Moisture damage and low-temperature cracking are common distresses experienced by road pavement. Different types of modifiers, such as fibers, can be used to improve the quality of asphalt pavements. In this paper, lignin and glass fiber were selected as additives to enhance the water- and low-temperature stability of the asphalt mixtures. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the composite effects of adding lignin fiber and glass fiber to a bituminous mix using experimental methods. The Marshall immersion, freeze–thaw splitting, and three-point bending tests were applied to evaluate the efficiency of lignin fiber (and/or) glass fiber modified asphalt mixes with regard to moisture damage and low temperature. Four kinds of asphalt mixtures, namely, the control asphalt mix (C), lignin fiber modified asphalt mix (L), glass fiber modified asphalt mix (G), and a composite of lignin fiber and glass fiber modified asphalt mix (LG) were evaluated. The experimental results showed that with the addition of 0.30% lignin fiber and 0.30% glass fiber the water stability, low-temperature stability, and quality of bituminous mix were improved significantly. With lignin fiber, the asphalt mixtures showed better resistance to thermal cracking, while glass fiber resulted in greater moisture susceptibility. The composite admixture was more effective than either lignin or glass fiber in modifying the asphalt performance. This clarifies the great beneficial effect of using the composite mixture in the asphalt mixtures industry.

Corrosion of steel bar is one of key factors undermining reinforced concrete (RC) structures in a harsh environment. This paper attempts to review the non-destructive procedures from the aspect of the corrosion measurement techniques, especially their advantages and limitations. Systematical classification of diagnostic methods is carried out to determine any probable corrosion issues before the structures become severe, and helps choose the suitable method according to different construction features. Furthermore, the three electrochemical factors method is introduced to inspire researchers to combine various techniques to improve corrosion evaluation accuracy. The recommendations for future work are summarized, in conclusion.

Due to rapid growth of traffic density, the phenomenon of overloading on high-grade highways causes various modes of distresses to the pavement such as rutting, thermal cracking, and water damage. Modification of asphalt mixes is the most common solution to improve the performance of asphalt pavement to mitigate its damages. This paper provides a review on the influence of diatomite or lignin fiber as a modifier in asphalt mixes. In order to assess the effectiveness of selected additives on asphalt mix performance, several tests, such as wheel tracking, indirect tensile, three points bending, freeze thaw splitting, and marshall immersion, were reviewed. The review indicated that the addition of diatomite increases the high temperature rutting resistance of asphalt mixes, but some researchers observed that it has a little improvement on the low temperature performance of asphalt mixes and the optimum amount of diatomite at 12–14% of asphalt binder can be added into the mix. In contrast, lignin fiber has a significant effect on the low temperature cracking resistance of asphalt mixes; however, its influence on the high temperature rutting resistance of asphalt mix is limited, and the optimum amount of lignin fiber is 0.2–0.4% per asphalt mix composition. The review also indicated that the single additives haven’t the ability to enhance the overall performance of asphalt mix. Consequently, the utilization of double additives can improve the overall performance of asphalt mixes at the same time, but it is still in an early stage in the application of highway engineering due to all previous researches concentrated on the single modification. Moreover, this review suggests that the future use of diatomite and lignin fiber compound modified asphalt mix can improve the overall mix performance.

The performance and the fundamental weaknesses of asphalt mix under environmental temperature and water effects have made researchers try to modify the asphalt mix properties by using the proper additives. For this reason, this paper aims to improve the anti-cracking performance and water stability of asphalt pavement by adding a novel composite of diatomite and lignin fiber in asphalt mixes. Four types of asphalt mixes, including control asphalt mix (CAM), diatomite modified asphalt mix (DMAM), lignin fiber modified asphalt mix (LFMAM), and diatomite-lignin fiber composite modified asphalt mix (DLFMAM) were prepared in the laboratory. Low-temperature bending test, Marshall Immersion test, and freeze-thaw splitting test were employed to evaluate the performance of the asphalt mixes. Results reveal that the use of the lignin fiber in reinforced asphalt mixes combined with diatomite led to an enhancement in the asphalt pavement performance more than the other three types of mixes. Diatomite has an important influence on the water damage resistance of asphalt mix more than lignin fiber. On the other hand, diatomite has a small effect on the anti-cracking performance; meanwhile, lignin fiber showed a significant improvement in the cracking resistance of asphalt mixes. DLFMAM has the best traveling performances among all asphalt mixes. Thus, this work provides a good reference for the design of composite asphalt mixes.

Lignin and glass fiber were used as additives to improve the quality of road pavements and minimize moisture damage and cracking at low temperatures on asphalt pavement, according to a previous laboratory study. The aim of this paper is to make a significant contribution to the environmental assessment of the construction of road pavements using four types of asphalt mixtures based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology according to the requirements of ISO 14040, considering the impact of raw material extraction, asphalt mixture manufacturing, transportation, and wearing surface construction. The results of the environmental assessment showed that all studied asphalt mixtures do not offer any improvement in all impact categories, and three modified asphalt mixtures have a slight negative effect in all impact categories. The composite mixture has the highest negative effect of the studied three modified asphalt mixtures in all categories except in the marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential category and freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity potential category, where the lignin modified asphalt mixture has the highest negative effect in these two categories but has the best environmental impacts on most of other impact categories. Furthermore, the negative effect caused by composite asphalt mixtures is minimal and thus can be used to improve the overall performance of asphalt pavement.

As a new cement-based composite material, the ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) has attracted wide attention because of its excellent mechanical properties and durability; and it has been applied successfully in the engineering field. As an important way to sustain engineering practice, the combination of prefabricated building and UHPC presents a great economic benefit and is worthy of further exploration. Based on the research and application status of UHPC materials in prefabricated construction, the engineering application classifications of UHPC are introduced; the advantages of using UHPC in prefabricated construction are summarized; the progress on UHPC research and its application in prefabricated construction is also summarized; the potential issues on the application of UHPC in prefabricated construction are pointed out; the possible solution strategies and development directions are proposed for promoting UHPC application in prefabricated construction.