Search Results (118)

Traffic-induced noise pollution is a significant environmental issue, driving the development of advanced noise-reducing pavement materials. Semi-dense graded asphalt mixtures (SDAMs) present a promising compromise, offering enhanced acoustic properties compared to conventional dense-graded asphalt mixtures while maintaining superior durability to porous asphalt mixtures. However, the mechanism underlying the relationship between the energy dissipation characteristics and noise reduction effects of such mixtures remains unclear, which limits further optimization of their noise reduction performance. This study designed and prepared semi-dense graded noise-reducing asphalt mixtures SMA-6 TM, SMA-10 TM, and SMA-13 TM (SMA TM represents noise-reducing SMA mixture) based on traditional dense-graded asphalt mixtures SMA-6, SMA-10, and SMA-13, and conducted tests for water stability, high-temperature performance (60 °C), and low-temperature performance (−10 °C). Subsequently, energy loss parameters such as loss factor and damping ratio were calculated through dynamic modulus tests to characterize their energy dissipation properties. The mechanism linking the energy dissipation characteristics of semi-dense graded asphalt mixtures to noise reduction was investigated. Finally, the noise reduction effect was further verified through a tire free fall test and a close-proximity (CPX) method. The indoor test results indicate that the semi-dense mixtures exhibited a trade-off in performance: their dynamic stability was 11.1–11.3% lower and low-temperature performance decreased by 4.2% (SMA-13 TM) to 14.1% (SMA-6 TM), with moisture stability remaining comparable. Conversely, they demonstrated superior damping, with consistently higher loss factors and damping ratios. All mixtures reached peak damping at 20 °C, and the loss factor showed a strong positive correlation (R² > 0.91) with energy dissipation. Field results from a test section showed that the optimized SMA-10 TM mixture yielded a significant tire–road noise reduction of 3–5 dB(A) relative to the SMA-13, while concurrently meeting key performance criteria for anti-water ability and durability. This study establishes a link between the energy dissipation in SDAM and their noise reduction efficacy. The findings provide a theoretical framework for optimizing mixture designs and support the wider application of SDAM as a practical noise mitigation solution. Full article

Urban waterlogging due to sudden rainfall leads to critical issues. This study aims to develop sustainable porous asphalt pavement by incorporating different proportions of recycled coarse aggregate. Recycled coarse aggregate from waste laboratory-tested concrete in 19, 12.5, and 9.5 mm sizes was prepared for a porous asphalt mix series (Mix-Types 1-9). The study showed that optimal aggregate ratios performed well in porous asphalt mixes. Mix-Type-3 with the aggregate ratio of 19:12.5:9.5 mm (1:1:0.5) achieved an optimal stability of 8.88 kN at the minimum flow rate. The movement of water flow results revealed that permeability decreases with time. The Mix-Type-3 permeability reductions were found to be 16.75% and 30.14% at 6 and 12 months, compared to the permeability of fresh mixes. The study results revealed that the Mix-Type-3 retained the highest stability level, and the permeability fell within the standard values. Hence, it is concluded that Mix-Type-3 balances in all parameters and is a viable choice for effective and sustainable urban water management. Full article

The permeability of porous asphalt pavements is a critical skid resistance indicator that directly influences driving safety on wet roads. To ensure permeability (water infiltration capacity), it is necessary to assess the degree of clogging in the pavement. This study proposes a permeability evaluation model for porous asphalt pavements based on 3D laser imaging and deep learning. The model utilizes a 3D laser scanner to capture the surface texture of the pavement, a pavement infiltration tester to measure the permeability coefficient, and a deep residual network (ResNet) to train the collected data. The aim is to explore the relationship between the 3D surface texture of porous asphalt and its permeability performance. The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can quickly and accurately identify the permeability of the pavement without causing damage, achieving an accuracy and F1-score of up to 90.36% and 90.33%, respectively. This indicates a significant correlation between surface texture and permeability, which could promote advancements in pavement permeability technology. Full article

