FRICTION AND SLIPPERINESS

A DISCUSSION IS CONDUCTED ON ASPECTS OF THE TIRE-PAVEMENT FRICTION PROBLEM IN WHICH HYDROPLANING DOES NOT TAKE PLACE, EITHER BECAUSE THE WATER LAYER ON THE PAVEMENT IS TOO THIN, OR THE DRAINAGE CHANNELS PERMIT READY ESCAPE OF THE WATER FROM THE CONTACT AREA, OR THE SPEED IS TO LOW. UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, FRICTION IS ALMOST ENTIRELY DUE TO ADHESION AND HYSTERESIS LOSSES IN THE TREAD RUBBER. WET CONDITIONS ARE IGNORED AND THE PAVEMENT IS CONSIDERED AS BEING PERFECTLY RIGID. THE ADHESION COMPONENT OF FRICTION IS DUE TO THE MAKING AND BREAKING OF ATOMIC JUNCTIONS BETWEEN THE RUBBER AND PAVEMENT SURFACES WHILE THE HYSTERESIS COMPONENT IS CAUSED BY LOSSES WITHIN THE BULK OF THE TREAD RUBBER. THE DAMPING CHARACTERISTICS OF VISCOELASTIC MATERIALS ARE SHOWN TO BE STRONGLY FREQUENCY- AND TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT. AT A GIVEN TEMPERATURE, DAMPING WILL BE AT A MAXIMUM AT A DEFINITE DEFORMATION FREQUENCY OF THE BULK AND OF THE SURFACE MOLECULES OF THE RUBBER. THE MECHANISMS OF RUBBER FRICTION, OF THE TIRE-PAVEMENT CONTACT, AND OF THE POLISHING PROCESS ARE ANALYZED. AN IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC OF THE DAMPING PROPERTIES OF VISCOELASTIC MATERIALS IS THAT THE DAMPING PEAK SHIFTS TO ANOTHER FREQUENCY WITHOUT CHANGING ITS MAGNITUDE AS THE TEMPERATURE CHANGES. THE TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE OF TIRE FRICTION IS OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE IN FRICTION SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS OF HIGHWAY SYSTEMS. TIRE PERFORMANCE IS INFLUENCED BY TIRE CONSTRUCTION, INFLATION PRESSURE AND TREAD. THE ABRASION AND POLISHING PROCESS OF TRAFFIC ON MINERAL AGGREGATES ARE DISCUSSED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT PAVEMENT SURFACES CAN MAKE A GREATER CONTRIBUTION TO AN INCREASE IN TIRE-PAVEMENT FRICTION. SURFACE COURSES WHICH RETAIN A HIGH RESISTANCE OVER LONG PERIODS OF TIME ARE NOW BEING LAID IN VARIOUS PORTIONS OF THE UNITED STATES.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1968/214/214-003.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper sponsored by Committee on Surface-Vehicle Interaction, and presented at the 46th and 47th Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board. 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:
  • Meyer, W E
• Publication Date: 1968

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 13-17
• Monograph Title: Surface properties of pavements and vehicle interaction
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 214
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adhesion; Coefficient of friction; Construction; Damping (Physics); Hysteresis; Inflation; Mineral aggregates; Performance; Polished aggregates; Rigid pavements; Rubber; Skid resistance; Slipperiness; Surface course (Pavements); Temperature; Tire treads; Tires; Viscoelasticity
• Subject Areas: Construction; Highways; Pavements; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00206744
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jul 15 1994 12:00AM