InTrans / Mar 15, 2019

PROSPER works with Iowa DOT to scale up heated pavement tests

Engineers with InTrans’ PROSPER are working with the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) to test heated-pavement technology developed on campus. The test slabs at the Iowa DOT are smarter and more complex than the research group’s previous tests at the Des Moines International Airport. And so far, preliminary tests indicate the system works well — even in this winter’s subzero temperatures.

The Iowa State engineers developed the special concrete containing 1.25 percent carbon fiber by volume. The tiny fibers – just a quarter inch long and about 7 millionths of a meter across – conduct the electricity supplied by the electrodes, but there’s some electrical resistance in the fibers, and that creates heat throughout the pavement.

The Iowa Highway Research Board and the Iowa DOT are supporting the three-year demonstration project with a nearly $360,000 grant.

To learn more about the project, read the full article here.

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