Aramid Fiber Reinforcement in Asphalt Mixtures: A Holistic Study on Mechanical Enhancement, Life-Cycle Economics, and Sustainable Pavement Solutions

Muhamet Ahmeti; Bekim Selimi

doi:10.64808/engineeringperspective.1864762

Aramid Fiber Reinforcement in Asphalt Mixtures: A Holistic Study on Mechanical Enhancement, Life-Cycle Economics, and Sustainable Pavement Solutions

Abstract

The escalating degradation of asphalt pavements demands advanced, durable materials. This study's primary scientific novelty is the development and validation of a multi-criteria framework that integrates standardized mechanical testing, a detailed life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA), and a sustainability assessment to holistically evaluate aramid fiber-reinforced asphalt, bridging the gap between laboratory data and infrastructure decision-making. This holistic investigation evaluates the efficacy of aramid-polyolefin fibers (Forta-Fi®) incorporated at 0.05% by weight into three standard mixtures: Asphalt Concrete (AC) 0/11 mm, AC 0/16 mm, and Binder Course (BC) 0/22 mm. A controlled comparative analysis was conducted following European standards, utilizing Marshall stability and flow tests (EN 12697-34) and Indirect Tensile Strength (ITS) tests (EN 12697-23). The core methodological innovation lies in integrating mechanical testing with a comprehensive LCCA and sustainability assessment. The results demonstrate that fiber reinforcement primarily enhances resistance to permanent deformation and cracking. While Marshall stability increased modestly (0.57--1.55%), a more critical finding is the substantial reduction in average flow values, from 3.03 mm to 2.39 mm for AC 0/16, 2.63 mm to 2.32 mm for BC 0/22, and 3.22 mm to 2.37 mm for AC 0/11, enhancing rutting resistance. Consequently, the stability-to-flow ratio improved significantly (14.81-36.65%). The average Indirect Tensile Strength (ITS) also increased markedly: from 1.03 MPa to 1.15 MPa for AC 0/16, 0.98 MPa to 1.07 MPa for BC 0/22, and 1.08 MPa to 1.23 MPa for AC 0/11. Economically, despite an 18--22% initial cost increase, a scenario-based LCCA demonstrates that extended service life and reduced maintenance can yield a positive long-term value proposition. However, this is highly sensitive to the actual service life achieved. From a sustainability perspective, enhanced durability promotes resource efficiency. This study establishes a novel, replicable frame-work that quantitatively links mechanical enhancement to economic and sustainability outcomes, supporting the adoption of aramid fiber reinforcement for resilient and sustainable pavements.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Ethical Statement

There are no ethical issues with the publication of this manuscript.

References

1. World Bank. (2020). World development report 2020: Trading for development in the age of global value chains. World Bank.
2. Duque, J., Martinez-Arguelles, G., Nuñez, Y., Peñabaena-Niebles, R., & Polo-Mendoza, R. (2024). Designing climate change (CC)-resilient asphalt pavement structures: A comprehensive literature review on adaptation measures and advanced soil constitutive models. Results in Engineering, 24, 103648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2024.103648
3. Hettiarachchi, C., & Mampearachchi, W. (2025). Handbook of asphalt technology. Springer.
4. Ahmeti, M., Ahmetaj, M., & Krelani, V. (2023). Evaluating the potential of recycled asphalt for sustainable road construction: An environmental and economic analysis. Civil Engineering Journal, 9(6), 1482–1490. https://doi.org/10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-06-014
5. Dong, W., Karalis, G., Liebscher, M., Wang, T., Liu, P., Li, W., & Mechtcherine, V. (2025). Multifunctional carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites for sustainable and smart civil infrastructure: A comprehensive review. Sustainable Materials and Technologies, 45, e01594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01594
6. Roberts, F. L., Kandhal, P. S., Brown, E. R., Lee, D. Y., & Kennedy, T. W. (1996). Hot mix asphalt materials, mixture design, and construction. National Asphalt Pavement Association Education Foundation.
7. Li, J., Yang, L., He, L., Guo, R., Li, X., Chen, Y., Muhammad, Y., & Liu, Y. (2023). Research progresses of fibers in asphalt and cement materials: A review. Journal of Road Engineering, 3(1), 35–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jreng.2022.09.002
8. Badeli, S., Carter, A., Doré, G., & Saliani, S. (2018). Evaluation of the durability and the performance of an asphalt mix involving aramid pulp fiber (APF): Complex modulus before and after freeze-thaw cycles, fatigue, and TSRST tests. Construction and Building Materials, 174, 60–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.04.103

9. Guo, Y., Tataranni, P., & Sangiorgi, C. (2023). The use of fibres in asphalt mixtures: A state-of-the-art review. Construction and Building Materials, 390, 131754. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.131754
10. Riccardi, C., Indacoechea, I., Wang, D., Lastra-González, P., Cannone Falchetto, A., & Castro-Fresno, D. (2023). Low temperature performances of fiber-reinforced asphalt mixtures for surface, binder, and base layers. Cold Regions Science and Technology, 206, 103738. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2022.103738
11. Gupta, A., Lastra-Gonzalez, P., Castro-Fresno, D., & Rodriguez-Hernandez, J. (2021). Laboratory characterization of porous asphalt mixtures with aramid fibers. Materials, 14(8), 1935. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14081935
12. Noorvand, H., Brockman, S. C., Mamlouk, M., & Kaloush, K. (2022). Effect of aramid fibers on balanced mix design of asphalt concrete. CivilEng, 3(1), 21–34. https://doi.org/10.3390/civileng3010002
13. Noorvand, H., Stempihar, J., Underwood, B. S., Medina, J., & Salim, R. (2018). Effect of synthetic fiber state on mechanical performance of fiber reinforced asphalt concrete. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2672(28), 42–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198118787975
14. Miao, Y., Wang, T., & Wang, L. (2019). Influences of interface properties on the performance of fiber-reinforced asphalt binder. Polymers, 11(3), 542. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11030542
15. Ge, D., Jin, D., Liu, C., Gao, J., Yu, M., Malburg, L., & You, Z. (2021). Laboratory performance and field case study of asphalt mixture with Sasobit-treated aramid fiber as modifier. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2676(2), 811–824. https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981211047833
16. Miera-Domínguez, H., Lastra-González, P., Indacoechea-Vega, I., & Castro-Fresno, D. (2024). What is known and unknown concerning microplastics from tyre wear? Road Materials and Pavement Design, 25(8), 1658–1679. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680629.2023.2281956
17. Muftah, A., Bayomy, F., Kassem, E., & Bahadori, A. (2017). Fiber-reinforced hot-mix asphalt: Idaho case study. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2633(1), 98–107. https://doi.org/10.3141/2633-12
18. Gore, P. M., & Kandasubramanian, B. (2018). Functionalized aramid fibers and composites for protective applications: A review. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 57(49), 16537–16563. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.8b04903
19. Xu, X., Guo, Y., Shen, Z., Liu, B., Yan, F., & Zhong, N. (2025). Aramid fiber-reinforced plastics (AFRPs) in aerospace: A review of recent advancements and future perspectives. Polymers, 17(16), 2254. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17162254
20. Xing, X., Pei, J., Shen, C., Li, R., Zhang, J., Huang, J., & Hu, D. (2019). Performance and reinforcement mechanism of modified asphalt binders with nano-particles, whiskers, and fibers. Applied Sciences, 9(15), 2995. https://doi.org/10.3390/app9152995
21. Hui, Y., Men, G., Xiao, P., Tang, Q., Han, F., Kang, A., & Wu, Z. (2022). Recent advances in basalt fiber reinforced asphalt mixture for pavement applications. Materials, 15(19), 6826. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15196826
22. British Standards Institution. (2012). BS EN 12697-34:2012 bituminous mixtures: Test methods: Marshall test.
23. Olita, S., & Ciampa, D. (2021). SuPerPave® mix design method of recycled asphalt concrete applied in the European standards context. Sustainability, 13(16), 9079.
24. Steineder, M. (2023). A simplified test procedure for assessing the fatigue performance of asphalt mixes [Doctoral dissertation, Technische Universität Wien].
25. Wang, N., Dong, J., Fang, H., Li, B., Zhai, K., Ma, D., Shen, Y., & Hu, H. (2023). 3D reconstruction and segmentation system for pavement potholes based on improved structure-from-motion (SfM) and deep learning. Construction and Building Materials, 398, 132499. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.132499
26. Guo, R., Nian, T., Sun, J., Yang, Y., Lu, X., & Zhang, J. (2025). Ultra-thin asphalt pavement preservation layer: Performance enhancement mechanism, key technologies, and development trends. Case Studies in Construction Materials, 23, e05405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2025.e05405
27. Makul, N. (2020). Advanced smart concrete: A review of current progress, benefits, and challenges. Journal of Cleaner Production, 274, 122899. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122899
28. Jose, N., Mann, S., Anurag, R. K., Shelake, P., Selvan, S. S., Ray, D. P., Basak, S., Debnath, S., Shakyawar, D. B., Kasana, R. C., & Sabat, M. (2025). Innovations in sustainable natural fibre-reinforced composites: Surface treatments, material advancements, and applications in eco-friendly packaging and structural systems. Journal of Manufacturing Processes, 155, 831–867. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2025.10.039
