Comprehensive assessment of the durability deterioration of asphalt pavement in salt environment: A literature review

With the increasingly extensive application of road engineering, it is inevitable to consider the durability of pavement in harsh environment. In the southeast coastal areas, northwest salt lakes and saline soil areas of China, harsh natural climate conditions and enhanced salt have a significant negative impact on the service life of asphalt pavements. In addition, the durability of asphalt pavement has suffered irreparable harm of the man-made salt environment. In this paper, five typical salt environment characteristics of asphalt pavement has been analyzed. The experimental conditions affecting the durability of asphalt concrete are determined. Then the durability deterioration mechanism of asphalt concrete is discussed under the coupling action of salt and multiple factors. Subsequently, the evaluation methods of asphalt concrete are categorized and summarized using scales for road performance and structure. Finally, according to the degree of salt erosion damage of asphalt concrete, a series of measures to alleviate salt erosion are proposed. The results show that the performance of asphalt concrete suffers significantly in salt environment, and the cohesion of asphalt and the adhesion of asphalt-aggregate interface are key factors in the durability of asphalt concrete. It has beneficial theoretical and practical significance for improving the durability of asphalt concrete under harsh natural environment.