Thermally Conductive Pre-cast Concrete Pavement for Urban Heat Island Mitigation [supporting dataset]

Details

• Creators:
  Radwan, Islam ; Dessouky, Samer ; Sharif, Hatim
• Corporate Creators:
  University of Texas at San Antonio. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering ; Microtek laboratories Company ; City of San Antonio ; Tindall Corporation
• Corporate Contributors:
  Transportation Infrastructure Precast Innovation Center (TRANS-IPIC) Tier-1 University Transportation Center (UTC) ; United States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology ; United States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Admixtures Concrete Pavements Datasets Heat Islands Infrastructure Sidewalks Sustainable Transportation Temperature Thermal Properties Urban Areas Workability

  More +
• Resource Type:
  Dataset
• Right Statement:
  Public Domain
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Corporate Publisher:
  Transportation Infrastructure Precast Innovation Center (TRANS-IPIC) Tier-1 University Transportation Center (UTC)
• Abstract:
  Urban areas experience elevated pavement temperatures due to the urban heat island (UHI) effect, which increases cooling energy demand and associated carbon emissions. In this project, the work focused on three main components: (1) a comprehensive mechanical study of precast concrete mixes containing microencapsulated organic phase change material (PCM), (2) three-dimensional transient thermal finite element (FE)simulations, and (3) full-scale sidewalk testing evaluated using a Monthly Cooling Benefit Index (MCBI). The mechanical program quantified the influence of PCM dosage on workability and compressive strength and showed a clear trend of decreasing strength with increasing PCM content. However, mixes with moderate PCM dosages retained adequate strength for sidewalk applications, while still providing measurable cooling potential. The calibrated 3D FE model captured the main experimental trends by representing PCM as an increase in effective heat capacity and a reduction in thermal diffusivity. Simulation results confirmed that PCM integration consistently reduced peak surface temperatures relative to the control slab, with mid-range PCM contents offering the best balance between thermal moderation and mechanical performance. A full-scale pilot sidewalk with multiple precast segments—combining PCM with different surface finishes such as sandblasting and diamond grinding—was constructed on the University of Texas at San Antonio campus and monitored over continuous three months. Field measurements showed that segments with moderate PCM content (e.g., around 2.5%) coupled with reflective/high-albedo surface treatments achieved the most persistent reductions in surface temperature compared with the conventional control and PCM-only panels. When quantified using the MCBI, the sandblasted and diamond-ground PCM segments ranked highest, indicating that the combined strategy of moderate PCM dosage and optimized surface finishing provides the most effective and practical cooling benefit for UHI mitigation in urban sidewalks.
  
  The total size of the ZIP file is 951,033KB.
  
  
• Content Notes:
  As this dataset is preserved in a repository outside U.S. DOT control, as allowed by the U.S. DOT’s Public Access Plan (https://doi.org/10.21949/1503647) Section 7.4.2 Data, the NTL staff has performed NO additional curation actions on this dataset. This dataset has been curated to CoreTrustSeal's curation level "C. Initial Curation." To find out more information on CoreTrustSeal's curation levels, please consult their "Curation & Preservation Levels" CoreTrustSeal Discussion Paper" (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11476980). NTL staff last accessed this dataset at its repository URL on 2024-08-28. If, in the future, you have trouble accessing this dataset at the host repository, please email NTLDigitalSubmissions@dot.gov describing your problem. NTL staff will do its best to assist you at that time.
• Format:
  ZIP
• Funding:
  69A3552348333
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e7cc80e9ec7a011bbd96ccafa5c7524c3bfe26cfb9b44e503c16449bc90b3c64bad5bdc8cdada5dfc92be0b9bc955f5018eda14d4cb3e6fb1ecda55198213320
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/89230/dot_89230_DS1.zip
• File Type:
  [ZIP - 928.74 MB ]