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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 June 2022) | Viewed by 45472

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Joel R. M. Oliveira

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal
Interests: life-cycle assessment; maintenance and rehabilitation of road pavements; sustainability; pavement preservation; pavement recycling; warm mix asphalts; grouted macadams
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Hugo Silva

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal
Interests: asphalt materials; bitumen modification; ecomaterials; waste incorporation; recycling; warm mix asphalt; advanced characterization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. R. Christopher Williams

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Interests: development and use of biomaterials in asphalt materials as rejuvenators, warm mix asphalt, biopolymers, recycling and reuse of materials, pavement sustainability

Prof. Dr. Zejiao Dong

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Guest Editor

School of Transportation Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
Interests: asphalt; asphalt concrete; structural health monitoring

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We live in an age in which sustainable activity is no longer optional. The limited resources now available and the impacts of our way of living must be the driving forces for planning our interactions with each other and with the environment.

Transport infrastructure plays an essential role in the way our society functions. Thus, to assure adequate living conditions for future generations, its sustainability is crucial.

The changes to the International Maritime Organization regulations will reduce the amount of sulfur from 3.5% S m/m to 0.5% S m/m and will lead to an increase in 75% of the fuels consumed by commercial maritime vessels in 2020. This change will further impact crude oil refining operations and will likely lead to the continued decline in the quality of bitumen used for paving applications, which will create additional life cycle costs and sustainability issues for transport infrastructure.

All current efforts made to promote sustainability are particularly important if we want to meet the UN sustainable development goals, achieve the objective of Building China’s Strength in Transport, or reach the EU greenhouse gas emission targets, respectively, by 2030, 2035 and 2050.

The present Special Issue aims to gather a series of manuscripts relating to sustainable transport infrastructure. We invite submissions related to the use of recycled and bio-derived materials, and lower energy-consuming technologies, with a possible focus on their life-cycle assessment. The infrastructure in question should be prepared for the demands of climate change and for sustainable and smart mobility challenges. Therefore, manuscripts focusing on the engineering properties of construction materials, their interaction with the environment, or the social aspects related to their use in transport infrastructure are welcome. Additionally, papers concerned with the policies and implementation of sustainable practices would also be appreciated.

Dr. Joel R.M. Oliveira
Dr. Hugo Silva
Prof. R. Christopher Williams
Prof. Zejiao Dong
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

Sustainable or durable pavements
Alternative materials
Recycling
Waste incorporation
Warm mix asphalts
Bio-binders
Life-cycle Assessment
Circular economy
Energy efficient technologies
Pavement Ecological monitoring
Sustainable mobility
Transport environmental policies
Sustainability Interpretation in Transport Infrastructure

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2499 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards Zero CO₂ Emissions from Public Transport: The Pathway to the Decarbonization of the Portuguese Urban Bus Fleet

by Paulo J. G. Ribeiro and José F. G. Mendes

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9111; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159111 - 25 Jul 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1858

Abstract

The emission of GHG has been steadily increasing in the last few decades, largely facilitated by the transport sector, which has been responsible for more than two-thirds of the manmade emissions in Europe. In cities, one of the possible solutions to decrease the emissions from fossil fuel engines is to replace vehicles with electric ones. This solution can be applied to the urban public fleet, namely by replacing urban buses with electric vehicles. Thus, this research work focuses on the Portuguese case study, which serves as an example of achieving zero CO₂ emissions from buses by 2034. This timeframe of replacing the current bus fleet, mostly powered by fossil fuels, with a fully electric fleet is proven to bring financial, environmental, and health benefits to the population. The pathway to the decarbonization of urban public transport will unequivocally contribute directly to the accomplishment of several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as the promotion of affordable and clean energy and sustainable cities and communities, as well as to the increasing climate action (SDGs 7, 11, and 13, respectively). In addition, it will provide an opportunity for the replacement of existing buses that are generally less efficient than electric buses, from both an energy and an environmental point of view. As a result of the methodology, the Portuguese urban bus fleet would be totally replaced by electric buses by 2034 (83% battery-electric and 17% hydrogen-electric), which results in zero CO₂ emission from this type of public transport. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Transport Infrastructures)

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13 pages, 1102 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Resilience Parameters of Soybean Oil-Modified and Unmodified Warm-Mix Asphalts—A Way Forward towards Sustainable Pavements

by Muhammad Akhtar Tarar, Ammad Hassan Khan, Zia ur Rehman, Wasim Abbass, Ali Ahmed, Elimam Ali, Mohamed Mahmoud Sayed and Mubashir Aziz

Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8832; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148832 - 20 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1191

Abstract

The sustainable design and construction of highways is indispensable for the economic growth and progress of any region. Highway pavements are one of the core transportation infrastructures that require energy efficient materials with durability and an optimized lifecycle. Recent research has proven that warm-mix asphalt pavements prepared with renewable bio-binders are less susceptible to distresses. This study aims to investigate the resilience characteristics (load time, deformation time) of soybean oil modified and unmodified warm-mix asphalts. Aggregates, asphalt binders and asphalt mixes were characterized in accordance with the Superpave Mix Design Criteria. The resilient modulus tests were performed as per ASTM D7369. The test results indicated that the soybean-modified warm asphalt mix samples showed a 20% to 32% reduction in load-carrying capacity than unmodified warm asphalt mixes. The values of the horizontal and vertical recoverable deformations observed in the soybean-modified mixes were found to be 3% to 7% more than in the unmodified mixes. A slight variability (up to 7%) was also observed in the time-response spectra, i.e., peak load, unload and rest periods, in the soybean-modified mixes compared with the unmodified mixes. The Pearson correlation coefficient showed a significant trend between the resilient modulus test parameters for the soybean-modified warm asphalt mixes, i.e., load deformation, load time and deformation time. Soybean oil showed sustainable behavior as a bio-binder, particularly in the deformation-time response for the warm asphalt mixes. However, the effect of soybean in terms of the reduction of the load-carrying capacity from a sustainability perspective needs to be investigated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Transport Infrastructures)

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24 pages, 4369 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of the Light-Duty Vehicles’ Storage and Travel Demand on the Sustainable Exploitation of Available Resources and Air Pollution Abatement

by Mihai Machedon-Pisu and Paul Nicolae Borza

Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8571; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148571 - 13 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1259

Abstract

Light-duty vehicles are the predominant means of road transport. As the world population is expected to increase significantly in the following decades, so too will the car fleet. Due to the rising population, and the implicitly higher travel demand, the energy demand of cars will increase too, and this will put a strain on current resources, with negative effects on the supply chain, possibly leading to more pollution. Many of the current sustainable transport models and frameworks attempt to predict the vehicle market share for different powertrains and the resulting impact based on scenarios that cater to the automotive market and industry demands. At the same time, most neglect aspects regarding resources’ depletion and storage demand. In this sense, this study proposes a coherent testing methodology based on the ratio between demand and supply in order to address the limitations of these studies, mainly related to the sustainable exploitation of available resources, which are analyzed herein in correlation with the current predictions. A sensitivity analysis is provided in order to evaluate the uncertainty of utilized predictions. As a result of this analysis, two novel scenarios for assessing the evolution of the vehicle market share are proposed by the authors. When compared to similar scenarios, it was shown that the proposed scenarios lead to noticeable benefits in reducing dependency on the resources associated with a demand of energy and raw materials and in mitigating air pollution, including related costs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Transport Infrastructures)

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21 pages, 2098 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards Road Sustainability—Part II: Applied Holistic Assessment and Lessons Learned from French Highway Resurfacing Strategies

by Anne de Bortoli, Adélaïde Féraille and Fabien Leurent

Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7336; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127336 - 15 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1856

Abstract

Roads are major transportation infrastructure whose sustainability of maintenance practices has never been holistically assessed due to a lack of a proper method. This paper applies a newly developed assessment method (see article part I) on a 10-km-long section of French highway to fully compare the performance of various types of pavement resurfacing policies, for all the maintenance stakeholders, and considering pavement–vehicle interaction (PVI). After presenting the highway section and the parametrization of the model, four alternative resurfacing frequencies are compared to the French standard maintenance scenario over the pavement lifespan. Results show that increasing resurfacing frequency generates gains in terms of domestic production and employment, environmental damage (health, biodiversity, resources), user budgets, and local residents’ health damage created by traffic noise. Conversely, it entails financial losses for the road operator and government (tax revenues and net present value), as well as time losses for users. On the contrary, the consequences of a decrease in this frequency are the opposite. Excess fuel consumption due to PVI governs the scale of the environmental and financial gains or losses of highway maintenance policies. Optima in terms of health returns on investment and user savings appear to be around a 50% increase in maintenance funding: for each additional euro spent by the operator, there is a user gain of 3.5 euros and a human health gain of 710 euros. Sensitivity analyses indicate that the marginal gains are highly sensitive to the thickness of the resurfacing technique for macroeconomic indicators, global Net Present Value, and operator savings, while the gains are proportional to the traffic and International Roughness Indicator deterioration speed for tax revenue, users’ savings, time savings, noise, and environmental metrics. The other indicators are either slightly or not sensitive to these parameters. To conclude, the entire road maintenance system must be redesigned, from the tax system and funding schemes to the prioritization of road “green practices”, to align all the stakeholders’ interests towards a globally more sustainable road system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Transport Infrastructures)

