An albedo based model for the calculation of pavement surface temperatures in permafrost regions

Abstract

High albedo road surfaces can be used to reduce the amount of heat absorbed by a pavement in order to limit the degradation of the permafrost under paved embankments. A model based on a simplified energy balance at the surface of a pavement is proposed to calculate the temperature of high albedo surfaces in order to assess their effectiveness. The model is validated using data from a test section built on the Alaska Highway near Beaver Creek, Yukon, Canada. The temperatures of four surfaces with different albedo were monitored for a year at the test section. The input data required for the model are the albedo of the surface, the incoming solar radiation, the air temperature and the wind speed. A set of design charts based on the radiation index and supported by the model are presented.