Gap-graded asphalt mixtures like stone mastic asphalt (SMA), porous asphalt (PA), and asphalt mixtures for very thin layers (fr. Béton Bitumineuse Très Mince—BBTM) are usually made with the use of SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene) polymer-modified bitumen. This is a binder that allows one to achieve the required parameters, but at the same time, its use increases the costs of making pavement layers. An alternative to polymer-modified bitumen (SBS) is rubber-modified bitumen. The research presented in this publication includes an assessment of the resistance to permanent deformation and susceptibility to aging of SMA and porous asphalt (PA) mixtures containing both SBS polymer-modified bitumen and rubber-modified bitumen, where the modification process was carried out directly in the refinery. The laboratory tests of resistance to deformation were assessed based on the rutting test and on the assessment of the dynamic modulus (SPT). The changes in the tested asphalt mixtures after aging in laboratory conditions were assessed based on the changes in the stiffness modulus (IT-CY) and the changes in the indirect tensile strength (ITS) after the short-term and long-term aging processes. The presented research results clearly show that the use of rubber-modified bitumen produced in industrial conditions (i.e., in a refinery) allows one to obtain gap-graded mixtures that are as resistant to permanent deformation as mixtures containing SBS polymer-modified bitumen. Similar conclusions resulted from the study of susceptibility to aging. Changes after aging for both types of asphalt mixtures were at a similar level. The presented results clearly indicate that, in the case of gap-graded mixtures such as SMA- and PA-type mixtures, they meet the rutting and aging expectations when either expensive modified bitumen or a cheaper, more environmentally friendly alternative (rubber-modified bitumen) is used. Full article

This study explores the correlation between road surface texture, including microtexture (texture depth) and macrotexture (wavelength) in asphalt pavement, and suspended dust generation on asphalt pavements. A detailed analysis of various pavement types, including Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) and porous pavement, was conducted to assess their impact on dust load and concentration. For HMA pavements, deeper texture depths led to a higher dust load and concentration, attributed to the impermeable nature of the material, which causes dust to become easily suspended in the air. Conversely, porous pavements, which have air gaps in their surface layers, showed reduced dust suspension despite a higher dust load, due to the ability of these voids to trap dust and minimize air-pumping effects from tire–road contact. The study found that a macrotexture depth (MTD) exceeding 1.7 mm stabilized dust concentration, while higher surface wavelengths and silt load (sL) values above 0.1 g/m² significantly contributed to dust suspension. These findings suggest that optimizing road surface texture and aggregate size, considering the voids and depth, can help reduce suspended dust, providing a balance between road safety and environmental management. This research offers valuable insights for designing pavements that mitigate air pollution while maintaining functional performance. Full article

In south China, suffering from the rainiest climate, porous asphalt mixtures have been receiving increasing attention. However, with the increase in the application of pavement and the growth of service life, the importance of the recycling application of old reclaimed porous asphalt pavement (RPAP) has gradually become prominent. Based on this, this paper established RPAP content ranging from 0% to 30% in increments of 5% and designed experimental groups with and without regenerating agent to investigate the effects of RAP content and regenerating agent addition on the high-temperature stability, low- and normal-temperature crack resistance, moisture susceptibility, drainage capacity, and mechanical properties of PAC-13 reclaimed porous asphalt mixtures. Subsequently, the practical performance of PAC-13 RPAP was verified through a pavement test. The results indicate that, as the RPAP content increases, the high-temperature stability and mechanical properties of the recycled mixture improve. Specifically, as the planer content is increased to 30%, the dynamic stability of the regenerated porous asphalt increases by 61.1%, and the dynamic modulus at 25 Hz also shows an increase of 25.3%. However, the crack resistance, moisture susceptibility, and drainage capacity at both low temperatures and room temperature exhibited accelerated weakening. When the RPAP content increases to 30%, the reduction in failure strain of regenerated PAC-13 reaches 41.8%, and the reduction in submergence stability reaches 21%. Simultaneously, the water permeability coefficient, void ratio, and interconnected void ratio all demonstrate significant reductions of 23.5%, 6.5%, and 10.0%, respectively, indicating a diminished drainage capacity in the recycled porous pavement mixture. Then again, with the addition of the regenerant, the high-temperature stability of the regenerated porous mixture is reduced by 10.8%, and the mechanical properties are reduced by 6.48%, while the crack resistance at low temperature and room temperature, moisture susceptibility, and drainage ability are enhanced. The verification results of the test section demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) material in the porous asphalt mixture. Additionally, it is recommended to select RAP material with a particle size of 4.75 mm or larger while ensuring that the proportion of RAP does not exceed 20%. The research findings of this paper are anticipated to offer guidance for the preparation of PAC-13 reclaimed porous asphalt mixtures while facilitating the recycling and large-scale utilization of old porous pavement materials. Full article

