Cool Pavements Emerge In US Cities To Beat The Heat

As heatwaves around the world continue to hold the population in its fiery grip, countries are rushing to find solutions to keep their people refreshed. Whether it’s wrapping bridges in aluminum foil or letting people into movie theatres to cool down, there is never a shortage of innovative solutions.  

In the US, it seems as though the government is making a move to reverse the heat island effect by giving its roads a cool upgrade, literally. The heat island effect is a phenomenon that happens when the sun’s rays hit asphalt roads and cause the surrounding environments to heat up.  

The average summertime temperature across the United States is 100 degrees Fahrenheit. However, with the heat island effect, it can rise to about 122 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  

Cities such as Los Angeles, California, and Pheonix, Arizona, have begun to varnish their roads in a cooling overlay. The coating is designed to absorb heat, reflect UV rays, and ultimately chill the roads and the environment. It has been said that cool coatings can reduce temperatures by up to 12 degrees.  

The Phoenix government has even noted a half-degree drop in temperature during the summer nights with the installation of the coated pavements.  

New York City and South Carolina have taken a different approach by painting the tops of buildings with a similar reflective paint to prevent buildings from heating up.  

According to the EPA, cool pavements have other benefits besides reducing temperatures. They can also help limit stormwater runoff by absorbing it into the pavements before it reaches waterways. In addition, they provide better visibility at night and as a result of their ability to absorb water, there will be less spray-off from cars, making roads safer.

The downside, however, is that they can also make people feel hotter. In a study done by Bloomberg in 2019, it was found that those who stood on the painted pavements felt extremely warm. This is in part due to the reflective nature of the paint that bounces sun rays off of it.

So, will there ever be a perfect solution to combat heatwaves? It seems as of now countries can only do their best to tide their people over until something cooler comes along.

[via NDTV and Independent UK, cover image via The Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services]