Thermal characterisation of electroconductive layers for anti-icing and de-snowing applications on roads

Heavy snowfall is the most influential factor in the interruption of road vehicular transit during the winter months, sometimes even causing inaccessibility to certain areas. Traditional maintenance strategies address this issue with mechanical solutions combined with the implementation of “de-icing salts”. However, these “de-icing” salts can cause severe damage to the local ecosystem and represent an unsustainable solution to the removal of snow. In order to offer an alternative to the use of “de-icing salts” in roadway maintenance, new environmentally friendly strategies need to be explored. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the thermal performance of electroconductive asphalt mortars under the effect of time-varying magnetic fields, with the aim of using these materials for anti-icing and de-snowing applications on roads. The electroconductive mortars studied were manufactured using the metallic fibres obtained from recycled pneumatic end-of-life vehicle tires. These innovative roadway mortars were tested by measuring the temperature changes produced during and after the activation of the time-varying magnetic field, in a 2-layer system composed of an electroconductive asphalt layer under a conventional bituminous surface course. The results revealed that road temperatures can be controlled depending on the intensity of the magnetic field, the content of metallic fibres and the thickness of the road surface course. Electroconductive mortars might therefore provide a functional alternative for maintaining serviceable roads during snowy winters.