Can new roads be less safe for a while? Initial skid resistance of wet and dry asphalt pavements in the Netherlands

Over the last decade, the surface characteristics of Dutch asphalt pavements have changed. Asphalt mixes have changed from continuously graded mixes to gap graded mixes, often with smaller nominal aggregate sizes, mainly to fight traffic noise. Because of these developments, a (thicker) bituminous film can appear on the road surface, causing lower initial skid resistance in dry and wet conditions. Extensive research including test sections has shown that the risk of low wet skid resistance directly after laying can be decreased by modifying the asphalt mix with the addition of finer particles, or by (variations of) the traditional chip-treatment. For dry friction, the bituminous film thickness seems to be the best discriminative parameter. For wet skid resistance some further research is needed in order to understand the phenomenon. The risk for casualties related to the short period (up to 3 weeks) showing low initial wet skid resistance is about 0.1 to 0.2 per cent higher than it would be without this phenomenon, but is 3 to 4 times lower than the risk caused by overdue maintenance of road sections with a skid resistance level below the intervention level. So timely maintenance remains the best way to minimise the risk of casualties.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9789612389666
• Authors:
  • Gerritsen, W
  • Groenendijk, J
  • Van Den Berg, N
• Conference:
  • Symposium on Pavement Surface Characteristics, 6th, 2008, Portoroz, Slovenia
• Publication Date: 2008

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 22p
• Monograph Title: 6th Symposium on Pavement Surface Characteristics, 20-23 October 2008, Potoroz, Slovenia: proceedings

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aggregates; Pavement components; Pavement design; Skid resistance; Traffic safety
• Uncontrolled Terms: Pavement technology
• Geographic Terms: The Netherlands
• ATRI Terms: Aggregate; Crash countermeasure; Pavement design; Pavement materials; Skidding resistance
• Subject Areas: Highways; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01383790
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• ISBN: 9789612389666
• Files: ATRI
• Created Date: Aug 22 2012 3:51PM