Effects of pavement surface texture on noise and frictional characteristics.

793921172Final report.PDFTech ReportHR-281Tire/pavement noiseTraffic noiseTestingPavement groovingRoad constructionSkiddingFrictionIowaIowa. Dept. of TransportationRidnour, RonVander Schaaf, DaleIowa. Highway Research BoardUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationNTL-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATION-Pavement Management and PerformanceNTL-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATION-DesignNTL-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATION-Construction and MaintenanceNTL-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATION-MaterialsUS Transportation CollectionAn experimental modification of the transverse groovesurface texture of a section of an urban interstate highway wasperformed by the Iowa Department of Transportation. Transversegroove texturing is a design feature required by the FederalHighway Administration to reduce skidding under wet pavementconditions. Adjacent residents claimed the texturing was thecause of especially annoying tonal characteristics within thetraffic noise. A research proposal to modify the existingtexture pattern by surface grinding and to study the noise andfriction effects was approved for funding by the Iowa HighwayResearch Board. Results in the form of a comparison betweentraffic noise before modification and traffic noise immediatelyafter and 15 months after modification indicate that the changein surface texture has lowered overall traffic noise levels byreducing a high frequency component of the traffic noisespectrum. Friction testing data show reduced capacity of theroadway to inhibit wet pavement skidding as a result of thesurface modification