Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of Pavement Temperature Variation Characteristics

The hardened ground is one of the crucial factors for causing urban heat island effect (UHI). Based on the one-dimensional heat transfer theory, this study establishes a mathematical model of pavement-surface temperature and material’s thermal parameters. The pavement temperatures of four different materials with similar albedo were observed outside and the data were used to validate the feasibility of the theoretical model. The results show that the pavement-surface temperature depends on the thermal physical parameters of pavement materials. It is related to the thermal conductivity, heat capacity and density of materials. The pavement-surface thermal inertia and the maximum temperature decrease are 16.4 and 8.8°C, respectively. The pavements with high thermal resistance have a lower pavement-surface temperature. The amplitude and maximum of a daily pavement-surface temperature increase linearly with reciprocal thermal resistance. It confirms the accuracy of the mathematical model and provides a scientific basis for measuring the cooling effect of thermal inertia pavement.