Preparation, performance evaluation and de-icing longevity prediction of novel de-icing fiber permeable asphalt mixture

The complex and changeable service conditions require pavements with greater functional diversity and environmental adaptability. In this paper, the de-icing fiber permeable asphalt mixture (DFPM) that satisfied the multiple service requirements of rapid drainage and ice melting in various seasons was proposed. Various performance characterization tests were utilized to evaluate the permeability and de-icing properties and the pavement performance of the mixtures with different contents of de-icing agents and fibers. Meanwhile, the high temperature dynamic water scouring experiment was designed to predict the effective de-icing life. The results show that adding de-icing agents and fibers slightly affects the water permeability of the mixtures. The incorporation of de-icing agents is beneficial to the high temperature performance yet detrimental to the low temperature behavior and water stability, while the incorporation of fibers compensates for the negative effect; the de-icing performance of the mixture correlates positively with the amounts of de-icing agents and correlates negligibly with the fiber incorporation. DFPM with 0.3% fibers and 5% de-icing agent shows superiority in performance and cost and is recommended for practical applications. Therefore, building a composite functional asphalt pavement with excellent performance appears feasible while creating a pavement micro-ecology by applying de-icing fibers permeable asphalt mixtures.