Simulation of Snow and Ice Melting on Energy-Efficient and Environmentally Friendly Thermally Conductive Asphalt Pavement

Abstract

Conventional asphalt pavement snow and ice removal methods suffer from issues such as time-consuming operations, high costs, and pollution from chemical de-icing agents. Commonly used thermally conductive asphalt concrete (TCAC) faces problems including limited filler diversity, high filler content, and elevated costs. To address these challenges, this study developed a thermally conductive asphalt concrete incorporating carbon fiber–silicon carbide composite fillers to provide a low-cost, energy-saving winter pavement snow melting solution and enhance eco-friendly de-icing performance. Finite element simulation software was employed to model its snow and ice melting performance, investigating the factors influencing this capability. Thermal conductivity was measured using the transient plane source (TPS) technique. The results show that with 0.3% carbon fiber, thermal conductivity reaches 1.43 W/(m·°C), 72.3% higher than ordinary asphalt concrete. Finite element simulations in finite element simulation software were used to model snow and ice melting, and strong agreement with field test data (correlation coefficients > 0.9) confirmed model reliability. Then, the finite element simulation software was used to study the effects of wind speed, temperature, laying power, and spacing on the snow and ice melting of TCAC. The simulation results show that the heating rate increases with TCAC thermal conductivity. Raising the power of the embedded carbon fiber heating cord reduces de-icing time but shows a threshold effect. In this study, asphalt pavement with high thermal conductivity was prepared using a low content of thermal conductive filler, providing a theoretical basis for sustainable pavement design, reducing energy use and environmental damage. TCAC technology promotes greener winter road maintenance, offering a low-impact alternative to chemical de-icing, and supports long-term infrastructure sustainability.