Cooling Principle Analyses and Performance Evaluation of Heat-Reflective Coating for Asphalt Pavement

Abstract

In the experiment, a heat-reflective coating (HRC) was applied to the surface of asphalt pavement. The coating temperature reduction principle and the mechanism to mitigate the urban heat island effect (UHI) were explored by analyzing the material characteristics and features of atmospheric absorption spectrum. HRC features a good waterproof ability, strong oil resistance, abrasion resistance, and aging resistance. When it was painted on the surface of the dense-graded asphalt concrete, the pavement temperature could be reduced by approximately 9°C in hot seasons. The comprehensive pavement performance was evaluated through the following tests: antiskid, accelerated abrasion, freeze-thaw cycle, and permeability. The results show the asphalt concrete pavement with adopting HRC has a strong abrasion resistance, a good resistance to temperature fluctuation, and significantly reduces water damage. The skid-resistant ceramic granular should be added in the dense-graded asphalt pavement with HRC, which was shown to greatly improve the antiskid capability.