Rigid pavement icing: misting tests on a model pavement column under simulated cold fronts inside a freezer

Abstract

Meteorological and subsurface factors influence pavement’s response to cold fronts. Prediction of pavement temperature, particularly icing, is important to winter pavement maintenance which relies on an estimated time for the formation of ice. However, the prediction development is limited by test data on pavement icing. A model column consisting of soil samples and a concrete pavement slab retrieved from the Dallas Fort Worth airport was used to replicate the airport pavement structure, including subgrade. The soil was classified using USCS, tested for optimum moisture content and compacted in lifts in the column. Thermistors and moisture sensors were placed at different depths. The pavement slab was fitted with temperature sensors throughout. The system was installed in a freezer box,wrapped in insulation and plastic. Three cold front scenarios were selected from observed airport weather data and simulated in the freezer box using varying rates of temperature decrease and precipitation. The formation of ice on a pavement surface was observed at 10–20 min after the start of precipitation. This time frame is not affected by the freezer box cooling rate. The icing time found from this study is useful for the development of prediction models for icing onpavements.

Keywords:

• Pavement temperature
• icing time
• cold front

Acknowledgements

This research is supported by Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport. The authors appreciate the assistance provided by the program manager Eduardo Tovar and his office. The assistance of Nice Kaneza, Dr. Teng Li, and Vishal Kothari during the study is greatly appreciated.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).