Viscoelasticity property of bitumen is closely related to the service life of bituminous pavement. This paper evaluated the impact of one of the most efficient and widely used nanomaterials in various industries called hydrophobic nanosilica on the viscoelasticity property of bitumen and asphalt mixture. In this paper, three hydrophobic nanosilica modified bitumens and asphalt mixtures were researched by conventional physical properties test, SEM test, FTIR test, DSC test, DSR test, static creep test and dynamic creep test. The results showed that the introduction of hydrophobic nanosilica could strengthen the viscosity of asphalt more effectively and had better dispersion than hydrophilic nanosilica in asphalt. From conventional physical properties test and rheological performance test, hydrophobic nanosilica could weaken the temperature susceptibility of bitumen observably. From DSR test, hydrophobic nanosilica modified asphalt had a lower sensitivity and dependence on temperature and frequency than hydrophilic nanosilica modified asphalt. The Cole–Cole diagrams indicated that hydrophobic nanosilica exhibited good compatibility with asphalt compared with hydrophilic nanosilica. Newly formed chemical bonds were found in the hydrophobic nanosilica modified asphalt and its mixture with stone according to SEM test, FTIR test, and DSC test, which is the biggest difference from the modification mechanism of hydrophilic nanosilica modified asphalt. Through static and dynamic creep test, it found that the addition of hydrophobic nanosilica can significantly reduce the creep strain at the same temperature.

The increase in cost of bitumen and polymer modifiers and the importance of silicon waste material management have encouraged pavement researchers to use reusable sustainable sources. Oil shale waste powder (OSP) is considered a silicon waste material, and when used in pavement prevents leaching. However, OSP, as an acidic inorganic material, has compatibility issues with asphalt, and its use with ashpalt should be considered carefully. This paper investigates the pavement performance and modification mechanism of OSP and silane coupling agent (SCA) composite modified asphalt and asphalt mixture according to conventional physical property tests: thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and a pavement performance test. The test results showed that the incorporation of OSP and SCA improved the overall properties of asphalt and asphalt mixture and the direct mixing method is more effective than the surface pretreatment method for the modification of composite modification of asphalt. Moreover, the FTIR test and DSC test indicated that the incorporation of OSP and SCA creates new chemical bonds and changes the form and quantity of the crystalline component and the transformation of components in the bitumen.

In the asphalt–aggregate system, the aggregate-bitumen interface cohesive and adhesive bond determine the mechanical properties of asphalt pavement. The presence of moisture leading to adhesive failure at the binder-aggregate interface and/or cohesive failure within the binder or binder-filler mastic is the main mechanisms of moisture damage in the spring-thaw season. In order to evaluate the effect of nano hydrophobic silane silica (NHSS) on aggregate-bitumen interface bond strength in the spring-thaw season, an aggregate-bitumen interface bond strength test was proposed to quantify the interface bond strength of base asphalt and NHSS modified asphalt. Then, the effect of temperature, freeze-thawing cycles and moisture on aggregate-bitumen interface shear strength of base asphalt and NHSS modified asphalt was also discussed. The results illustrated that the shear failure dominated the aggregate-bitumen interface bonding failure in the spring-thaw season, and temperature and moisture had a significant effect on interface shear strength of modified and unmodified asphalt. Moreover, the addition of NHSS could increase the aggregate-bitumen interface shear strength under any working conditions. Furthermore, the moisture damage model of aggregate-bitumen interface shear strength of base asphalt (BA) and NHSS modified asphalt was established based on a research method combining numerical calculations and laboratory tests.

Dynamic water scouring damage is the main cause of pavement structure damage, and the main reason for dynamic water scouring damage is the rapid change of pore water pressure caused by vehicle load. Numerical simulation is a commonly used pore water pressure test technology, but its accuracy is not high, and the test data are very different to actual values. In this study, a pore water pressure test method is designed, which has the advantages of less disturbance to the pavement structure and the measured data are closer to the true pore water pressure value of the pavement structure. Measurement data show that the pore water pressure gradually increases with increasing vehicle speed, and the pore water pressure response time becomes shorter. The pore water pressure response time is greater than vehicle loading time. Moreover, the phenomenon of periodic decay of pore water pressure with time is analyzed based on hydrodynamic water hammer theory. The empirical formula of maximum positive pressure with speed and the empirical formula of Abp at different speeds were obtained.

A spherical hinge structure is a key swivel bridge element that must be considered when evaluating friction characteristics and lubrication properties to meet the rotation requirement. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based spherical hinge sliders and lubrication coating have been employed for over 20 years, but with the growing tonnage of swivel bridge construction, their capacity to accommodate the required lubrication properties can be exceeded. In this manuscript, the optimal friction coefficient of the spherical hinge is obtained through the finite element analysis method. Four lubrication coatings and four spherical hinge sliders are prepared and tested through a self-developed rotation friction coefficient test, four-ball machine test, dynamic shear rheological test, and compression and shear performance test to evaluate the lubrication and friction properties of the spherical hinge structure. The results of the finite element analysis show that the optimum rotation friction coefficient of the spherical hinge structure is 0.031–1.131. The test results illustrate that the friction coefficient, wear scar diameter, maximum non-seize load, phase transition point, and thixotropic ring area of graphene lubrication coating are 0.065, 0.79 mm, 426 N, 14.6%, and 64,878 Pa/s. The graphene lubrication coating has different degrees of improvement compared with conventional polytetrafluoroethylene lubrication coating, showing more excellent lubrication properties, bearing capacity, thixotropy, and structural strength. Compressive and shear tests demonstrate that polyether ether ketone (PEEK) has good compressive and shear mechanical properties. The maximum compressive stress of PEEK is 87.7% higher than conventional PTFE, and the shear strength of PEEK is 6.07 times higher than that of PTFE. The research results can provide significantly greater wear resistance and a lower friction coefficient of the spherical hinge structure, leading to lower traction energy consumption and ensuring smooth and precise bridge rotation.