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Modeling snow-free concrete surfaces using hydronic radiant heat

Date

2018

Authors

Nguyen, Trai Ngoc, author
Heyliger, Paul R., advisor
Atadero, Rebecca, committee member
Glick, Scott A., committee member

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Abstract

U.S. roads and bridges were graded as D and C+, respectively by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 2013. Snow accumulation during the winter results in many issues affecting national strategic goals. More specifically, it hinders the overall transportation system which significantly affects economic competitiveness. Moreover, it causes many traffic accidents in the winter affecting people's lives and assets. Traditional methods for snow accumulation are the use of deicing agents such as salt-based chemical (NaCl, MgCl2) and sand. However, the application of these chemicals leads to the adverse effects on environment, drainage system and especially infrastructure (corrosion, premature failure). This remarkably raises the maintenance costs on structures. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct an alternative technology for snow removal which is environmentally safe and highly effective to avoid the negative effects of those deicing agents. Heated snow melting systems are potential solutions to prevent snow accumulation that has increasingly drawn attention during the last few decades in many countries. This research presents the method of snow melting with hydronic radiant heat to avoid the negative effects of traditional agents on environment as well as infrastructure systems. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) finite element models are developed to investigate the influence of input parameters on the performance of snow melting in various environmental conditions. Intensive parametric studies are conducted to analyze and determine the key factors in the snow melting process. Consequently, appropriate values of those parameters are proposed for future experiments, design and construction in the U.S.

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Subject

civil engineering
heat and mass transfer
hydronic snow melting system
finite element method
ASCE
hydronic radiant heat

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