Laboratory measurement of the adhesion strength between asphalt concrete and ice layer

Snow and ice on pavements cause poor skid resistance, reducing traffic safety and capacity. Besides anti-icing technologies, a fundamental understanding of ice-asphalt concrete interface adhesion strength is essential for guiding pavement anti-icing practices. In this paper, to modify the laboratory measurement of adhesion strength between asphalt concrete and ice layer, a self-designed low-temperature adhesion observation system (LAOS) was put forward, featured by a torch-shaped ice mold, a combined loading device, and a set of calibration equations. Using the LAOS, the effect of two essential factors (the freezing temperature and the texture depth) on ice-asphalt concrete interface adhesion strength (both the normal and the tangential) were tested. According to the test results, the measurement accuracy was improved by 9.3% owing to using LAOS. For the interface interaction, the adhesive and the cohesive failure modes occurred as the freezing temperature dropped, caused by the ice layer development. And the boost and the weaken interface emerged as the texture depth increased, caused by the asphalt concrete surface roughening. Moreover, the measured interface ice adhesion strengths are close to the existing studies and even more credible, because of using LAOS. This indicates the LAOS and the conclusions obtained would provide fundamental support for pavement anti-icing practices.