The novel cement grout asphalt composite (CGAC) in this study is a new semiflexible composite consisting of open-graded hot mix asphalt (HMA) filled by injecting cement grout materials. The mechanical performance and engineering properties of the composite were evaluated through laboratory tests, including the Marshall stability test, rutting test, three-point bending test, split tensile test, and permeability test. Moreover, field test sections were constructed, and the laboratory test results and in situ results were compared. The results showed that, after grouting, the performance of composite materials was further enhanced, especially their high-temperature stability and moisture sensitivity. In fact, no permanent deformation (rutting) occurred, and the tensile strength ratio (TSR) was increased by 18.7%. In situ test applications revealed that compared with manual grouting, mechanized grouting technology had positive influences on field constructability and performance of CGAC regarding Marshall stability and splitting tensile strength. Findings of this study are beneficial to design, construction technology, and pavement maintenance.

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to examine the causes of delays in road construction projects in the Benin Republic from the consultant, client, and contractor perspectives. Design/Methodology/Approach. Through construction project reports, 20 factors that could cause delays in road construction projects were identified. The factors were arranged into a questionnaire, which was distributed to three separate experts. The fuzzy PIPRECIA (PIvot Pairwise RElative Criteria Relevance Assessment) method was used to calculate the independent importance of each delay factor. The Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients were used to test the methods consistency. Findings. The top five road construction project delays in the Benin Republic, according to the analysis of the 20 factors considered, are project funding, slowness during the client-endorsed payment process, scarcity of professional personnel, delay in indemnifying reimbursement (land-owners), and price escalation. This shows that of the various types of delays, the financial delay group is the most crucial. Originality/value. This study evaluates the causes of delays in road construction projects in the Benin Republic for the first time in literature. This study also examined the top 5 delay factors in road construction projects. This study is based on reports from road construction projects and a performed questionnaire survey. Based on the findings, measures have been formulated to aid project managers to alleviate the road construction delays in the Benin Republic. In addition, this study is practical for both scholars and road construction parties and provides a complete and verifiable analysis of the progress of a road construction project to make it easier and attain a competitive level of time, cost, and quality for successful road construction.

Well-graded asphalt mix with the merits of high sound absorption, low water permeability, excellent strength, and easy construction is an important option for high-speed railway substructures. On the basis of finite element method, a model with conventional ballasted trackbed (T₀) and four ballasted trackbeds models with different positions of asphalt layer were analyzed, in which 15 cm thick asphalt layer was used to replace the different sub-track layers, the bottom and the top of upper subgrade and of ballasted trackbed, named as T₁, T₂, T₃, and T₄, respectively. The results showed that the range of peak vertical accelerations on the top of subgrade surface of T₂ and T₄ were smaller than T₁ and T₃; T₁ and T₂ perform better in decreasing the maximum vertical deformation of subgrade than T₃ and T₄; the maximum transversal tensile strain of T₄ is almost twice than the other three. The trackbed bears more stress when the asphalt layer is located at the lower part of railway trackbed.