Structure and mechanism of directional heat induced asphalt pavement with thermal aggregation effect

Abstract

Efficiently and actively dissipating accumulated heat within asphalt pavement is crucial for reducing pavement distress and improving subgrade stability. This paper proposed a novel inverted “T” shaped heat induced structure (IT-HIS) that facilitates the rapid transfer of heat from the pavement to the subgrade and shoulders. The IT-HIS consists of two components: a vertical gradient thermal conductivity structure utilizing steel slag, and a horizontal oriented carbon fiber heat induced structure. The heat transfer behavior of the IT-HIS was analyzed using a finite element heat transfer model created in ABAQUS, and the results were validated through indoor irradiation experiments. The findings demonstrated that the IT-HIS enhanced heat flow and promoted secondary aggregation in the vertical direction, while facilitated lateral heat dissipation. Compared to the ordinary group (OG), the heat flux of IT-HIS at depths of 5 cm and 6.5 cm increased by 19.8 % and 64.6 %, respectively. The indoor irradiation experiment results indicated that during the heat absorption period, the IT-HIS reduced temperatures at depths of 0 cm, 2 cm, and 5 cm by 1.5 ℃, 1.7 ℃, and 1.1 ℃, respectively. During the heat dissipation period, the IT-HIS reduced temperatures at depths of 0 cm, 5 cm, and 10 cm by 0.9 ℃, 0.7 ℃, and 1.8 ℃, respectively. The IT-HIS enhanced the cooling effect during daytime and inhibited heat upward during nighttime based on the gradient thermal conductivity structure. The proposal and validation of this structure provide a fundamental approach to forming large-scale high-speed microchannel heat dissipation within asphalt pavements, and is expected to provide experimental and theoretical foundations for the development of directional active cooling technologies.