Evaluation of Pavement Temperatures of Various Pavement Sections

Pavement temperature is an important factor of the urban heat island (UHI) effect and it also plays an important role in pavement design. The objective of this study was to compare the pavement temperatures and heat absorbed for nine different pavement sections placed during construction of Phase IV at the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) Test Track. Temperature probes were installed in each section to measure temperatures at the top, middle and bottom of the asphalt concrete (AC) and three inches into the underlying aggregate base layer. Temperatures were recorded on an hourly basis over a one month period from August to September 2009. Results indicated that an increase in density may also increase pavement temperatures and stored energy. Additionally, changing components or the structure of the asphalt mixture may change its thermophysical properties as well as the amount of energy the pavement is able to store.