AI-Powered Self-Healing Asphalt?

Self-healing asphalt roads, made from biomass waste and designed using artificial intelligence (AI), could offer a promising solution to the UK’s pothole problem, which costs an estimated £143.5 million annually.

A collaborative team of scientists from Swansea University, King’s College London, and Chile is developing a revolutionary self-healing asphalt capable of mending its cracks without human intervention. Cracks typically form when bitumen—the sticky black material in asphalt—hardens through oxidation. However, the exact mechanisms behind this process remain partially understood.

The Science Behind Self-Healing Asphalt

The research team has discovered methods to reverse cracking and “stitch” asphalt back together, enhancing durability and sustainability. They utilized machine learning, a subset of AI, to analyze organic molecules in complex fluids like bitumen. By developing a new data-driven model, they accelerated atomistic simulations, advancing the understanding of bitumen oxidation and crack formation. Additionally, collaboration with Google Cloud allowed for sophisticated simulations of bitumen behavior.

The team integrated microscopic, porous materials known as spores—smaller than a human hair and derived from plants—into the asphalt to achieve self-healing capabilities. These spores are filled with recycled oils that release when cracks form, effectively reversing the damage. Laboratory tests demonstrated that this advanced asphalt could completely heal microcracks in less than an hour.

Expert Insights

Dr. Jose Norambuena-Contreras, Senior Lecturer in Civil Engineering at Swansea University and an authority on self-healing asphalt, emphasized the study’s interdisciplinary nature.

“We are proud to be advancing self-healing asphalt using biomass waste and AI. This positions our research at the forefront of sustainable infrastructure innovation, contributing to developing net-zero roads with enhanced durability,” said Dr. Norambuena-Contreras.

The production of asphalt significantly contributes to carbon emissions. With the UK Government targeting net-zero emissions by 2050, developing innovative bituminous materials is a top priority. Dr. Norambuena-Contreras stressed the necessity of united efforts from academia, government, and industry to achieve sustainable net-zero roads.

A Global Impact

Dr. Francisco Martin-Martinez, an expert in computational chemistry at King’s College London, highlighted the project’s inspiration from natural healing processes.

“We aim to mimic nature’s healing properties, like how trees or animals heal wounds. Creating self-healing asphalt will enhance road durability and reduce the need for pothole repairs,” said Dr. Martin-Martinez.

The project also focuses on sustainability by incorporating biomass waste and reducing reliance on petroleum and natural resources.

“Using local waste resources decreases dependency on petroleum, benefiting regions with limited access to petroleum-based asphalt,” he added.

Industry Collaboration

Iain Burgess, UKI Public Sector Leader at Google Cloud, praised the research’s innovative use of cloud-based AI tools.

“It’s inspiring to see how teams at Swansea and King’s College London are leveraging AI tools like Gemini and Vertex AI to drive efficiency and discover new chemical properties,” said Burgess.

Dr. Norambuena-Contreras’ ongoing research explores bio-based encapsulated solutions, including capsules from biopolymers derived from brown algae and vegetable oils and rejuvenators developed through the thermal conversion of end-of-life tires.

While still in development, this groundbreaking research holds significant potential to transform global infrastructure and promote sustainability.

Source:techxplore.com

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *