Applications of epoxy materials in pavement engineering

Epoxy materials in the pavement behave well in thermal stability, mechanical properties, adhesive properties, corrosion and chemical resistance, due to unique three-dimensional crosslinking network structure and special functional groups. This review presents a summary mainly about the chemistry of epoxy resins, the curing mechanism and properties of epoxy materials covering epoxy asphalt, epoxy emulsified asphalt and epoxy concrete. Thereinto, the opening-ring mechanism, the polymerization mechanism and the formation of network provide scientific guidance for the actual composite process of epoxy materials. The addition of epoxy resins can enhance the high-temperature stability and mechanical properties of epoxy asphalt, epoxy emulsified asphalt and their mixtures, because the crosslinking network of epoxy resin restricts the movement of asphalt. Additionally, it is pointed out that epoxy concrete has excellent chemical resistance and high bond strength. Moreover, the curing of epoxy resin without curing agents can be catalyzed in the presence of cement, which gives a way to achieve self-healing of concrete. Hence, epoxy materials in the pavement can be a suitable alternative towards the high-temperature stability, excellent bonding adhesion and mechanical performance of pavement materials.