MEASURING PAVEMENT SLIPPERINESS WITH A PENDULUM DECELEROMETER

THE PROCEDURE FOR USING A PENDULUM-TYPE (TAPLEY) DECELEROMETER TO MEASURE THE COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION IS AN EMPIRICAL ONE IN WHICH THE TEST CAR IS BRAKED FOR 1 SEC AND THE MAXIMUM DECELERATION RECORDED BY THE DEVICE. THE COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION DETERMINED IN THIS WAY IS REPORTED TO BE CLOSE TO THE VALUE OBTAINED BY MEASURING THE STOPPING DISTANCE. THE VALUE OF THE METHOD IS THAT IT CONVERTS ANY CAR INTO A FRICTION-MEASURING DEVICE MERELY BY PLACING THE SELF-CONTAINED DECELEROMETER ON THE FRONT FLOORBOARD OF THE CAR. ALSO IT DOES NOT REQUIRE THAT THE TEST VEHICLE BE FULLY STOPPED, HENCE IT CAN BE USED IN ALL BUT HEAVY TRAFFIC. ITS LOW COST IS ALSO A GREAT ASSET. HOWEVER, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE MAXIMUM DECELERATION DURING THE FIRST, SECOND AND THE AVERAGE COEFFICIENT OBTAINED BY MEASURING THE STOPPING DISTANCE IS AN EMPIRICAL ONE. THEREFORE, BEFORE ANY FAITH CAN BE PLACED ON THE METHOD WHEN USED ON AMERICAN CARS WHOSE SUSPENSION SYSTEMS AND OTHER FACTORS DIFFER, THE DEGREE OF CORRELATION MUST BE ESTABLISHED. IN 1960, STOPPING DISTANCE TESTS WERE RUN ON 14 SITES WITH 7 MEASUREMENTS PER SITE. A MOVIE CAMERA RECORDED THE ACTION OF A TAPLEY DECELEROMETER AND THE DECELERATION DATA HAVE BEEN REDUCED FROM THESE FILMS. THE PAPER PRESENTS THE DATA FROM THIS STUDY AND ATTEMPTS TO SHOW THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE EMPIRICAL 1-SEC BRAKING PROCEDURE AGREES WITH THE STOPPING DISTANCE RESULTS. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  • https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/HRBbulletin/348/348-003.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • 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:
  • Dillard, J H
• Conference:
  • 41st Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 1962-1-8 to 1962-1-12
• Publication Date: 1962

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 36-43
• Monograph Title: Skidding measurement techniques: 1962 developments
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Bulletin
  • Issue Number: 348
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Braking; Cameras; Coefficient of friction; Correlation analysis; Deceleration; Measurement; Measuring instruments; Pavements; Pendulum tests; Skid resistance; Skidding; Slipperiness; Stopping distances; Surface course (Pavements); Suspensions; Testing; Texture; Vehicles
• Old TRIS Terms: Pendulum decelerometer
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Pavements; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00206752
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jul 15 1994 12:00AM