An eco-friendly method for removal damaged asphalt pavement from steel bridge deck by induction heating

The induction heating in-place removal (IHIR) method for the steel bridge deck asphalt pavement layer (SBDPL) has the characteristics of economy, low pollution, and residue-free. However, the interlayer heating temperature (IHT) between the SBDPL and steel bridge deck is the critical factor in limiting the removal effects. In this study, an experimental platform for induction heating the SBDPL was established by simplifying the steel bridge structure. The incremental pattern of interlayer heating temperature was investigated to find the optimal start time for removal the SBDPL, thus ensuring the removal effects of the IHIR method. At the same time, the pollutants generated by traditional bridge deck pavement removal methods and the environment benefits of IHIR methods have been analyzed. The IHIR method has significant benefits in terms of economy, energy conservation, and reducing pollutant emissions. It reduces spending by 65%, greenhouse gas emissions by 91 % and noise pollution by 30%. This research can highly guide the actual application of IHIR method, to reduce the noise and dust emissions, energy consumption during urban construction processes.