Asphalt 3D Printing for On-Demand Transportation Infrastructure Construction and Repair

There is a growing need for more advanced construction methods for asphalt pavements in the U.S., driven by aging infrastructure, increasing traffic demand, and constrained maintenance budgets. Accelerated and cost-effective construction techniques have the potential to reduce project timelines, lower labor costs, and minimize downtime, making them essential for meeting the nation’s infrastructure goals. Additionally, asphalt composites are known to deteriorate over time due to factors such as repeated traffic loading, oxidation, loss of volatiles, and environmental exposure. This deterioration results in increased surface stiffness, the formation of cracks, stripping, aggregate loss, and development of potholes. This study responds to these needs by designing and evaluating a novel asphalt 3D printing methodology (PAVE3D) and demonstrating its practical feasibility for transportation applications. The proposed technology is mainly intended for pavement construction and repair applications including maintenance applications (e.g., crack sealing, and patching). With PAVE3D, customized pavement slabs for roads or bridges can be fabricated on-demand, or the geometry of existing potholes can be precisely scanned and filled with printing material. However, there exists a significant knowledge gap regarding the rheological requirements of asphalt-based binders suitable for 3D printing, as well as the key considerations involved in designing printable asphalt mixtures. To address these knowledge gaps, a comprehensive 1-year study involving systematic experimentation and data analysis is planned. The research methodology for this study will involve preparing four asphalt mixtures in the laboratory, two using 3D printing techniques, and two using conventional preparation methods. Various laboratory factors will be systematically varied during preparation to assess their effects on the asphalt mixtures. The prepared mixtures will then be tested to evaluate their performance with respect to major failure mechanisms. The planned effort leverages the existing high-temperature extrusion and material characterization capabilities at Louisiana State University (LSU) and provides valuable scientific and practical insights into the printing material requirements and the interplay of printing parameters during the PAVE3D asphalt printing process.

• Record URL:
  • https://www.sptc.org/cy3-lsu-01

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $100,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348306 (CY3-LSU-01)

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Southern Plains Transportation Center

  University of Oklahoma
  202 W Boyd St, Room 213A
  Norman, OK  United States  73019

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  University of Oklahoma, Norman

  School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science
  202 West Boyd Street, Room 334
  Norman, OK  United States  73019
• Project Managers:

  Ghasemi, Hamid

• Performing Organizations:

  Louisiana State University

  3660G Patrick F. Taylor Hall
  Civil and Environmental Engineering
  Baton Rouge, LA  United States  70803
• Principal Investigators:

  Kazemian, Ali

  Elseifi, Mostafa

• Start Date: 20260101
• Expected Completion Date: 20270101
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: UTC

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Asphalt mixtures; Asphalt pavements; Construction; Failure analysis; Repairing; Rheological properties; Three dimensional printing
• Subject Areas: Construction; Highways; Materials; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01975681
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Southern Plains Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348306 (CY3-LSU-01)
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jan 5 2026 10:19PM