Exploring the texture–friction relationship: from texture empirical decomposition to pavement friction

Abstract

This paper investigates the pavement friction–texture relationship, using a decomposition method of the pavement texture that is part of a new signal processing technique called ‘Hilbert–Huang transform’ to develop a texture parameters–friction relation. This method allows the empirical decomposition of the texture profile to a set of basic profiles in a limited number, called ‘intrinsic mode functions’ or IMFs. From the obtained IMFs, a set of four new functions called ‘base intrinsic mode functions’ or BIMFs, are introduced and are characterised from the density and sharpness of the peaks contained in the individual BIMFs. Then these two parameters are correlated with the pavement friction using different combinations. This procedure is applied to a set of texture and friction data measured through test roads in France. The textures and frictions are measured using, respectively, the Circular Texture Meter and the Dynamic Friction Tester in France and also on a number of test sites in the USA. The obtained results show a good correlation between some of the BIMF parameters (density and sharpness) and friction.

Keywords::

• pavement friction
• skid resistance
• texture
• Circular Texture Meter
• Dynamic Friction Tester
• Huang–Hilbert transform
• intrinsic mode functions
• base intrinsic mode functions
• density
• sharpness

Notes

^1. Macrotexture refers to the surface irregularities of wavelengths measuring between 0.5 and 50 mm horizontally and between 0.2 and 10 mm vertically, which are partially related to aggregate size. This scale is considered to be the main contributor of water drainage out of the tyre-pavement contact patch.

^2. Microtexture refers to the surface irregularities of smaller wavelengths and is partially related to the type of aggregates (Kane et al.2013). These wavelengths measure between 0 and 0.5 mm horizontally and between 0 and 0.2 mm vertically. Microtexture allows the tyre to break the residual water film to make a close contact with the surface (Do et al.2013).