Ground Temperature in Porous Pavement during Freezing and Thawing

Abstract

Porous pavements are widely used for local disposal of storm water. This paper presents the results of a full-scale study of ground temperatures in porous pavement during periods with prolonged freezing conditions and during snowmelt. The pavement construction was situated in a housing area in Lulea in northern Sweden, and it consisted of porous asphalt over an aggregate base of macadam. It was found that the cooling of the porous pavement was governed by variations in ambient air temperature and that freezing of the soil below the subgrade was related to the freezing index. The porous pavement was more resistant to freezing than a conventional impermeable pavement due to higher water content in the underlying soil, which increased the latent heat in the ground. Thawing of the porous pavement was a rapid process, which depended on meltwater infiltration. The thawing process in a comparable impermeable pavement was slower.