Application of Nanotechnology in Pavement Engineering

Nanotechnology is the science concerned with the design, construction and utilization of functional structures with at least one characteristic dimension measured in nanometers. Nanotechnology is a recently developed, major enabling tool, already well-established in several sectors of applied science, technology and engineering. Development of nanotechnology has lead to advanced characterization, prediction and control of properties of materials at submicron level. Pavements of highways and airports are constructed with asphalt mix or concrete. Today, metal fibers, glass, poly-propylene, carbon and polymeric composites in asphalt and concrete are used for arming purposes and improvement of pavement performance. The use of nanomaterials to improve the environmental aspects in pavement engineering is well known. This paper discusses the application of nanotechnology in improving concrete and asphalt pavements. The focus is on the potential effects that the technology may have on aspects such as environment protection, economics, durability and sustainability of the pavements.

Keywords:

Nanotechnology , Pavement , Asphalt , Asphalt mix , Concrete pavement