Engineering the Effect of Nanomaterials on Bitumen and Asphalt Mixture Properties. A Review

Abstract

In recent years, several factors such as the increasing traffic loads and increasing number of vehicles have intensified the stress in pavement layers and thus reduced the service life of asphalt pavements. Today, with rising maintenance costs and traffic loads on asphalt pavements, researchers have paid more attention to diminishing defects such as cracks due to fatigue, temperature, moisture, and rutting as the most significant structural failures in asphalt pavements. The mentioned failures reduce road safety and service level during the operation period and impose huge costs on governments. In this study, we review recent research on nanotechnology applications to improve the performance of asphalt mixtures against these failures. Reviewing research suggests that different nanomaterials can improve the performance of bitumen and asphalt mixtures against cracking and rutting due to their structural properties.