Multifunctional asphalt concrete pavement toward smart transport infrastructure: Design, performance and perspective

Cement-asphalt pavements are extensively employed in transportation infrastructure. Multifunctional pavement is a new paradigm that enhances pavement functionalities, durability, and serviceability for intelligent transport system. Cement-asphalt composite possesses significant attributes, including self-healing, self-sensing, photocatalytic, and thermochromic capacities, which collectively contribute to the multifunctionalities of these pavements. The self-healing property plays a vital role in extending the service life of pavement and enhancing its durability. At the same time, self-sensing concrete, a concept widely explored for structural health monitoring, finds its applications. The photocatalytic feature aids in reducing pollution stemming from vehicle emissions, while the thermochromic capacity allows for temperature detection in asphalt concrete pavements. Previous research has mainly concentrated on the discrete attributes and performance of these functionalities within cement-asphalt composite. Achieving these multifunctional capabilities involves the incorporation of diverse carbon nanomaterials into cement-asphalt composite, such as carbon black (CB), carbon nanofibers (CNFs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene nanoplates (GNPs), and so on. Notably, there is an increasing focus on integrating these functionalities within pavements themselves. Functional concrete has been effectively deployed within smart transport system, encompassing pavements, railways, bridges, and tunnels, for the purposes of infrastructure health monitoring and traffic-flow management. This review comprehensively examines recent advances in multifunctional technologies, highlighting potential applications across novel domains. The insights will serve as a valuable resource for future investigations into multifunctional pavements and their integration into intelligent transport systems.

Zhizhong Deng, Wengui Li, Wenkui Dong, Zhihui Sun, Jayantha Kodikara, Daichao Sheng

Zhizhong Deng, Wengui Li, Wenkui Dong, Zhihui Sun, Jayantha Kodikara, Daichao Sheng, Multifunctional asphalt concrete pavement toward smart transport infrastructure: Design, performance and perspective, Composites Part B: Engineering, Volume 265,