Reflective, Cool, pavement preservation coating

Climate and Environment

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

Reflective pavement coating is a relatively new industry. The industry is facing a major challenge to keep the surface or the pavement clean and free of debris and tire marks. At ePAVE, we have successfully developed a reflective pavement coating that addresses many challenges. However, we are still working on finding ways to keep the pavement surface free of debris. This grant will help us to engage the best in the industry to tackle this problem, reformulate it, produce the product, test it in the lab, test it in the field, do a few pilot project and eventually roll out. The reformulation could be done by using some admixtures. The surface free of debris will help ePAVE pavement coating to continue being reflective and keep the surface and the ambient air cool (up to 20 degrees). This helps decrease the Urban heat Island and greenhouse gas emission.

The product needs to go through some changes by reformulation. A team of expert chemist could help us identify the changes. Then the product will be produced, tested in the lab, tested in the field, piloted to early users and then rolled out to public.

When ePAVE is used on the surface of pavements, it helps decrease the heat on the surface of the pavement and the ambient air. Neighborhoods in LA County that suffer the most from Urban Heat Island, and especially low income neighborhoods that don't have access to trees and air-conditioning will greatly benefit from cooler air once ePAVE is used. ePAVE also is non petroleum and non-toxic. Asphalt emanates twenty eight different chemicals to the environment. Once ePAVE is applied on a surface of asphalt that is toxic, it will cap the toxic emission further supporting the clean air. Los Angeles County will greatly benefit from this technology by having a cooler and cleaner air.

We measure the heat on the surface and the ambient air by a hand thermometer on all our pilot projects. The data collected is entered in a spreadsheet and compared to a surface with no ePAVE coating. The collected data shows us the direct impact of ePAVE on the heat reduction . There are also independent labs that could measure the Solar Reflectivity of the surface with a special equipment. Also, thermal imaging could be done on those surfaces to show how much impact the ePAVE surface could have on decreasing heat on those surface. Thermal images that is done by NASA/JPL shows how cool pavements like ePAVE decrease the heat on the surface on the surface and what effect they have on the surrounding buildings. These satellite images could be requested to define and measure success.