Surface Materials and Properties Related to Seasonal Variations in Skid Resistance
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Published:1982
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A three-year research program was initiated in 1978 at the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute by the U.S. Department of Transportation to investigate possible causes for seasonal and short-term skid resistance variations. The primary objective is to determine the parameters which can be used to predict the influence of seasonal and short-term effects. This paper is concerned with the material parameters influencing the long-term seasonal variations.
Data are analyzed from 21 test surfaces in State College, Pennsylvania and 10 test surfaces in Tennessee and North Carolina. The data include skid resistance measurements according to the ASTM Test for Skid Resistance of Paved Surfaces Using a Full-Scale Tire (E 274-79), British Pendulum Number measurements, calculated percent normalized skid number gradient, and average daily traffic volumes. An exponential curve is fitted to the skid number data for the asphalt pavements, while a linear relationship best fits the data for portland cement concrete surfaces. The coefficients of the resulting seasonal variation curves are regressed against pavement and traffic parameters to provide predictors for the long-term effects. Significant predictors are found to be British Pendulum Number and average daily traffic. Further predictors are suggested by the results of a pavement polishing experiment carried out on the 21 Pennsylvania test surfaces. Good agreement is observed between the two sets of test data.