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21 pages, 1305 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards Road Sustainability—Part I: Principles and Holistic Assessment Method for Pavement Maintenance Policies

by Anne de Bortoli, Adélaïde Féraille and Fabien Leurent

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1513; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031513 - 28 Jan 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2618

Abstract

Assessing the holistic sustainability of public policies remains a challenge rarely taken up due to a lack of adequate assessing methods. Frequently, only environmental and/or financial aspects are addressed, rather than the three pillars, including macro- and micro-economic as well as social performance. This paper presents an assessment method to fully compare the performance of pavement resurfacing policies for all its stakeholders and considering pavement–vehicle interactions. First, an analytical and then systemic approach to road maintenance highlights all its stakeholders, and a complete set of sustainability indicators is proposed to quantify the various impacts of maintenance programs: tax revenues, road operator’s and users’ savings, domestic production and employment, net present value, users’ time savings and noise reduction health benefits, as well as protection of natural resources, biodiversity and human health. Second, specific physical models of road condition (International Roughness Index) and its role in pavement–vehicle interaction in terms of vehicle consumption and wear as well as traffic noise are introduced. Then, equations to calculate these indicators are presented based on a comparison of existing assessment methods. The final transdisciplinary method pulls from road engineering, industrial ecology, acoustics and economics. It especially combines environmental and economic life cycle assessments and economic input–output analysis, as well as financial and socioeconomic appraisals. Finally, this article takes up the interdisciplinary challenge of building a fully holistic assessment method to help decision makers properly address sustainability, and its general algorithm can be adapted to assess a variety of transportation policies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Transport Infrastructures)

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16 pages, 4892 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identifying the Long-Term Thermal Storage Stability of SBS-Polymer-Modified Asphalt, including Physical Indexes, Rheological Properties, and Micro-Structures Characteristics

by Peng Wang, Hong-Rui Wei, Xi-Yin Liu, Rui-Bo Ren and Li-Zhi Wang

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10582; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910582 - 24 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1761

Abstract

The thermal storage stability of styrene–butadiene–styrene tri-block copolymer modified bitumen (SBSPMB) is the key to avoid performance attenuation during storage and transportation in pavement engineering. However, existing evaluation index softening point difference within 48 h (ΔSP₄₈) cannot effectively distinguish this attenuation of SBSPMB. Thus, conventional physical indexes, rheological properties, and micro-structure characteristics of SBSPMB during a 10-day storage were investigated in this research. Results showed that during long-term thermal storage under 163 °C for 10 days, penetration, ductility, softening point, recovery rate (R%), and anti-rutting factor (G*/sinδ) were decayed with storage time increasing. This outcome was ascribed to the phase separation of SBS, which mainly occurred after a 4-day storage. However, ΔSP₄₈ after a 6-day storage met the specification requirements (i.e., below 2.5 °C). Thus, the attenuation degree of asphalt performance in field storage was not effectively characterized by ΔSP₄₈ alone. Results from network strength (I) and SBS swelling degree tests revealed that the primary cause was SBS degradation and base asphalt aging. Moreover, conventional indexes, including penetration, ductility, and softening point, were used to build a prediction model for rheological properties after long-term storage using partial least squares regression model, which can effectively predict I, R, J_nr, G*/sinδ, and SBS amount. Correlation coefficient is above 0.8. G*/sinδ and I at the top and bottom storage locations had high coefficient with SBS amount. Thus, phase separation of SBSPMB should be evaluated during thermal storage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Transport Infrastructures)

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21 pages, 10760 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comprehensive Life Cycle Environmental Assessment of Preventive Maintenance Techniques for Asphalt Pavement

by Mulian Zheng, Wang Chen, Xiaoyan Ding, Wenwu Zhang and Sixin Yu

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4887; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094887 - 27 Apr 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2676

