It is estimated that more than 90% of the 5.2 million kilometers of European paved roads and highways are surfaced with asphalt. Also, about 44% of goods are transported by road in the EU; maintaining their condition whilst in transit is crucial for the economy.The construction of a new road has a number of implications for the environment, consuming large amount of materials and energy. Also, the price of crude oil, which is the major source of bituminous binder, has significantly increased in recent years (the most noticeably in 2001–2008). This has led to an increase in the total price of asphalt mixtures.In order to promote sustainable practices and to combat price increase, measures with sound sustainability credentials need to be widely implemented. Developing novel materials and technologies to integrate greener material, waste and recycled materials into the production cycle of asphalt mixtures is a solution that improves both sustainability and cost-efficiency of the asphalt pavement industry.The main concept presented in this paper is the application of an eco-innovative asphalt pavement designed through partial substitution of greener materials into asphalt mixtures: reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), construction and demolition waste (C&DW), lignin (by-product of 2nd generation bioethanol processing) and bio-binder from vegetable oil. This paper discusses a new concept of an asphalt pavement structure with ecologically oriented attributes, achieved whilst maintaining a level of long term performance comparable or greater than that of conventional pavement structures.The two main components of asphalt mixture – bitumen and aggregates – are focused upon. In relation to bitumen, two methods to ‘green’ the fresh binder fraction are explored: The first investigates bio-fluxing bitumen, which enables part of the petro-chemical binder to be replaced with bio-based products; the second uses a specific industrial waste, also bio-derived, to replace the crude-oil derived polymer in modified bitumen. In relation to aggregates, two different approaches are also explored: The use of high rates of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in new hot asphalt mixtures, thanks to the addition of bio-fluxing agents which will allow working at lower temperatures, and the use of construction and demolition waste (C&DW). Optimal integration of C&DW as raw material will be established using a selective process for the separation of C&DW to increase the overall quality of the recycled aggregates.Considering the full pavement structure, the main innovations can be summarized as follows: (A) in surface course is the introduction of green bitumen modifier, derived from recovered waste bioethanol production as an alternative to the traditional additives used for polymer modification; (B) in binder and base course, bio-fluxing agents allow for the integration of higher percentage of reclaimed asphalt; and (C) the lower layers (sub-base and subgrade) are mainly composed of materials derived from construction and demolition waste.This paper describes the systematic approach for selecting the right combination of these main pavement components in the design of asphalt mixtures, from laboratory tests to real applications. This approach has been developed by a consortium of partners in the FP7 funded Asphalt Pavements for a Sustainable Environment (APSE) project

Environment conservation and diminishing natural resources caused an increase in popularity of the application of renewable bio-origin resources for the construction of road pavement. Currently, there are known additions of bio-origin materials for bitumen modification. Such material is also used as a flux additive for bitumen or as a rejuvenator once working with reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). This paper presents research dealing with asphalt mixtures with RAP modified with a bio-agent of rapeseed origin. The main idea of the conducted research was to apply more RAP content directly to the batch mix plant without extra RAP heating. The RAP used in this study was milled from a base asphalt layer; the addition of RAP stiffens new asphalt mixtures. A bio-agent, due to its fluxing action, was used to support the asphalt mixing process and to decrease the over-stiffening of the mixture caused by RAP addition. This research includes bitumen and mixture tests. For the bitumen study, three different bitumens (35/50, 50/70, and 70/100) were tested in a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) for complex modulus G* and for phase angle |δ| in the temperature range 0–100 °C. The reference mixture and mixtures with 2.5% bio-agent were tested to assess the influence of RAP and the bio-agent addition on the asphalt mixture properties. Low temperature behavior (TSRST), stiffness, and fatigue resistance (4PB) were tested. Based on the bitumen test, it was determined that even a low rate of bio-agent (2.5%) beneficially changes bitumen properties at a low temperature; moreover, polymerization processes occurring in the second stage of the process improves bitumen properties at a high operational temperature. The research with these asphalt mixtures demonstrates that the bio-origin flux acts as a rejuvenator and allows for an application of 30% cold RAP. Thermal cracking resistance of the mixture with RAP and 2.5% bio-agent improved. The bio-agent removes unfavorable stiffening of RAP and increases the fatigue resistance of the asphalt mixture.

Permanent deformations, primarily in the form of ruts, are one of the basic asphalt pavement damages impairing its service properties. Application of appropriate asphalt mixtures and binder modification are effective methods for improving asphalt courses resistance. While being manufactured, stored, fitted into a road pavement and during long term service, bitumen binders and asphalt mixtures are subject to continuous unfavourable ageing processes during which pavement courses characteristics change considerably, resistance to permanent deformations being among them. This article presents rut and dynamic creep test results of concrete, SMA (stone mastic asphalt), MNU (thin courses of non‐continuous grain mixtures), Superpave mixture and porous asphalt mixture of two air void content percentages: 15 %, 20 %. Asphalt concrete mixtures, MNU's and porous asphalt mixtures contained elastomer, plastomer and fine rubber modified binders. Samples for laboratory rut tests were made by slab compaction because this method, as the author's previous research had shown, was the closest to ‘in‐situ’ conditions. Resistance to permanent deformations of the examined specimens was evaluated before aging, after technological aging (short term ageing) and after service ageing (long‐term ageing). The test results show that resistance to permanent deformations depends on the kind of asphalt mixture and binder applied. Concrete asphalts with fine rubber modified bitumens and concrete asphalts with 7 % polymer modified binders as well as SMA's and Superpave mixtures with unmodified binders appeared to be most resistant to permanent deformations after a long‐term laboratory ageing. It was proved that the overall evaluation of resistance to permanent deformations could be obtained by rut and creep testing of asphalt mixtures exposed to short‐ and long‐term ageing. Simultaneous determining 4 parameters: maximum rut depth after short‐term ageing, rutting coefficient after operational ageing, stiffness creeping modulus after long‐term ageing and cumulated deformation after short‐term ageing, facilitates full characteristics of modified asphalt mixes designed to be built in the wearing course of a road pavement.

Construction of modern and durable asphalt and cement pavements requires high quality materials and suitable technologies that take into account sustainability concerns which are related to the environmental protection, mitigation and compensation for road construction effects on surface water and groundwater, soil, air, wildlife, landscape, vibration and noise. The objectives of this paper are to identify possible development directions of materials and technologies in road construction in the time perspective of approximately 30 years. In order to achieve that goal a nationwide Delphi survey with 150 invited experts was deployed. The study concluded that binding materials with improved viscoelastic range – and often with specific modifications – would continue to play a leading role. Furthermore, technologies that enable monitoring the state of road pavement condition in a continuous manner would be used to a greater range. Introduction of sensors into the pavement network would lead to the construction of “smart” roads while spreading of nanomaterial technology would improve the durability and reliability of road pavement construction.