A Review of the Contribution of Mechanomutable Asphalt Materials Towards Addressing the Upcoming Challenges of Asphalt Pavements

Abstract

In the coming years, asphalt materials will face significant challenges due to the demand for smart multifunctional materials in transportation infrastructures, designed under sustainability criteria. Asphalt pavements will not only have to contribute towards the provision of an adequate surface for the transportation of different types of vehicles, but will need to do so considering the increased loads that they will have to support, as well as the extreme weather conditions resulting from climate change. These pavements will also need the capacity to interact with autonomous vehicles and provide information to the users and maintenance agencies regarding traffic data or performance levels. This paper describes how mechanomutable asphalt materials (MAMs) could enhance the properties of asphalt materials, enabling their use as a solution for smart infrastructures.

Innovations in pavement design and engineering: A 2023 sustainability review

“… Eco-friendly; strain-sensing capabilities; temperature-sensing capabilities; pressure-sensing capabilities; economically feasible; improved response time Requires further development and field-testing; can have high initial costs [ 111 , [112] , [113] , [114] , [115] , [116] ] Self-Healing Asphalt Pavements Smart Pavements Many self-healing asphalt technologies try to restore and utilize asphalt's inherent self-healing behavior. Technologies include additives and nanoparticles, in-situ heating, and rejuvenation using encapsulation, hollow fibers, or vascular fibers Increased pavement lifetime; reduces lifecycle costs; reduces emissions related to maintenance Many of the technologies need further testing before ready for application [ 111 , [117] , [118] , [119] , [120] , [121] , [122] , [123] , [124] , [125] , [126] , [127] , [128] , [129] , [130] ] Self-Healing Concrete Pavements Smart Pavements The leading process of self-healing in concrete pavements is through the introduction of bacteria to create calcium carbonate, which can fill microcracks Increased pavement lifetime; reduces lifecycle costs; reduces emissions related to maintenance; and some have proven to improve concrete strength, durability, and resistance Less explored than self-healing in asphalt pavements; slow overall process; unknown biological health effects [ [131] , [132] , [133] , [134] , [135] ] Information Interaction Pavements Smart Pavements Integrated framework design systems for entire road...…”

“…Mechanomutable asphalt binders are a new pavement material that has a bituminous matrix with magnetically susceptible materials [ 127 ]. As shown in Fig.…”

A Review on Vehicle Classification and Potential Use of Smart Vehicle-Assisted Techniques

“…In recent decades, autonomous driving has drawn huge attention from both academia and industry and great effort has been put into designing vehicles with the capability to self-navigate urban streets [64][65][66][67][68]. Nowadays, autonomous and autopilot vehicles are fleeting on the roads and they are expected to revolutionize the transportation system in an unprecedented manner.…”

Interpretation of the Magnetic Field Signals Emitted by Encoded Asphalt Pavement Materials

“…In this respect, encoded asphalt materials are part of a recent solution for further assisting AV guidance, which consists of encoding part of the pavement structure by modifying asphalt mixtures with magnetically responsive materials [9,25,26]. This technique consists of producing certain magnetic field signals detectable by sensors installed in the vehicle.…”