A team of scientists in the UK is tackling pothole repairs head-on with an innovative approach. They’re using artificial intelligence to develop a self-healing form of asphalt, which could save local councils millions every year.
This asphalt, made from biomass waste, is a collaboration between researchers from King’s College London, Swansea University, and a research group in Chile. What’s groundbreaking is that it can repair itself, fixing cracks without any outside help. The team also partners with Google Cloud to simulate how this material reacts under various conditions. One of the lead researchers joined Google Cloud’s Research Innovators Programme in 2022, which provides essential technical resources to help speed up scientific research. Their findings offer insights into why bitumen, a key component of asphalt, hardens and cracks over time and how this process can be reversed.
The researchers employed machine learning to analyze organic molecules in complex substances like bitumen. They developed a data-driven model to enhance atomistic simulations, contributing to their understanding of bitumen oxidation and crack development.
The self-healing feature emerges from tiny spores, smaller than a human hair, that contain recycled oils. When the asphalt begins to crack, these oils are released, effectively reversing the damage. In lab tests, this advanced asphalt repaired microcracks in under an hour.
Recent data from the Asphalt Industry Alliance reveals potholes cost UK councils about £143.5 million annually. To repair England and Wales’ roads, an estimated £16.3 billion is needed.
Francisco Martin-Martinez from King’s College London emphasizes that this research aims to mimic nature’s healing processes found in animals and trees. He notes that creating self-healing asphalt will not only prolong road life but also minimize the manual labor involved in pothole repairs. Plus, using biomass waste cuts down reliance on petroleum, making it a more sustainable option.
Jose Norambuena-Contreras from Swansea University highlights the collaboration between experts in civil engineering, chemistry, and computer science to address the pothole issue. By integrating their knowledge with advanced AI tools from Google Cloud, they’re enhancing the understanding of bitumen’s healing abilities.
“We are proud to be at the forefront of sustainable infrastructure innovation,” he says. “This research is key to creating net-zero roads with greater durability.”
Iain Burgess from Google Cloud adds that it’s exciting to see how teams at Swansea and King’s College London leverage AI and cloud technology to uncover new chemical properties and improve processes.