Skid Resistance of Pavements

Standard pavement types and experimental surfaces on roads throughout Kentucky were evaluated in terms of skid resistance and effects of traffic, wear, and polishing. Friction-versus-speed gradients and the relationships between locked-wheel and incipient friction were determined. Asphaltic concrete pavements on high-speed, four-lane roads were found to be significantly more skid resistant than on two-lane highways and somewhat more skid resistant than concrete surfaces (especially those containing calcareous gravel aggregates). Sand-asphalt surfaces containing significant proportions of limestone sands showed inadequate level of friction for the traffic sustained. Several experimental sand asphalts without limestone sands exhibited greater skid resistance; Kentucky rock asphalt surfaces remain the most skid resistant of all surfaces investigated.