Research on a new type of salt-storage sand and a mixture type with optimal snow melting capacity

The use of salt storage aggregates for self-melting snow asphalt pavements has attracted much attention due to their low energy consumption and cost. In this study, a new slow-release and anticorrosion snow-melting chloride salt storage sand (SSS) was innovatively prepared. SSS was used to replace 10%, 15%, and 20% of the aggregate volume in AC-13 and SMA-13 asphalt mixtures, respectively. By constructing the salt precipitation per unit area of the mixture model, a quantitative evaluation of the target value of salt analyzed under different snowfall conditions was achieved. The freezing point of the mixture of SMA-13 with SSS can reach −16°C, which has an excellent ice melting effect. In addition, SMA-13 still has strong snow melting ability after 5 years of simulated rainfall, which is significantly better than AC-13 asphalt mixture. Overall, the SMA-13 asphalt mixture incorporating SSS has better and superior snow-melting capacity and durability compared with AC-13.