Permeability and variation of cool pavements’ albedo as a function of moisture content

Abstract

Cold pavements, with greater drainage capacity, can contribute to flood control and city temperatures. Therefore, this work aims to relate the permeability coefficient to the variation of albedo of cold pavements as a function of moisture content. This research is experimental and begins with the determination of the permeability coefficient of permeable and semi-permeable concrete pavements. Then, the albedo variation is evaluated according to the moisture content of the samples in gray and graphite color. As a result, for the same coloring, each type of pavement (permeable and semi-permeable) has different albedo values. The gray semi-permeable pavement has an albedo 20.6% higher than the permeable slab of the same color. This happens in all test conditions, whether the materials are dry or saturated.