Experimental Study on Wet Skid Resistance of Asphalt Pavements in Icy Conditions

Abstract

In this research, the durability of skid resistance during the ice melting process with temperature increasing from −5 °C to 10 °C was characterized by means of a British Pendulum Skid Tester. Four types of pavement surfaces were prepared and tested. The difference between two antiskid layers prepared with bitumen emulsion was the aggregate. The detailed angularity and form 2D index of fine aggregates used for antiskid surfaces, characterized by means of the Aggregate Image Measure System (AIMS) with micro image analysis methods, were then correlated with British Pendulum Number (BPN) values. Results indicate that skid resistance has the lowest value during the ice-melting process. The investigated antiskid layers can increase the surface friction during icy seasons. In icy conditions, the skid resistance behavior first worsens until reaches the lowest value, and then increases gradually with increasing temperature. Results from ice-melting conditions on four investigated pavement surfaces give the same temperature range where there will be lowest skid resistance. That temperature range is from 3 °C to 5 °C. A thicker ice layer will result in a lower skid resistance property and smaller “lowest BPN”.

How Can Sustainable Materials in Road Construction Contribute to Vehicles’ Braking?

“…This sounds normal because tyre becomes softer due to its viscoelastic nature. This remark is in accordance with existing related studies on this subject area [1,27,41,42]. The drop in BPN (from 10 • C to 30 • C) which is around 35% for H D , 25% for H B and H E as temperature increases is beyond the standard error of the measurements which is around 3% to 0.5% and presented in the form of standard error bars.…”

“…The tyre characteristics influencing friction include tread design, rubber composition, tyre inflation pressure and condition, temperature, load distributed through the vehicle axes, and vehicle operating conditions (i.e., free rolling or braking). Among the environmental factors related to seasonal conditions in a roadway environment, rainfall, condensation, snow, ice and temperature are most commonly considered [27]. In addition, contaminants on the pavement surface play also a crucial role as the presence of oils, rubber buildup and dust create an unsafe environment for vehicles' braking ability [11].…”

Development of Porous Asphalt with Bitumen Emulsion, Electric arc Furnace Slag and Cellulose Fibers for Medium Traffic Roads

“…At the same time, they provide a comfortable and safe road surface for vehicles and possess several particular characteristics [27]. Among these characteristics are: the capacity to drain water, due to its high content of voids; high skid resistance, provided by its macrotexture derived from the use of mainly coarse aggregate; the reduction of noise emissions, as it has a high content of voids that is capable of absorbing noise [28,29]; as well as a comfortable bituminous mixture in terms of regularity, safety and sonority for drivers [30][31][32]. They are, therefore, bituminous mixtures with very good characteristics that have, however, not always been developed successfully, because of the use of low-quality materials or inadequate execution processes [33].…”

Effect of the Compactness on the Texture and Friction of Asphalt Concrete Intended for Wearing Course of the Road Pavement

“…Friction refers to the force developed in the tire-pavement interface, and it can be affected by several factors, such as the properties of the tire, the vehicle speed, the type of the aggregate, and the surface texture of the road pavement [1][2][3]. Generally, new asphalt pavement can provide enough friction, and the asphalt pavement will be polished due to traffic in its service life.…”