THE EFFECTS OF SALTS ON ROAD DRYING RATES, TIRE FRICTION, AND INVISIBLE WETNESS

ROADS MAY BE SLIPPERY EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE NOT VISIBLY WET, AS WATER FILMS OF INVISIBLE THICKNESS CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTIONS IN SKID RESISTANCE ON SOME ROAD SURFACES. THIS HIDDEN WETNESS EXISTS FOR A SHORT TIME WHENEVER SURFACES ARE DRYING FROM THE VISIBLY WET STATE. ROAD SALTS SLOW THE DRYING RATE, WHICH PROLONGS THE CONDITION OF HIDDEN WETNESS, AND CALCIUM CHLORIDE SOLUTIONS MAY PRODUCE A VERY PERSISTENT INVISIBLE SLIPPERY FILM IN SOME ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS. EQUATIONS ARE GIVEN FOR PREDICTING FLUID FILM DRYING RATES AND THE INFLUENCE ON SKID RESISTANCE. /AUTHOR/

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  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Sponsored by Committee on Surface Properties-Vehicle Interaction. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
  • Authors:
    • Mortimer, Thomas P
    • Ludema, Kenneth C
  • Conference:
  • Publication Date: 1972

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: Figures; References;
  • Pagination: pp 45-58
  • Monograph Title: Pavement friction characteristics and water depths
  • Serial:

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00207475
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS, TRB
  • Created Date: Feb 23 1973 12:00AM