Site Application of Thermally Conductive Concrete Pavement: A Comparison of Its Thermal Effectiveness with Normal Concrete Pavement
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Experimental Plans
2.1. Specimen Installed Site
2.2. Cement
2.3. Aggregates
2.4. Silicon Carbide and Concrete Mix Properties
2.5. Plans for Heating Wires and Sensor Intallation
2.6. Data Logging System
2.7. Experimental Evaluation
2.7.1. Fresh State Evaluation
2.7.2. Compressive and Flexural Strength
2.7.3. Thermal Conductivity Measurement
2.7.4. Site Experimental Evaluation of Concrete Pavements Thermal Efficiency
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Air Content and Workability Test Results
3.2. Compressive and Flexural Strength Results
3.3. Thermal Conductivity Measurement Results
3.4. Site Experiment for Assessing the Heat Transfer Performance Results
4. Conclusions
- The experimental results show that both the OPCP and TCP mixtures met the Korean air content and workability standards. The TCP showed a slightly reduced air content and slump value due to the filler effect of SiC and the fine particle size. The filler effect reduced the porosity and contributed to the improvement in the compressive strength. The van der Waals interactions of SiC particles smaller than 100 μm induced local moisture retention, which affected the effective water utilization rate. Despite these changes, both mixtures showed properties suitable for practical field applications.
- Both the OPCP and TCP mixtures exceeded the compressive and flexural strength targets required by the Korean standard. The TCP showed higher mechanical performance due to the densification of the cement matrix due to the filler effect of fine SiC particles. In addition, van der Waals interactions contributed to the strength improvement through electrical interactions and particle dispersion behavior. Overall, the mechanical properties of both mixtures are suitable for field applications.
- The TCP showed approximately twice the thermal conductivity of OPCP (3.20 W/mK), effectively overcoming heat loss and enabling surface heat transfer. In the site experiment, TCP maintained higher temperatures at the center and heating wire zones, proving superior thermal performance. In contrast, the OPCP exhibited poor heat transfer and significant heat loss due to its low thermal conductivity. Therefore, partial substitution of SiC can enhance snow- and ice-melting performance, offering a practical solution for winter pavement systems.
- This experimental system is a prototype of a snow/ice-prevention system for concrete pavement. It is not a final version of the experiment; however, one aspect of heat transfer performance improvement was confirmed. As this technology is enhanced, a total solution of a snow/ice-prevention system containing wireless cloud system data logging will be completed.
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Chemical Composition (%) | Density (ton/m3) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CaO | SiO2 | Al2O3 | Fe2O3 | MgO | SO3 | |
62.7 | 21.5 | 6.3 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 3.153 |
Chemical Composition (%) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Density (ton/m3) | Maximum Particle Size (μm) | Elastic Modulus (GPa) | Thermal Conductivity (W/mK) | Purity of SiC (%) |
3.2 | 120 | 193 | 25.5 | 94 |
Specimens | Mix Properties (kg/m3) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Water | Cement | Fine Agg | Coarse Agg | SiC | Water Reducer | |
OPCP | 230 | 460 | 816 | 1073 | 0 | 4.6 |
TCP | 571 | 245 |
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Kim, J.-Y.; Ryou, J.-S. Site Application of Thermally Conductive Concrete Pavement: A Comparison of Its Thermal Effectiveness with Normal Concrete Pavement. Materials 2025, 18, 3444. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18153444
Kim J-Y, Ryou J-S. Site Application of Thermally Conductive Concrete Pavement: A Comparison of Its Thermal Effectiveness with Normal Concrete Pavement. Materials. 2025; 18(15):3444. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18153444
Chicago/Turabian StyleKim, Joo-Young, and Jae-Suk Ryou. 2025. "Site Application of Thermally Conductive Concrete Pavement: A Comparison of Its Thermal Effectiveness with Normal Concrete Pavement" Materials 18, no. 15: 3444. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18153444
APA StyleKim, J.-Y., & Ryou, J.-S. (2025). Site Application of Thermally Conductive Concrete Pavement: A Comparison of Its Thermal Effectiveness with Normal Concrete Pavement. Materials, 18(15), 3444. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18153444