Abstract

Preventive maintenance (PM) is regarded as the most economical maintenance strategy for asphalt pavement, but the life cycle environmental impacts (LCEI) of different PM techniques have not yet been comprehensively assessed and compared, thus hindering sustainable PM planning. This study aims to comprehensively estimate and compared the LCEI of five PM techniques then propose measures to reduce environmental impacts in PM design by using life cycle assessment (LCA), including fog seal with sand, micro-surfacing, composite seal, ultra-thin asphalt overlay, and thin asphalt overlay. Afterwards, ten kinds of LCEI categories and energy consumption of PM techniques were compared from the LCA phases, and inventory inputs perspectives, respectively. Results show that fog seal with sand and micro-surfacing can lower all LCEI scores by more than 50%. The environmental performance of five PM techniques provided by sensitivity analysis indicated that service life may not create significant impact on LCA results to some extent. Moreover, four PM combination plans were developed and compared for environmental performance, and results show that the PM plan only includes seal coat techniques that can reduce the total LCEI by 7–29% in pavement life. Increasing the frequency of seal coat techniques can make the PM plans more sustainable. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Transport Infrastructures)

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21 pages, 6522 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact Analysis Using Life Cycle Assessment of Asphalt Production from Primary Data

by Giuseppe Sollazzo, Sonia Longo, Maurizio Cellura and Clara Celauro

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10171; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410171 - 09 Dec 2020

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3032

Abstract

Road construction and maintenance have a great impact on the environment, owing to the huge volumes of resources involved. Consequently, current production procedures and technologies must be properly investigated, for identifying and quantifying the life cycle environmental impacts produced. In this paper, primary data, i.e., site-specific data directly collected or measured on a reference plant, are analyzed for calculating the impact of the production of a hot mix asphalt. The analysis is performed in a from “cradle to gate” approach to estimate the environmental burdens of the production process in an average plant, representative of the existing technology in Italy and Southern Europe. The research outcomes are useful to increase reliability in quantification of asphalt production impacts and the contribution of each component. The results represent a reference basis for producers, designers, and contractors in the decisional phases, identifying the most critical aspects in the current practice and the possible improvements for reducing impacts of road industries. In this regard, efficient energy technologies for reducing the production temperature (such as warm mix asphalt) and burned fuels are proven to assure relevant improvements in the environmental performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Transport Infrastructures)

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14 pages, 5444 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Urban Street Comprising Permeable Pavement and Bioretention Facilities: A Practice

by Yiqing Dai, Jiwang Jiang, Xingyu Gu, Yanjing Zhao and Fujian Ni

Sustainability 2020, 12(19), 8288; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198288 - 08 Oct 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3941

Abstract

Roadside bioretention and permeable pavements have proven effectiveness in rainwater filtration and waterlogging mitigation, but conventional street design approach could not accommodate their work in conjunction. In this research, possible roadside facilities allowing water transmission from permeable pavements and bioretention to the pipe system are proposed. Hydraulic properties of the comprised elements were analyzed, including rainfall intensity, permeable pavements, soil layers and pipe systems. A transformation method was formulated to obtain a successive time-intensity formula from conventional design parameters to describe the rainfall behavior, and therefore the water retention capacity of the bioretention could be considered. A test section of 1.6 km combining permeable pavements and roadside bioretention was constructed, and its hydraulic performance was predicted based on the proposed design method and Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). The research results suggest that the bioretention facilities and permeable pavements cooperate well in the test section. In a light rain event, the proposed street has favorable performance in rainwater collection and filtration. In a relatively intense rainstorm event, the street collects and filters water in the initial stage, but will have similar hydraulic performance to a conventional street once the retention facilities are saturated. Thus, no reduction in diameters of drainage pipes from conventional designs is suggested in similar projects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Transport Infrastructures)

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29 pages, 2638 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Bike-Sharing System as an Element of Enhancing Sustainable Mobility—A Case Study based on a City in Poland

by Elżbieta Macioszek, Paulina Świerk and Agata Kurek

Sustainability 2020, 12(8), 3285; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083285 - 17 Apr 2020

Cited by 55 | Viewed by 9512

Abstract

The bike-sharing system allows urban residents to rent a bike at one of the rental stations located in the city, use them for their journey, and return them to any other or the same station. In recent years, in many cities around the world, such systems were established to encourage their residents to use bikes as an element of enhancing sustainable mobility and as a good complement to travel made using other modes of transport. The main purpose of this article is to present the results of an analysis of the functioning of the bike-sharing system in Warsaw (Poland). Moreover, the article presents an analysis of the accessibility to individual stations. An important aspect is that the bike-sharing system has been popular among users and that more people use it. Therefore, the city should be provided with a dense network of conveniently located bike-sharing stations. Also, the quality of the bike-sharing system should be an adjustment to the user’s expectations. In connection with the above, the article also presents the results of the analysis of factors affecting bike-sharing system usage as well as the level of satisfaction connected with bike-sharing system usage. The results of the analysis showed that there is a strong positive correlation between these variables. The obtained results can be helpful for carrying out activities whose purpose is to increase the bike-sharing system usage as well as to increase the level of satisfaction connected with bike-sharing system usage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Transport Infrastructures)