29. Schuster, L., de Melo, J. V. S., & Del Carpio, J. A. V. (2023). Effects of the associated incorporation of steel wool and carbon nanotube on the healing capacity and mechanical performance of an asphalt mixture. International Journal of Fatigue, 168, 107440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2022.107440
30. Todoroki, A., Ueda, M., & Hirano, Y. (2007). Strain and damage monitoring of CFRP laminates by means of electrical resistance measurement. Journal of Solid Mechanics and Materials Engineering, 1(8), 947–974. https://doi.org/10.1299/jmmp.1.947
31. Li, S., Zhang, H., Liu, Q., Sun, Y., Wang, M., Liao, W., & Liu, Y. (2025). Low-noise asphalt with rubber/fiber composites: Noise factor quantification and grey-correlation-guided optimization. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 149, 105084. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2025.105084
32. Datta, D., & Ghabchi, R. (2025). Engineered electrospun microfibers from post-consumer PET: A novel approach to enhancing asphalt binder performance. Construction and Building Materials, 502, 144394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2025.144394
33. Delafuente-Navarro, C., Indacoechea-Vega, I., Miera-Domínguez, H., Lastra-González, P., Ossio, F., & Castro-Fresno, D. (2025). Evaluation of asphalt concrete with residual aramid fibres: Mechanical simulation, abrasion test, recyclability, environmental impact, and cost-benefit analysis. Construction and Building Materials, 492, 143057. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2025.143057
34. Zhou, Z., Yu, X., Gao, Y., & Liu, W. (2025). Cost-effective optimization system for automated asphalt pavement maintenance. Automation in Construction, 177, 106333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2025.106333
35. Ahmed, T., Isied, M., & Souliman, M. I. (2025). Leveraging physics with deep learning: Physics-informed neural networks (PINN) for IRI prediction in flexible pavements. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 52(10), 1885–1899. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjce-2025-0073
36. Manso-Morato, J., Hurtado-Alonso, N., Revilla-Cuesta, V., Skaf, M., & Ortega-López, V. (2024). Fiber-reinforced concrete and its life cycle assessment: A systematic review. Journal of Building Engineering, 94, 110062. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2024.110062
37. Shams, M. K., Hilal, M. M., & Fattah, M. Y. (2026). Performance evaluation of hot-climate asphalt binders modified with different nanomaterials. Results in Materials, 30, 100920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rinma.2026.100920
38. Olczyk, M., & Kuc-Czarnecka, M. (2025). European Green Deal Index: A new composite tool for monitoring European Union's Green Deal strategy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 495, 145077. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145077
39. Khan, A. R., Uddin, K. Z., Ali, A., Koohbor, B., Mehta, Y., & Lein, W. (2024). Cracking performance characterisation of aramid fiber-reinforced asphalt mixtures using digital image correlation. International Journal of Pavement Engineering, 25(1), 2444511. https://doi.org/10.1080/10298436.2024.2444511
40. Gallo, P., Ben Ameur, A., & Valentin, J. (2025). The influence of synthetic reinforcing fibers on selected properties of asphalt mixtures for surface and binder layers. Infrastructures, 10(11), 303. https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures10110303
41. International Organization for Standardization. (2006). ISO 14040:2006 environmental management—Life cycle assessment—Principles and framework.
42. Alaloul, W. S., Altaf, M., Musarat, M. A., Faisal Javed, M., & Mosavi, A. (2021). Systematic review of life cycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis for pavement and a case study. Sustainability, 13(8), 4377. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084377
43. Ninteretse, J. D. D., Nshimiyimana, M., Niyogisubizo, J., & Sugira, J. C. (2024). Assessing mechanical properties of free-fall self-compacting concrete and its application in concrete-filled steel tube columns. Engineering Perspective, 4(2), 84–94. https://doi.org/10.29228/eng.pers.76064
44. Nsengimana, J. P. (2024). Study on design method of a novel precast prestressing composite frame based on African manner. Engineering Perspective, 4(2), 69–83. https://doi.org/10.29228/eng.pers.75822
45. İnce, C. B. (2026). Performance evaluation of hot mix asphalt modified with biomass-based waste chestnut shells as filler replacement. Materials, 19(3), 512. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19030512
46. Khan, N., Sutanto, M. H., & Yaro, N. S. A. (2025). Enhancing pavement performance and sustainability: Waste coconut fiber-modified hot mix asphalt for improved mechanical properties and fuel spillage resistance. International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42947-025-00673-7

