Pavement Performance and Ice-Melting Characteristics of Asphalt Mixtures Incorporating Slow-Release Deicing Agent

Icy pavement is one of the primary causes affecting driving safety in winter, and deicing asphalt mixture could effectively resist pavement icing. This study evaluated the effect of a slow-release deicing agent on pavement performance and ice-melting characteristics of the asphalt mixture. The asphalt mixture containing four different contents (0%, 30%, 50%, and 70% using the internal mixing method) by replacing mineral filler was designed. Pavement performance tests were used to investigate the effect of the deicing agent on the high-temperature stability, cracking resistance, and water stability of the asphalt mixture. Qualitative and quantitative tests were designed to compare the ice-melting characteristics and predict the ice-melting durability with different replacement amounts. The experimental results show that the high-temperature stability, low-temperature cracking resistance, and water stability of the asphalt mixture decrease with the increase inthe deicing agent. The mineral filler with a content of 50% deicing agent will enhance the stability of the mixture in the short term. Deicing asphalt mixture can significantly improve the ice and snow melting ability of the pavement, and the asphalt mixture with a content of 50% deicing agent will reduce the interface adhesion between mixture and ice by more than 55%. The slow-release deicing asphalt mixture can reach the maximum release concentration within two hours under rain and snow. The recommended replacement amount of slow-release deicing agent is 50%, and the predicted durability of deicing asphalt mixture is 5–8 years.

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