PSI - Issue 83

Shayiq Rashid et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 83 (2026) 79–84

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1. Introduction Pavement systems represent a fundamental element of modern transportation infrastructure, facilitating the movement of goods and people while supporting economic development. Despite their critical role, pavements are subjected to continuous mechanical loading, thermal variation, and environmental degradation, which collectively drive progressive deterioration manifested through micro-cracking, rutting, and fatigue damage (Dong et al., 2023b; Wang et al., 2023). The long-term performance of these systems is challenged by the increasing frequency of heavy axle loads and the growing demand for sustainable, resilient road networks (H. Li et al., 2024). Conventional pavement health monitoring (PHM) techniques, such as visual inspections, falling-weight deflectometer measurements, and strain gauge instrumentation, are inherently labor-intensive, spatially constrained, and reactive (Dong et al., 2022a). These methods often fail to detect early-stage damage or deliver continuous, real-time data essential for predictive maintenance strategies (Dong et al., 2022a; Wang et al., 2023). Recent advances in multifunctional materials have introduced self-sensing composites (SSCs) as a promising solution for intelligent pavement systems. SSCs embed sensing capability within the structural matrix, enabling simultaneous load-bearing performance and in-situ monitoring without reliance on external sensors (Chen et al., 2024; Lu et al., 2022). Among various sensing mechanisms, piezoresistivity is most widely utilized, wherein the electrical resistivity of the composite varies with applied stress or strain, translating mechanical deformation into an electrical signal (Han et al., 2020). This functionality is achieved by incorporating conductive fillers, such as carbon fibers (CF), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), or carbon black (CB) into cementitious or asphalt matrices (Dinesh et al., 2024; Jawed Roshan et al., 2023). When the concentration of these fillers reaches the electrical percolation threshold, a conductive network forms that enables current flow and facilitates stress–resistivity coupling (Lu et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2023). As a result, pavement layers fabricated from these materials can function as large area distributed sensors, providing real-time response on traffic-induced loading, crack initiation, and moisture ingress (Adresi and Pakhirehzan, 2023; Dong et al., 2022b). For pavement engineering applications, SSCs offer multifunctional capabilities encompassing structural health monitoring (SHM), traffic load quantification, weigh-in-motion (WIM) sensing, and environmental condition assessment (Abedi et al., 2021; Karbalaei Mohammad Hossein et al., 2024). Empirical investigations have demonstrated that carbon-based cementitious composites exhibit measurable resistivity variations in response to vehicular loading, fatigue progression, and crack propagation (Gulisano et al., 2024a). Furthermore, advanced formulations, such as graphene-enhanced mortars, hybrid carbon–steel fiber concretes, and self-sensing ultra-high performance concretes (UHPCs), have simultaneously improved mechanical integrity and electromechanical sensitivity (Yang et al., 2025). Despite these promising developments, large-scale deployment remains constrained by unresolved challenges, including moisture-induced signal perturbations, long-term stability, and scalability limitations (Abedi et al., 2021; Dong et al., 2023b, 2022a). Therefore, this review aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the current state of SSC technology for pavement infrastructure. It systematically compiles peer-reviewed studies focused on the mechanical (e.g., compressive strength, flexural strength) and electrical (e.g., resistivity, conductivity, sensitivity) properties of these materials, integrating results from both cementitious and asphalt systems. The review further discusses technical challenges and future directions, while identifying persisting research gaps of SSCs. By synthesizing findings from recent studies, this work aims to establish a coherent framework for advancing self-sensing pavement materials toward real-world applications. 2. Applications in Smart Road Infrastructure Self-sensing applications in smart road infrastructure are best framed as system-level deployments rather than material add-ons. In structural health monitoring, carbon-modified cementitious layers are configured with embedded electrodes and stable measurement circuits to produce lane-scale, event-driven signals that track service strains, seasonal responses, and early damage. Practical layouts range from distributed meshes for area coverage to