Predicting Low Design Temperatures of Asphalt Pavements in Dry Freeze Regions Using Solar Radiation, Transient Heat Transfer, and Finite Element Method.

This paper proposes three mathematical models using solar radiation theory, transient heat transfer theory, and finite element method to compute daily solar radiation, determine a thermal penetration depth as a boundary condition, and eventually estimate pavement temperatures. The objective of this paper is to predict low design temperatures of asphalt pavements in dry freeze regions. These step-by-step numerical analysis efforts provide pavement engineers and researchers with a perspective for prediction of lowdesign temperatures of asphalt pavements. Daily solar radiation was calculated as input for determination of the thermal penetration depth in a semi-infinite asphalt pavement system. Using the determined thermal penetration depth as prescribed temperature in the process of finite element analysis, the pavement temperature profile including surface temperatures can bebetter calculated. The finite element analysis results were verified withthe Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP), Canadian SHRP (C-SHRP), Superior Performing Asphalt Pavements (SUPERPAVE) models, and validated withthree sets of temperature data exported from the long term pavement performance (LTPP) program in southern Utah. Comparison results present closer agreement with three predicted models and field temperature within a reasonable accuracy.