Danfoss Asphalt application. Ice & Snow Melting Application guide

Asphalt application. Ice & Snow Melting

Asphalt application.
Ice & Snow Melting

Application manual

Intelligent solutions
with lasting effect

Visit devi.com

Index

Let DEVI do the work

1. Application Briefing 4

2. System Description 5

3. Products 7

4. System Design 9

5. Installation 12

6. Cases 16

DEVI - an abbreviation of Dansk El-Varme Industri – was established in
Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1942. As from January 1st 2003 DEVI has become
a part of the Danfoss Group - Denmark’s largest industrial Group. Danfoss
is one of the world’s leading companies within heating, cooling and air­conditioning. The Danfoss Group has more than 23.000 employees and
serves customers in more than 100 countries.

DEVI is Europe’s leading brand of electrical cable heating systems and electric
pipe heating systems with over 70 years of experience. The production of
heating cables takes place in France and Poland while the head office is
situated in Denmark.

The value of experience

We have installed literally thousands of systems across the globe, in every
conceivable setting. This experience means that we can offer you practical
advice about precisely which components you need to get the best results at
the lowest cost.

Asphalt application. Ice & Snow Melting

This design guide presents DEVI’s recommendations for design and
installation of ice and snow melting systems for asphalt application.
It provides guidance for heating cable positioning, electrical data and system
configurations.

Our quality management

Following DEVI’s recommendations will ensure energy efficient, reliable and
maintenance free solution for constant wattage heating cables with 20 year
warranty.

system
and compliances

ISO 9001 TS 16949

ISO 14001 PED

Along with full compliance with EU
directives and product approvals

1. Application
Briefing

Winter weather costs

In recent years there have been
plenty of new stories about human
and financial costs caused by
increasingly harsh winter weather.
Property damage, increased
maintenance expenses, lost
productivity, rising insurance
premiums, personal injuries and even
worse. Installation of DEVI Ice & Snow
Melting System ensures a steady
solution to address cold weather
related problems.

Asphalt Ground solution – with a
first class product range

The DEVIasphalt™ Snow Melting
System is a system installed directly
in asphalt ensuring instantaneous
relief from snow build up and ice
forming.

DEVIasphalt™ series introduces
completely new standards for high­performance cables used for ice
and snow melting in asphalt areas
outside.

DEVI recommends the DEVIasphalt™
cables and mats for asphalt
installations as they provide short­term resistance to temperatures
of 240 °C. With this type of cables
and mats the sand bed over the
cable is not required. This reduces

Benefits

• Efficient snow removal

• Safe traffic and working areas for people

• Quick installation directly in asphalt, no need to
cover cables with a sand bed or concrete

• Up to 20% Energy saving comparing to heating
elements installation in a sand bed

• Cost saving for asphalt repair after winter

• Environment is protected against salting and

antifreeze related damages.

• Automatic ”Around the Clock” snow clearing service.

• Smart 2-zone control with low energy consumption

• PVC free, twin conductors heating cables and mats
(IEC 60800 and IEC 62395)

• A maintenance free system with 20 year full
warranty on cables and heating

time and installation costs. To avoid
cable damage heavy machinery
(rollers or asphalt laying machines)

should not be used. Asphalt cover
should be at least 5 cm thick from
the top of the DEVIasphalt™ heating
cables. An electrician should ensure
of cable and insulation resistance
measurements both before and after
asphalt is applied.

4 Application manual · Asphalt application. Ice & Snow Melting · VGLUC102 · ©DEVI

By using DEVIasphalt™ heating cables
and mats controlled by electronic
thermostats with moisture sensors,
you can cost-effectively protect large
areas such as parking areas, ramps
or pedestrian accesses to buildings.
Giving you convenience and safety
while saving a lot of tiring and time­consuming manual work.

One of the greatest advantages of
this system is a prompt response and
as a result, the most energy efficient
solution for the ground ice & snow
melting applications.

2. System Description

The most common DEVI ice and snow
melting applications on ground are
car parks, driveways, pavements,
outdoor steps, loading platforms and
bridges.

Main purpose of the application is to
melt snow or slippery ice on asphalt
surfaces.

Like for any other outdoor areas
during winter, snow and ice needs
to be removed from asphalt surfaces
to secure safe access to buildings.
It can be done manually or in a
smart way – by means of electrical
ice & snow melting system with
thermostat control and moisture and
temperature sensors that can control
2 zones simultaneously. Inactive
during cold but dry weather 2 zone
control saves energy and reduces
costs.

The automatic regulation of the snow
melting system keeps areas free of
snow and passable at all times –
night and day.

Another great advantage of the
system installed directly in asphalt is
a prompt response or warm up time
compared to other installations.

Two types of asphalt applications are
used most frequently: Mastic asphalt
and Road/concrete asphalt.

Important: if DEVIasphalt™ cable or
mat is embedded in asphalt

• 2 layers of asphalt must be always
ensured

• DEVIasphalt™ cable must be
installed in the first asphalt layer
(max. 8 mm stone fraction)

• If road asphalt is used, first layer
must be rolled by a hand drum

• First layer must be cooled down
to max 80 °C before laying the
second layer

• The second layer can be rolled
with up to 500 kg

Warm-up time for 2 applications, 300 W/m² in -3 °C air temperature

0,5

0

-0,5

-1

[°C]

-1,5

-2

-2,5

Surface temperature

-3
0 1 2 3 4 5

When installing ice and snow melting
systems on steep slopes it may be
necessary to provide some drainage
for melted water at the slope bottom.
The drain system should also be
protected against ice formations.

The diagram below shows the
warm-up time values for 2 different
driveways constructions. The heating
cable that is installed directly into
asphalt (red line) can warm up the
surface approx. 4 times quicker
comparing to the cable that is
installed in sand bed with pavement
blocks (blue line).

Driveway w ith sand bed &
80 mm pavement block s

Car park with 60 mm
mastic asphalt

Hours [hrs]

Fig. 1 - DEVIasphalt™ heating cable under the first layer of Road asphalt
rolled by a hand drum.

Fig. 2 - The cables are protected by concrete prior to further asphalt
arrangement.

5Application manual · Asphalt application. Ice & Snow Melting · VGLUC102 · ©DEVI