Development and Demonstration of a Pavement Friction Management Program

completed

In phase I, the contractor performed a literature review on pavement friction and macro-texture and safety. They wrote a report on theoretical vehicle, tire, and pavement interactions as they relate to skid crashes in order to recommend the best equipment to measure friction and macro-texture. In phase III, the contractor will use the recommended equipment (purchased by the Federal Highway Administration) to test about 700 miles in several friction demand categories, in four States, to develop pavement friction thresholds and management programs. Goals Perform a literature review and establish theoretical relationships for tire-pavement interactions in order to recommend the best piece of continuous friction measurement equipment (CFME) for developing friction thresholds for maintenance intervention. Perform friction tests using the best CFME (on several friction demand categories in at least four States) to establish threshold levels for friction and macro-texture, based on the procedures in the 2010 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Guide for Pavement Friction and possibly newly developed statistical methods if warranted. Assist these four State DOTs to develop "Pavement Friction Management Programs." Develop training materials to document the new procedures.