Extreme heat waves and heavy rainfall caused by climate change have increasingly manifested on urban roads, intensifying urban heat island effects and water cycle distortions, thereby making countermeasures urgent. In Seoul, climate crisis responses have focused primarily on building energy management and traffic demand control plans. However, despite roads accounting for 23.3% of the habitable area, climate change adaptation and mitigation plans in the road sector remain insufficient, necessitating more proactive strategies.
This study investigated a range of innovative technologies applicable to the road sector. Among them, one adaptation technology and one mitigation technology were selected, and new approaches were developed to scientifically and rationally evaluate their effectiveness. For adaptation, heat load reduction technology was chosen to address recurring summer heat waves and tropical nights in megacities such as Seoul. For mitigation, attention was directed toward technologies that offset carbon emissions—the root cause of climate change—along with strategies for effectiveness verification.
In urban areas, most heat loads originate from asphalt pavements. Asphalt absorbs large amounts of solar radiation during the day and stores it within the pavement body, releasing it after sunset, thereby intensifying the urban heat island effect. To address this, heat-blocking pavement materials utilizing various additives have been introduced. This study established testing equipment, methods, and policy applications to quantitatively and objectively evaluate their effectiveness. Surface temperature measurements conducted on conventional asphalt specimens and six types of heat-blocking pavement specimens revealed differences ranging from 8.0°C to 13.1°C. These results indicate that the testing system developed in this study can provide an objective evaluation of heat-blocking pavement performance.
In terms of carbon reduction technologies, low- and warm-mix asphalt have been applied and commercialized in construction practices. Beyond these, this study examined and conducted preliminary experiments on Direct Air Mineralization(DAM), a technique that leverages the reaction between calcium ions produced during cement hydration and atmospheric CO₂ to form permanently fixed calcium carbonate within concrete. Given the increasing application of cement-based permeable blocks in Seoul, DAM technology is particularly suitable as it maximizes reactivity with water. Accelerated carbonation tests on permeable blocks were performed to evaluate additional mineralization potential post-manufacture. Results showed that carbonation initiated at the block surface and progressed inward, with reactions also confirmed in inner and lower sections, suggesting significant carbon reduction potential through mineralization.
Based on these findings, this study proposes policy applications considering the feasibility and effectiveness of the two technologies. For heat-blocking pavements, although surface temperature reduction was confirmed, no mandatory regulations or incentive systems currently exist in Korea. Thus, it is proposed to revise the “Seoul Ecological Area Ratio Guidelines” by adding heat-blocking pavements as a new coverage category with assigned weighting. For DAM technology, while this study secured fundamental data on mineralization, follow-up research including field demonstrations is necessary to accurately quantify reduction potential. Accordingly, this study emphasizes the need for collaborative projects with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to monitor annual permeable block installation records and assess carbon fixation capacity.