Case Study: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's High Friction Surface Treatment and Field Installation Program

2015Mergenmeier, AndyPDFTech ReportFHWA-SA-15-038Friction courseCase studiesHighway safetyRan off road crashesSurface course (Pavements)United StatesUnited States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of SafetyVon Quintus, Harold L.Mergenmeier, AndrewUnited States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of SafetyApplied Research Associates, Inc.Federal Highway AdministrationRoadway departure fatalities account for approximately 65 percent of all fatalities in Kentucky. One of the methods KYTC identified to meet the roadway departure goal was the application of high friction surface treatments (HFST). HFST provides a durable and long-lasting solution to specific and defined roadway locations where a contributing factor in crashes is that the roadway friction demand exceeds the available pavement surface friction. This document provides an overview of Kentucky's efforts to establish an HFST program for reducing roadway crashes and fatalities as well as the State's standards, guidance, and specifications for using this safety treatment strategy as a practice to reduce roadway departures at select road sections. It also identifies and discusses the various elements to consider when selecting candidate roadway segments for placing HFSTs and lists some of the important insights and lessons learned from the Kentucky program.84