Abstract Manager

As climate change intensifies, developing sustainable and resilient asphalt pavements is crucial to enhance infrastructure durability while reducing their carbon footprint. This study evaluated two asphalt mixes using AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design under future climate scenarios: a standard mix with an unmodified binder and a mix with a polymer-modified binder (PMB). Dynamic modulus testing provided Level-1 mechanical property inputs, offering insights into each mix's performance under variations in temperature and frequency. Additionally, life cycle assessments (LCA) were conducted, incorporating maintenance activities to estimate the long-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with each pavement design. Although the PMB mix exhibited higher initial embodied carbon—based on Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)—its enhanced mechanical properties translated into improved predicted performance under future climate conditions, extending pavement service life and reducing annualized GHG emissions. This case study, conducted for an urban pavement setting, demonstrates a comprehensive methodology for evaluating new materials in asphalt pavements. The findings underscore the value of combining advanced material testing, performance simulation and LCA to assess the sustainability and climate resilience of innovative materials for infrastructure solutions.