can be increased by 200–320 times, and the average improvement degree of flexural strength was 43%. Tensile strength and flexural strength of PVA-ECC increase first and then decrease with the increase in fiber content. With the increase in fly ash content, the tensile strength, compressive strength, and flexural strength of PVA-ECC decreased. PVA fiber content, fly ash content, and freeze–thaw medium are the main factors affecting the frost resistance of PVA-ECC. Compared with ordinary concrete, the average decreased degree of electric flux of PVA-ECC at 28 d was 21%, and the average decreased degree of carbonation depth of PVA-ECC at 3–28 d was 9–20%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in New Green Road Materials and Applied Technologies)

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22 pages, 3702 KiB

Open AccessReview

Materials and Performance of Asphalt-Based Waterproof Bonding Layers for Cement Concrete Bridge Decks: A Systematic Review

by Feng Gao, Xuan Gao, Qian Chen, Yanduo Li, Zhiwei Gao and Chaohui Wang

Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 15500; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142315500 - 22 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1895

Abstract

As an important part of the bridge deck pavement system, the waterproof bonding layer plays a vital role in ensuring the integrity and durability of the pavement structure. Asphalt-based waterproof bonding materials have attracted extensive attention from researchers due to their low cost and good combination with asphalt surfaces. However, the existing research results of asphalt waterproof bonding layers are confused and there is a lack of systematic summaries. In addition, there are significant differences in the type, specification, performance, evaluation method, and evaluation index of asphalt materials. The performance evaluation indexes and methods of asphalt waterproof bonding materials need to be further studied and improved. To further promote the research and development of asphalt waterproof bonding layer materials, in this paper, the relevant specifications for the waterproof bonding layer of roads and bridges in China were systematically combed, the key performance index requirements in different specifications were compared and evaluated, the research trends of the asphalt waterproof bonding layer in China and its application in engineering construction were comprehensively reviewed, the performance of different asphalt waterproof bonding materials were systematically investigated, and the construction technology and economy of different asphalt waterproof bonding layer materials were analyzed. This paper provides a useful reference for the specification improvement and quality control of asphalt waterproof bonding layer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in New Green Road Materials and Applied Technologies)

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