Scientists in the UK have used artificial intelligence to design a self-healing asphalt made from biomass waste. Swansea University
Potholes are a constant source of frustration for drivers and a financial sinkhole for governments, demanding constant repairs and extensive labor.
In recent years, researchers have been exploring the development of self-healing road materials for quicker, more affordable repairs.
Now, scientists in the UK have used artificial intelligence to design a self-healing asphalt made from biomass waste.
What’s remarkable is that this asphalt can autonomously repair its own cracks – without any upkeep.
Swansea University and King’s College London, with Chilean scientific partners, are behind this development.
They say this innovation presents a strong possibility of resolving the UK’s costly pothole issue, which drains £143.5 million from the economy annually.
“We are proud to be advancing the development of self-healing asphalt using biomass waste and artificial intelligence. This approach positions our research at the forefront of sustainable infrastructure innovation, contributing to the development of net-zero roads with enhanced durability,” said Jose Norambuena-Contreras, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering at Swansea University.
Shows promise in lab testing
The fundamental cause of asphalt deterioration, leading to the formation of cracks, lies within the behavior of bitumen. It is a viscous binding agent that holds the asphalt mixture together.
Over time, bitumen undergoes a process of oxidation, causing it to harden and lose its flexibility. But the researchers highlight that the exact processes that contribute to this hardening remain elusive.
The team has successfully devised a method to not only halt the progression of these cracks but also to effectively reverse the damage.
To enable self-healing, the researchers added microscopic, plant-derived spores filled with recycled oils to the asphalt. When a crack appears, these spores break, releasing the oil and “stitching” the asphalt back together.
Interestingly, lab tests demonstrated that the new asphalt can fully repair small cracks on its surface in under an hour.
“In our research, we want to mimic the healing properties observed in nature. For example, when a tree or animal is cut, their wounds naturally heal over time, using their own biology. Creating asphalt that can heal itself will increase the durability of roads and reduce the need for people to fill in potholes,” said Dr Francisco Martin-Martinez, an expert in computational chemistry at King’s College London.
Reducing carbon emissions from road maintenance
Asphalt production is a major source of road-related carbon emissions. To meet the UK’s net-zero goal by 2050, the highway industry is focusing on developing new, low-carbon asphalt materials.
This innovative approach promises to extend the lifespan of road infrastructure as well as contribute to greater sustainability by reducing the need for frequent repairs and replacements.
“We are also using sustainable materials in our new asphalt, including biomass waste. This will reduce our dependence on petroleum and natural resources. Biomass waste is available locally and everywhere, and it is cheap. Producing infrastructure materials from local resources like waste reduces the dependence on petroleum availability, which helps those areas of the world that have limited access to petroleum-based asphalt,” said Martin-Martinez in the press release.
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This research, though developing, has global potential for infrastructure and sustainability.
Researchers are also using machine learning to analyze bitumen’s molecular structure, creating a model that speeds up computer simulations of how bitumen oxidizes and cracks.
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Mrigakshi Dixit Mrigakshi is a science journalist who enjoys writing about space exploration, biology, and technological innovations. Her work has been featured in well-known publications including Nature India, Supercluster, The Weather Channel and Astronomy magazine. If you have pitches in mind, please do not hesitate to email her.
