Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

12-2016

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Degree Program

Civil Engineering, MS

Committee Chair

Kim, Young Hoo

Committee Co-Chair (if applicable)

Sun, Zhihui

Committee Member

Hieb, Jeffrey

Author's Keywords

gonioreflectometer; light reflectivity; R-Tables; LED; concrete; asphalt

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the reflectivity of light on concrete and asphalt pavement systems. In 1983, the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) published the first recommended practice (RP-8) for the design of roadway and parking lot lighting. This design method implemented empirically tested factors which were defined as the “reduced luminance coefficients” or the R-Tables. The R-Tables are essential for proper design of light pole installation dimensions, required power, and the distribution of light. The originally tested pavements are not necessarily representative of modern pavement materials used today. Moreover, recent Light Emitting Diodes (LED) are a relatively new light technology consistently implemented in roadway and parking lot design. Therefore, the objective of this research is to reevaluate the reflectiveness of two pavement systems. The reflective properties of each pavements were evaluated considering angles (β and γ) of illuminated light from each varied light source (i.e., incandescent and LED). Research findings concluded that modern concrete pavement is up to 3 times more reflective than modern asphalt pavement. Furthermore, this research also indicates that the angular light reflectivity is not only influenced by the pavement system but also the light source being used to illuminate that surface with respect to varied (α, β, and γ) angles.

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