Friction Study of Long-Term Pavement Performance Special Pavement Study 9A Sections in Connecticut

Abstract

Pavement surface friction is one of the most important contributing factors in highway safety. It is a function of a pavement's micro- and macro texture. Therefore, tracking changes in pavement surface friction and texture depth during a pavement's service life is critical for maintaining driving safety and comfort. As part of FHWA's Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) study, many state highway agencies have been collecting friction data to track these changes on designated test sections. In Connecticut, six LTPP sections were constructed in 1997 to serve as Special Pavement Study 9A sites for the characterization of Superpave^® asphalt mixtures. This paper presents an analysis of pavement friction and texture data collected by the Connecticut Department of Transportation on these sections. Friction numbers were obtained with an ASTM E274 locked-wheel pavement friction tester by using smooth (ASTM E524) and ribbed (ASTM E501) tires and a GripTester fixed-slip pavement friction tester. Estimated texture depths were obtained in accordance with ASTM E1845 at each site with a Dynatest laser texture device mounted to the friction tester. In addition, mean profile depths were measured with a Circular Track Meter in accordance with ASTM E2157. The analysis of the results targeted three main objectives. First, the variability of the skid number values, measured by the locked-wheel and the braked-wheel, fixed-slip methods, was evaluated. Next, some empirical relationships between friction number and texture depth developed in previous studies were verified. Last, the friction and texture data were analyzed to correlate the measurements with surface material properties.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Larson

R. M.

Using Friction and Texture Data to Reduce Traffic Fatalities, Serious Injuries, and Traffic Delays. Presented at International Conference for Surface Friction for Roads and Runways, Christchurch, New Zealand, 2005.

Kuemmel

D. A.

, Sonntag

R. C.

, Crovetti

, and Becker

Noise and Texture on PCC Pavements: Results of a Multi-State Study. Final Report No. WI/SPR-08–99. Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Madison, 2000.

Henry

J. J.

NCHRP Synthesis 291: Evaluation of Pavement Friction Characteristics: A Synthesis of Highway Practice. TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 2000.

Hoerner

T. E.

, and Smith

K. D.

High Performance Concrete Pavement: Pavement Texturing and Tire–Pavement Noise. Final Report FHWA-IF-02-020. FHWA, Washington, D.C., 2002.

Hall

J. W.

, Smith

K. L.

, Titus-Glover

, Wambold

J. C.

, Yager

T. J.

, and Rado

NCHRP Web-Only Document 108: Guide for Pavement Friction. Final Report for NCHRP Project 01–43. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2009.

Surface Texture for Asphalt and Concrete Pavements. FHWA Technical Advisory T 5040.31. FHWA, Washington, D.C., 2005.

Flintsch

, Al-Qadi

I. L.

, Davies

, and McGhee

K. K.

Effect of Wearing Surface Characteristics on Measured Pavement Skid Resistance and Texture. Presented at 81st Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 2002.

Davies

R. B.

, Cenek

P. D.

, and Henderson

R. J.

The Effect of Skid Resistance and Texture on Crash Risk. Presented at International Conference for Surface Friction for Roads and Runways, Christchurch, New Zealand, 2005.

Larsen

D. A.

, and Rodrigues

Demonstration and Evaluation of SuperPave Technologies: Construction Report for Route 2. Report No. 2219-1-97-5. Connecticut Department of Transportation. Newington, 1997.