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Infrastructure Engineering and Asset Management, Civil Construction Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Construction Materials, Production Technologies, Civil Engineering (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Muhamet Ahmeti ^*
Kosovo

Bekim Selimi
0000-0001-9559-9703
Kosovo

Publication Date

April 25, 2026

Submission Date

January 15, 2026

Acceptance Date

April 12, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 6 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.64808/engineeringperspective.1864762

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA34NB74YM

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Ahmeti, M., & Selimi, B. (2026). Aramid Fiber Reinforcement in Asphalt Mixtures: A Holistic Study on Mechanical Enhancement, Life-Cycle Economics, and Sustainable Pavement Solutions. Engineering Perspective, 6(2), 297-311. https://doi.org/10.64808/engineeringperspective.1864762

AMA

1.Ahmeti M, Selimi B. Aramid Fiber Reinforcement in Asphalt Mixtures: A Holistic Study on Mechanical Enhancement, Life-Cycle Economics, and Sustainable Pavement Solutions. engineeringperspective. 2026;6(2):297-311. doi:10.64808/engineeringperspective.1864762

Chicago

Ahmeti, Muhamet, and Bekim Selimi. 2026. “Aramid Fiber Reinforcement in Asphalt Mixtures: A Holistic Study on Mechanical Enhancement, Life-Cycle Economics, and Sustainable Pavement Solutions”. Engineering Perspective 6 (2): 297-311. https://doi.org/10.64808/engineeringperspective.1864762.

EndNote

Ahmeti M, Selimi B (April 1, 2026) Aramid Fiber Reinforcement in Asphalt Mixtures: A Holistic Study on Mechanical Enhancement, Life-Cycle Economics, and Sustainable Pavement Solutions. Engineering Perspective 6 2 297–311.

IEEE

[1]M. Ahmeti and B. Selimi, “Aramid Fiber Reinforcement in Asphalt Mixtures: A Holistic Study on Mechanical Enhancement, Life-Cycle Economics, and Sustainable Pavement Solutions”, engineeringperspective, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 297–311, Apr. 2026, doi: 10.64808/engineeringperspective.1864762.

ISNAD

Ahmeti, Muhamet - Selimi, Bekim. “Aramid Fiber Reinforcement in Asphalt Mixtures: A Holistic Study on Mechanical Enhancement, Life-Cycle Economics, and Sustainable Pavement Solutions”. Engineering Perspective 6/2 (April 1, 2026): 297-311. https://doi.org/10.64808/engineeringperspective.1864762.

JAMA

1.Ahmeti M, Selimi B. Aramid Fiber Reinforcement in Asphalt Mixtures: A Holistic Study on Mechanical Enhancement, Life-Cycle Economics, and Sustainable Pavement Solutions. engineeringperspective. 2026;6:297–311.

MLA

Ahmeti, Muhamet, and Bekim Selimi. “Aramid Fiber Reinforcement in Asphalt Mixtures: A Holistic Study on Mechanical Enhancement, Life-Cycle Economics, and Sustainable Pavement Solutions”. Engineering Perspective, vol. 6, no. 2, Apr. 2026, pp. 297-11, doi:10.64808/engineeringperspective.1864762.

Vancouver

1.Muhamet Ahmeti, Bekim Selimi. Aramid Fiber Reinforcement in Asphalt Mixtures: A Holistic Study on Mechanical Enhancement, Life-Cycle Economics, and Sustainable Pavement Solutions. engineeringperspective. 2026 Apr. 1;6(2):297-311. doi:10.64808/engineeringperspective.1864762