Surface Temperature Variability in Urban Street Canyons in a Tropical Climate

Authors

  • Letzai Ruiz-Valero

    School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), Abraham Lincoln esq. Rómulo Betancourt, 10109, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
  • Virginia Flores-Sasso

    School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), Abraham Lincoln esq. Rómulo Betancourt, 10109, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
  • Victor W. Bohorquez-Lopez

    School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), Abraham Lincoln esq. Rómulo Betancourt, 10109, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
  • Orisell Medina-Lagrange

    School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), Abraham Lincoln esq. Rómulo Betancourt, 10109, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jbms.v7i3.11398
Received: 30 July 2025 | Revised: 10 August 2025 | Accepted: 14 August 2025 | Published Online: 27 August 2025

Abstract

Materials used in building envelopes and urban areas contribute significantly to the urban heat island (UHI). In this context, this paper presents a study utilizing infrared thermography (IRT) to assess urban streets and building surface materials in the coastal city of Bayahibe, Dominican Republic. Measurements were conducted in situ in six urban street canyons (Sections A–F) during the warmest and coldest weather conditions. A FLIR T420 thermal camera, FLIR Tools+ software, and the emissivity values of common building materials in Bayahibe were used to determine surface temperatures under sunlit and shaded conditions. The findings show that sunlit surfaces of urban elements generally exhibited higher surface temperatures compared to their shaded counterparts in both warm and cold periods. Metal surfaces displayed the most significant surface temperature differences between sunlit and shaded areas. Additionally, light-colored block walls presented lower surface temperatures than medium and dark-colored ones. This research provides insights into the urban microclimate of Bayahibe under different meteorological conditions. It supports the development of strategies to mitigate the UHI effect and enhance pedestrian thermal comfort in tropical and coastal cities by emphasizing the importance of shading elements and light-colored surfaces. The findings can inform specific interventions and policies for creating more sustainable and climate-resilient urban environments in the Caribbean region.

Keywords:

Urban Streets; Surface Materials; Thermal Images; Infrared Thermography; Tropical Climate; Caribbean City

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How to Cite

Ruiz-Valero, L., Flores-Sasso, V., Bohorquez-Lopez, V. W., & Medina-Lagrange, O. (2025). Surface Temperature Variability in Urban Street Canyons in a Tropical Climate. Journal of Building Material Science, 7(3), 118–142. https://doi.org/10.30564/jbms.v7i3.11398

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 3 (September 2025)

Article Type

Article

License

Copyright © 2025 Letzai Ruiz-Valero, Virginia Flores-Sasso, Victor W. Bohorquez-Lopez, Orisell Medina-Lagrange

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

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