Professor, MSES/Miles Kersten Chair
Contact
142 Civil Engineering Building
500 Pillsbury Drive SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Affiliations
Professor, MSES/Miles Kersten Chair
Experts@Minnesota | Google Scholar
Marasteanu's research at the University of Minnesota has focused on two main themes: application of viscoelasticity and fracture mechanics concepts to asphalt materials characterization, and the development of simple, implementable laboratory testing methods based on complex material characterization analyses.
Marasteanu has lead, with colleagues from University of Wisconsin, Iowa State University, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, two major national pooled fund studies on low temperature cracking in asphalt pavements. The results represent a significant step towards using asphalt mixtures fracture tests and fracture mechanics to select cracking resistant materials and to predict pavement performance based on mechanics concepts.
In research funded by the NCHRP Idea program, Marasteanu's group developed simple experimental methods that could be used to obtain relevant creep and strength properties of asphalt binders and mixtures by testing small beams. Current experimental testing of asphalt mixtures requires large specimens and expensive laboratory equipment that severely limit the number of laboratories that can perform these tests and makes routine testing for quality control prohibitive. Validation of the results was based on micromechanics and representative volume element concepts, as well as size effect and weakest link model.
To evaluate the influence of asphalt binder properties on asphalt mixture properties, simple phenomenological and analogical models were used with asphalt binder and asphalt mixture experimental data obtained at low temperatures. A novel procedure, that allows back-calculating binder creep compliance from mixture experimental data, was proposed and successfully tested on asphalt mixtures prepared with recycled materials. This procedure has the significant advantage of eliminating the need for the chemical extraction of the asphalt binder from the asphalt mixture, and provides a simple tool for fine tuning the design of mixtures prepared with large proportions of recycled materials.
2025 Richard P. Braun Distinguished Service Award
The Richard P. Braun Distinguished Service Award is presented annually to a transportation professional for outstanding leadership in research and innovation. It is named after founding CTS director Richard Braun for his leadership and contribution to research, and as a champion of transportation innovation.
In 2025, this award was presented to Mihai Marasteanu, professor and MSES/Miles Kersten Chair for the University of Minnesota’s Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering.
During his 25 years at the U, Marasteanu has focused his research on investigating and improving the performance of asphalt binders, mixtures, and emulsions, especially in low temperature environments. With colleagues from other universities, he has led two major national pooled-fund studies on low-temperature cracking in asphalt pavements. The results were a significant step toward using fracture tests and mechanics to select crack-resistant asphalt materials and to better predict pavement performance.
Yan, T., Marasteanu, M. O. & Le, J. L. 2021. Mechanism-based evaluation of compactability of asphalt mixtures. Road Materials and Pavement Design. 22, S1, S482-S497. DOI: doi: 10.1080/14680629.2021.1905697
Yan, T., Ingrassia, L. P., Kumar, R., Turos, M., Canestrari, F., Lu, X. & Marasteanu, M., 2020. Evaluation of graphite nanoplatelets influence on the lubrication properties of asphalt binders. Materials. 13, 3, 772. doi: 10.3390/ma13030772
Le, J. L., Marasteanu, M. O., Turos, M. 2020. Mechanical and compaction properties of graphite nanoplatelet-modified asphalt binders and mixtures. Road Materials and Pavement Design, 21(7), 1799-1814. doi: 10.1080/14680629.2019.1567376
Yan, T., Marasteanu, M., Turos, M. 2020. Obtaining asphalt binder rheological properties from BBR strength test—the effect of loading rate. Mechanics of Time-Dependent Materials. doi: 10.1007/s11043-020-09464-y
Ghosh, D., Turos, M., Marasteanu, M. 2020. Experimental Investigation of Pothole Repair Materials. In Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering (pp. 13-22). (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering; Vol. 76). Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-48679-2_2
Yan, T., de Oliveira, J. M., Turos, M., Marasteanu, M., Vrtis, M., van Deusen, D. 2020. Experimental methods for material selection, quality control, and forensic investigations of asphalt paving materials. In A. Chabot, P. Hornych, J. Harvey, & L. G. Loria-Salazar (Eds.), Accelerated Pavement Testing to Transport Infrastructure Innovation - Proceedings of 6th APT Conference (pp. 157-166). (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering; Vol. 96 LNCE). Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-55236-7_17
Yan, T., Ingrassia, L. P., Kumar, R., Turos, M., Canestrari, F., Lu, X., & Marasteanu, M. 2020. Evaluation of graphite nanoplatelets influence on the lubrication properties of asphalt binders. Materials, 13(3), [772]. doi: 10.3390/ma13030772
Xu, M., Yi, J., Qi, P., Wang, H., Marasteanu, M. & Feng, D. 2019. Improved Chemical System for Molecular Simulations of Asphalt. Energy and Fuels. 33, 4. 3187-3198.
Le, J., Marasteanu, M. & Turos, M. 2020. Mechanical and compaction properties of graphite nanoplatelet-modified asphalt binders and mixtures. Road Materials and Pavement Design, 21, 7. 1799-1814. doi: 10.1080/14680629.2019.1567376
Matias De Oliveira, J., Yan, T., Turos, M., Ghosh, D., Van Deusen, D. & Marasteanu, M. 2019. Simple Method to Evaluate Strength and Relaxation Properties of Asphalt Binders at Low Temperature. Transportation Research Record. 2673, 6, 492-500.
Mogawer, W. S., Austerman, A. J., Stuart, K. D., Marasteanu, M. & Nazzal, M. 2018. Influence of asphalt binder formulation and source on the performances of binders with the same continuous PG. Asphalt Paving Technology 2018. - Journal of the Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists, AAPT 2018. McDaniel, R. S., Hand, A., Rowe, G., West, R., Copeland, A., Baumgardner, G., Braham, A. & Blankenship, P. (eds.). Association of Asphalt Paving Technologist, 305-343. (Asphalt Paving Technology: Association of Asphalt Paving Technologists-Proceedings of the Technical Sessions; vol. 87).
Marasteanu, M., Cannone Falchetto, A., Balamurugan, S. & Negulescu, I. I. 2018. Influence of cooling medium on low temperature strength of asphalt binders. Construction and Building Materials. 162, 80-87.
Ghosh, D., De Oliveira, J. M., Lima, M. A., Turos, M., Johnson, E. & Marasteanu, M. 2018. Laboratory and field investigation of the effects of biosealant applications to the surface of asphalt pavement. Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering. 30, 8, 04018187.
Marasteanu, M. & Cannone Falchetto, A. 2018. Review of experimental characterisation and modelling of asphalt binders at low temperature. International Journal of Pavement Engineering. 19, 3, 279-291.
Ghosh, D., Turos, M., Johnson, E. & Marasteanu, M. 2018. Rheological characterization of asphalt binders treated with bio sealants for pavement preservation. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering. 45, 5, 407-412.
Le, J., Hendrickson, R., Marasteanu, M. & Turos, M. 2018. Use of fine aggregate matrix for computational modeling of low temperature fracture of asphalt concrete. Materials and Structures/Materiaux et Constructions. 51, 6, 152.
Moon, K. H., Cannone Falchetto, A., Marasteanu, M. O. & Wistuba, M. P. 2017. Low temperature rheological properties of asphalt mixtures containing different recycled asphalt materials. International Journal of Pavement Research and Technology. 10, 1, 84-97.