Cooling time estimation of newly placed hot-mix asphalt pavement in different weather conditions

In hot-mix asphalt (HMA) pavement construction, newly placed pavement must be sufficiently cooled before it can be opened to traffic. Estimation of the time required for pavement to reach a desired temperature level is necessary for highway agencies to make proper specifications and for contractors to plan for daily productions. In this study, energy exchange at the surface of newly laid HMA pavement was modeled as a function of time and weather conditions. Thermodynamics theory and finite-element method were used to model and simulate the cooling process. Field validation indicates that the modeling and simulation results match the observations reasonably well. The analysis procedure developed in this study can be used to predict HMA pavement cooling in different weather conditions. This paper contributes to the understanding of fundamental thermal exchanges in freshly placed HMA pavement, quantification of the influences of weather conditions and time on the thermal exchanges, and realistic estimation of pavement cooling time for better specification and production plans. It also facilitates future exploration of artificial cooling methods by reducing the number of site trials through computer simulations.