Semi-flexible pavement (SFP) mixture consists of porous matrix asphalt mixture and cement-based grouting material. This composite material gains advantages from both the rigid cementitious material and flexible asphalt mixture. It exhibits excellent anti-rutting capability while no joints are needed. However, SFP is prone to cracks in the field. This study employs water-based epoxy resin and emulsified asphalt as polymer additives to modify the grouting material. A response surface methodology (RSM) model was employed for multi-factor and multi-response optimization design. The ratio of water-based epoxy resin to emulsified asphalt (w/e ratio), polymer content, defoamer content, and mixing speed were considered in the model. Fluidity, compressive strength, and fracture energy were selected as response indicators. It was found that a low mixing speed was not able to produce grouting slurry with acceptable fluidity. The addition of higher polymer contents would lower the compressive strength of the grouting material due to the low stiffness of the polymer and entrained air produced during mixing. The addition of defoamer eliminated the bubbles and, therefore, increased the strength and fracture energy of the samples. By solving for the optimal model solution, the values of optimized parameters were determined to be a w/e ratio of 0.64, polymer content of 3.3%, defoamer content of 0.2%, and mixing speed of 2000 rpm. Microstructural analysis further confirmed that the synergistic effect of water-based epoxy resin and emulsified asphalt can effectively make the microstructure of the hardened samples denser. The anti-cracking ability of the SFP mixture can be increased by 22% using optimally designed grouting material. The findings in this study shed light on the design of toughness-reinforced SFP materials. Full article

The durability of permeable pavement needs to be further studied by accelerated pavement testing (APT). Full-scale APT facilities are commonly associated with a very high initial investment and operational costs. A piece of small-scale accelerated testing equipment, the model mobile load simulator (MMLS), was used to investigate and evaluate the mechanical properties of three types of permeable asphalt pavements, including a 4 cm porous asphalt layer with cement-treated permeable base (4PA-CTPB), 7 cm porous asphalt layer with cement-treated permeable base (7PA-CTPB), and 7 cm porous asphalt layer with cement-treated base (7PA-CTB). Under different conditions of subgrade soil, transverse and longitudinal strains at the bottom of the porous asphalt layer and average rut depth and temperature data were collected. The results indicated that 4PA-CTPB produced the maximum average rut depth but minimum resilient tensile strain. The transverse resilient tensile strain of 7PA-CTPB was significantly higher than the other two structures under both wet and dry conditions. The transverse resilient tensile strain significantly increased with increasing loading cycles with a decreasing rate, which could be affected by both load and temperature. MMLS could be used to explore and evaluate the mechanical properties of permeable asphalt pavement. From the data under dry and wet conditions, it may be better to increase the strength of the subgrade, where a suitable hydraulic conductivity coefficient should be considered. Full article

Cellulose acetate fiber (CAF), a typical waste product derived from cigarette filters, has attracted growing attention for its potential reuse in asphalt materials. However, its application in porous asphalt (PA) mixtures remains underexplored. This study investigates the effects of CAF on the performance of asphalt binders and PA-13 mixtures through a series of laboratory tests. The results demonstrate that CAF significantly enhances the high-temperature rheological performance of asphalt binders. A 1% CAF content improved the low-temperature rheological performance of asphalt binder, while a higher CAF content resulted in performance degradation. A fatigue life analysis revealed a parabolic relationship with CAF content with the optimal N_f50 observed at a 1% CAF-a 4.3% increase over the original binder. Compared to 3% lignin fiber (LF)-modified binders, 3% CAF-modified binders exhibited reduced temperature sensitivity in high-temperature performance, at least a 4.6% improvement in low-temperature performance and an 8.4% increase in the fatigue life. As for PA-13 mixtures, the incorporation of CAF progressively improved rutting, moisture and stripping resistance with increasing CAF content, achieving the highest dynamic stability, highest tensile strength ratio and lowest mass loss rate at 5% CAF. The low-temperature performance and fatigue life (S = 0.45) of PA-13 mixtures exhibited a parabolic trend, peaking at 3% CAF. Moreover, the 3% CAF-modified PA-13 mixture demonstrated improved low-temperature performance and fatigue resistance, while exhibiting a slight decrease in high-temperature stability, water resistance and resistance to disintegration. Overall, CAF is a viable alternative to LF for improving the durability and service life of asphalt pavements. Full article

