Assessment of the sustainability of asphalt pavement maintenance using the microwave heating self-healing technique

Abstract

Pavements are the major load-carrying Civil Engineering structures in roads, runways, parking lots, and driveways; hence, they are fundamental for regional or national development. However, the pavement life cycle has significant environmental, economic, and social impacts. The asphalt pavement microwave heating self-healing technique (MWHSHT) is a relatively new alternative to traditional pavement maintenance techniques. Research has mainly focused on its technical feasibility with little attention to its effect on economic, environmental, and social sustainability. This work assesses the sustainability of asphalt pavement maintenance using the MWHSHT through an environmental and socio-economic impact analysis for various scenarios. Results show that pavement maintenance alternatives that include MWHSHT show reductions in energy consumption, feedstock energy, materials consumption, and economic indicators compared to full traditional maintenance during the asphalt pavement life cycle, thus increasing pavement sustainability. In addition, the inclusion of the MWHSHT has potential social benefits for stakeholders. Overall, including the MWHSHT for maintaining asphalt pavements has the potential to improve the economic, environmental, and social aspects of sustainability in comparison to using only traditional asphalt pavement maintenance.