J. Careless. Advancing Asphalt Roadways into the Future // Asphalt, Vol. 29, Issue 3, 2014, pp 7-11.
This article familiarizes readers with some of uses of technological advances that are being researched and implemented in asphalt roadway, resulting in "smart roads" that do more than just provide a support for the vehicles that travel on them. New ideas include light-emitting marker lines that are solar recharged each day; highways that recharge electric vehicles as they travel by transferring energy wirelessly through magnetic currents; temperature-sensitive paint that exposes warnings only when relevant; dynamic roadway markings that can be remotely changed to respond to traffic density; interactive street lamps that come on as vehicles approach; capturing roadway heat in thermal banks for reuse in heat pumps or to keep streets free of snow and ice; and strategies to capture the vibration of traffic on pavement and use it to generate electricity. The author comments that solar road panels can be integrated with existing asphalt pavement construction, making them a likely candidate for real-world application.