In cold regions, the overlay effect often leads to pavement and subgrade distresses, severely compromising the functionality of roads and infrastructure. To address this issue, this study proposes a solution involving permeable pavements and roadbed structures. However, the application of permeable pavement materials in cold regions remains a significant challenge. Building on previous research, this paper introduces a novel pavement material with exceptional mechanical and temperature performance: terminal carboxylated nitrile rubber-modified epoxy asphalt. Specifically, the mechanical properties, viscosity, high-temperature rutting resistance, low-temperature cracking resistance, and modification mechanisms of five terminal carboxylated nitrile rubber-modified epoxy asphalt mixtures with varying terminal carboxylated nitrile rubber contents were investigated. Additionally, the high-temperature, low-temperature, and water stability properties of three types of porous asphalt concrete were compared. The results demonstrate that the incorporation of terminal carboxylated nitrile rubber significantly enhances the mechanical properties and low-temperature cracking resistance of the asphalt without altering the curing time. Although the high-temperature rutting resistance of the asphalt itself decreases, the high-temperature, low-temperature, and water stability properties of the porous asphalt concrete are improved. This improvement is attributed to the chemical reaction between terminal carboxylated nitrile rubber and epoxy resin, which generates a prepolymer containing new substances and forms a stable sea–island structure. This structure promotes a more homogeneous distribution of the asphalt matrix, thereby increasing the cohesive strength and toughness of the asphalt. Full article

Porous asphalt mixtures play a pivotal role in enhancing pavement drainage capacity and traffic safety, where the performance of asphalt binder constitutes a determining factor. This study introduces an innovative advancement through the development of a high-viscoelastic modifier and corresponding modified asphalt based on SBS-modified asphalt, coupled with optimized preparation protocols. The optimal composition and dosage of the modifier were systematically determined through standardized tests including penetration, ductility, softening point, and bending beam rheometer (BBR) analysis. A comprehensive evaluation of road performance was conducted on two porous asphalt mixtures, namely conventional SBS-modified asphalt versus the novel high-viscoelastic modified asphalt (designated as 10-A). Experimental protocols encompassed high-temperature rutting resistance tests, low-temperature beam bending tests, freeze–thaw splitting tests, two-point bending fatigue tests, accelerated abrasion tests, and dynamic friction tester (DFT) measurements. The results demonstrate that the 10-A-modified mixture exhibits superior high- and low-temperature performance. Notably, its fatigue resistance and skid resistance showed minimal divergence from conventional SBS-modified asphalt, attributable to physicochemical crosslinking interactions among antioxidants, resins, and stabilizers. This research elucidates the synergistic mechanism of components within the 10-A modifier system. The proposed high-viscoelastic asphalt formulation meets the technical requirements for functional drainage asphalt mixtures while providing material-level support for implementing sponge city initiatives. Full article

The substantial voids of porous pavement materials permit light and exhaust pollutants to infiltrate to a considerable depth. Consequently, utilizing porous mixtures as carriers for photocatalytic materials enables greater exposure to an environment conducive to the exhaust degradation reaction. This study employed porous asphalt mixtures and porous cement concrete as carriers for photocatalytic pavements. Various amounts of TiO₂ were incorporated as photocatalysts to produce eco-friendly pavement materials with exhaust degradation capability. Based on a self-developed apparatus and methodology, its exhaust degradation performance was evaluated under different preparation conditions and pavement structures. The influences of void ratio, photocatalyst dosage, pavement type, and pavement thickness on the exhaust degradation function were examined. The degradation rates of NO and CO among the four monitored pollutants were observed to follow a three-stage pattern of “slow–fast–steady”, while the degradation rates of NO₂ and HC followed a “fast–slow–steady” pattern. Increasing the void ratio and the photocatalyst dosage yielded similar effects on exhaust degradation efficacy, enhancing the degradation rate and reducing the time required to reach equilibrium. The increase in the void ratio of porous asphalt mixtures and porous cement concrete reduced the time required to reach equilibrium by an average of 4.4 and 2.3 min for the four pollutants monitored, respectively. Increasing the dosage of photocatalytic material by 2 kg/m³ increased NO degradation by an average of 1.5% and reduced the time required to reach equilibrium by an average of 0.8 min. The degradation rate of porous cement concrete in the first reaction stage was faster than that of porous asphalt mixtures, and the time required to reach equilibrium state increased by 2 min compared to that of porous asphalt mixture. And the impact of specimen thickness on exhaust degradation performance was minimal. Full article

