Case study: Evaluation of cool pavement surface treatments in the City of San Antonio, Texas

Abstract

Extreme heat is one of the most pressing climate hazards that urban areas face. Elevated temperatures threaten public health, the environment, and urban infrastructure. One mitigation strategy that has gained increasing popularity across cities is the usage of cool pavement. The City of San Antonio, Texas, as part of its broader climate action and adaptation plan, conducted a cool pavement pilot program in 2023. The pilot program evaluated the effectiveness of four cool pavement treatments across San Antonio districts during the summer of 2023. For each product, Skid resistance, friction, bonding strength, and meteorological measurements were collected across the cool pavement sites and representative control sites. The findings indicated that the performance of the cool pavement applications varied across the products tested. In terms of Texture and friction properties, the GuardTop experienced the most reduction while GAF experience the most reduction over the control. In terms of metrological data, the SealMaster displayed the most consistent and statistically significant reductions in surface temperatures with an average reduction of 4°F during the afternoon testing period.