A field study of hoarfrost formation on insulated pavements

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a field study of hoarfrost formation on insulated test sections located in Québec City. It was established that the surface cooling rate increases sharply when all of the granular material placed above the insulating layer is frozen. The absence of latent heat release makes the pavement surface more sensitive to rapidly changing meteorological conditions. It was also shown that hoarfrost formation occurs when the surface temperature is less than the frost point, and it is not related to the dew point, as generally accepted. The paper also discusses the relationship between the hoarfrost index, HFI, and the total thickness of hoarfrost deposits.Key words: frost penetration, pavement, insulation, surface cooling, differential icing, hoarfrost.