The construction industry is a fundamental sector for the development of countries; however, it produces negative environmental impacts due to the demand for natural resources and the generation of construction and demolition waste (CDW). Therefore, the pursuit of solutions to recycle and reintegrate these wastes, which often accumulate in poorly regulated areas, becomes not only an environmental priority but also an opportunity to transform a problem into an advantage. Utilizing these residues contributes to reducing the pressure on natural resources, minimizes the environmental footprint of the construction sector, and promotes a more sustainable and responsible model that can serve as an example for future generations. The properties of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) and recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) were determined in order to subsequently obtain the properties of different permeable recycled concrete (RPC) elaborated from a factorial design 2³ with these aggregates. The properties studied were workability, permeability, volumetric weight, compression uniaxial, and bending. Finally, they were studied and correlated with their matrix microstructure by means of TGA and SEM tests, which allowed determining the compounds contained in the various mixtures and their impact on physical–mechanical behavior. The results indicate that RCA and RAP are feasible alternatives for making porous pavements in pedestrian or light traffic areas when recycled aggregates of 3/4” size are included in their matrix, resulting in the optimum dosage of the M5 3/4” mix in this research, whose mechanical properties are: uniaxial compressive strength: 15.39 MPa; flexural strength: 3.12 MPa; permeability: 0.375 cm/s. Full article

The global asphalt production growth rate exceeded 10% in the past decade, and over 90% of the world’s road surfaces are generated from asphalt materials. Therefore, the issue of asphalt aging has been widely researched. In this study, the aging of asphalt thin films under various natural conditions was studied to prevent the distortion of indoor simulated aging and to prevent the extraction of asphalt samples from road surfaces from impacting the aged asphalt. The aging of styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS)-modified asphalt was simulated at four different locations on an asphalt road surface. The aging characteristics of asphalt binders across various structural layers were revealed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and linear amplitude scanning (LAS). The results indicate that the aging behavior of the asphalt functional group on the road surface differs from other conditions; the asphalt fatigue life of 4 months equates to the 16-month aging life of asphalt within the dense-graded asphalt road surface. After 8 months of aging, the surface smoothness of the asphalt was significantly compromised. Inside of the porous pavement, the asphalt functional group is more likely to interact with water molecules than inside the dense pavement with cracks, and the variations in roughness and the reduction in fatigue life are also more significant. Full article

Porous asphalt pavements need to be cured for 24 h~48 h before they can be opened to traffic. In an emergency, physical cooling methods, such as water sprinkling and air blowing, can be used to accelerate cooling, but the effects of the two methods on the mechanical properties and durability of porous asphalt mixtures are still unclear. In this research, firstly, the dropping and rising temperatures of the pavement surface during the water sprinkling process of newly laid porous asphalt mixtures in real projects were analyzed. The effects of the two conditions of water immersion and water sprinkling on the mechanical properties of porous asphalt mixtures were clarified, and water sprinkling technology for porous asphalt mixtures was proposed. Secondly, the effects of air blowing on the temperature reduction and strength loss of porous asphalt mixtures was analyzed, and the pavement surface temperature control standard that was suitable for air blowing was proposed. Finally, a seven-year observation was carried out on the water sprinkling cooling test section in the actual project. The research results show that water immersion or the sprinkling of water repeatedly during the curing period of porous asphalt pavements reduces the strength of the mixture. It is recommended to use a water amount of 0.3 kg/m² once and sprinkling four times before painting road markings and two times after painting road markings; this was the best water sprinkling cooling process for porous asphalt pavements. The use of air blowing can accelerate the temperature reduction of porous asphalt mixtures, but the mechanical properties of the mixtures are attenuated after air blowing. Air blowing can be carried out when the pavement surface temperature is lower than 70 °C. Compared with the road section without water sprinkling for cooling, the use of the determined process to cool the newly laid porous asphalt mixtures by water sprinkling does not have a significant adverse effect on their durability. There is also no significant difference in the performances of the two road surfaces within a seven-year service. In an emergency, physical cooling methods, such as water sprinkling or air blowing, can be used to accelerate the temperature reduction of the newly laid porous asphalt mixtures, so as to achieve the purpose of quickly opening to traffic. Full article