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19 pages, 5884 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Palm Oil Clinker (POC) Aggregate on the Mechanical Properties of Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) Mixtures

by Ali Mohammed Babalghaith, Suhana Koting, Nor Hafizah Ramli Sulong, Mohamed Rehan Karim, Syakirah Afiza Mohammed and Mohd Rasdan Ibrahim

Sustainability 2020, 12(7), 2716; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072716 - 30 Mar 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3876

Abstract

Aggregate composition has a pivotal role in ensuring the quality of pavement materials. The use of waste materials to replace the aggregate composition of asphalt pavement leads to green, sustainable, and environmentally friendly construction, which ultimately preserves nature by reducing the need to harvest materials from natural sources. Using the Marshall mix design, the main objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of waste palm oil clinker (POC) as fine aggregates replacement on the properties of stone mastic asphalt (SMA) mixture. Six groups of asphalt mixtures were prepared using different percentages of palm oil clinker content (0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%). To determine the Marshall properties and select the optimum binder content, asphalt mixture samples with different percentages of asphalt binder content (5.0%, 5.5%, 6.0%, 6.5%, and 7.0%) were prepared for each group. The results showed that the palm oil clinker was appropriate for use as a fine aggregate replacement up to 100% in SMA mixture and could satisfy the mix design requirements in terms of Marshall stability, flow, quotient, and volumetric properties. However, the percentage of palm oil clinker replacement as fine aggregate has merely influenced the optimum binder content. Furthermore, there were improvements in the drain down, resilient modulus and indirect tensile fatigue performances of the SMA mixture. In conclusion, the use of POC as fine aggregates replacement in SMA mixture indicates a good potential to be commercialized in flexible pavement construction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Transport Infrastructures)

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22 pages, 5552 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Different Scenarios of Electric Mobility: Current Situation and Possible Future Developments of Fuel Cell Vehicles in Italy

by Guido Ala, Gabriella Di Filippo, Fabio Viola, Graziella Giglia, Antonino Imburgia, Pietro Romano, Vincenzo Castiglia, Filippo Pellitteri, Giuseppe Schettino and Rosario Miceli

Sustainability 2020, 12(2), 564; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12020564 - 11 Jan 2020

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 5232

Abstract

The diffusion of electric vehicles in Italy has started but some complications weight its spread. At present, hybrid technology is the most followed by users, due particularly to socioeconomic factors such as cost of investment and range anxiety. After a deep discussion of the Italian scenario, the aim of the paper is to recognize whether fuel cell technology may be an enabling solution to overcome pollution problems and respect for the environment. The opportunity to use fuel cells to store electric energy is quite fascinating—the charging times will be shortened and heavy passenger transport should be effortless challenged. On the basis of the present history and by investigating the available information, this work reports the current e-mobility state in Italy and forecasts the cities in which a fuel cell charging infrastructure should be more profitable, with the intention of granting a measured outlook on the plausible development of this actual niche market. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Transport Infrastructures)

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31 pages, 2479 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Steel Slag and Recycled Concrete Aggregates: Replacing Quarries to Supply Sustainable Materials for the Asphalt Paving Industry

by Carlos D. A. Loureiro, Caroline F. N. Moura, Mafalda Rodrigues, Fernando C. G. Martinho, Hugo M. R. D. Silva and Joel R. M. Oliveira

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5022; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095022 - 22 Apr 2022

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 5438

Abstract

Various researchers are developing efforts to integrate waste and by-products as alternative materials in road construction and maintenance, reducing environmental impacts and promoting a circular economy. Among the alternative materials that several authors have studied regarding their use as partial or total substitutes for natural aggregates in the asphalt paving industry, the steel slag aggregate (SSA) and recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) from construction demolition waste (CDW) stand out. This paper reviews and discusses the characteristics and performance of these materials when used as aggregates in asphalt mixtures. Based on the various studies analyzed, it was possible to conclude that incorporating SSA or RCA in asphalt mixtures for road pavements has functional, mechanical, and environmental advantages. However, it is essential to consider some possible drawbacks of these aggregates that are discussed in this paper, to define the acceptable uses of SSA and RCA as sustainable feedstocks for road paving works. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Transport Infrastructures)

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