Measuring Friction of Patterned and Textured Pavements

• Published in: Transportation research record 2010-01, Vol.2155, p.91-98
• Main Authors: Holzschuher, Charles, Choubane, Bouzid, Lee, Hyung Suk, Jackson, N Mike
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0361-1981
• DOI: 10.3141/2155-10

The Florida Department of Transportation initiated a field study to compare the suitability of two friction-testing devices for measuring the friction characteristics of patterned and textured crosswalks: (a) a site-specific dynamic friction tester (DFT) and (b) a semicontinuous locked wheel tester. The locked wheel testing was performed with both ribbed and smooth tires at 20, 30, and 40 mph (30, 50 and 65 km/h), respectively. Ten test sections were randomly selected to include the different types of patterned and textured processes currently approved for use in Florida. The results of this study indicated that the smooth tire measurements were, generally, in good agreement with the DFT, regardless of test speed. The correlation between the DFT and the ribbed tire test improved with the increasing speed of the locked wheel testing. In addition, for a given test method, harmonization of different test speeds was also performed to allow for the speed conversion of the friction coefficients. The flexibility provided by these harmonization efforts is of great practical use in evaluating the frictional characteristics of patterned and textured crosswalks, especially when dealing with constraints such as speed limits. The testing program, the data collection effort, and the subsequent analyses and findings are described, as well as the lessons learned from Florida's experience with patterned and textured pavements. Show References