AASHTO GPVF

Description / Abstract: This Guide for Pavement Friction was prepared under NCHRP Project 1-43 to provide highway pavement practitioners with guidance in designing, constructing, and managing pavement surfaces—as part of both new and rehabilitation projects—that meet the public's demand for safe friction levels, while recognizing and considering the effects of noise generation and other pavement– tire interaction issues (e.g., splash and spray, tire wear).

The guide contains recommendations and tools for upper-level administrators and policy-makers, as well as front-line pavement designers and managers. These recommendations are intended to supplement but not replace an agency's normal structural and/or mix design practices. The guide covers the following topics:

• Characteristics of pavement materials and surfaces that contribute to adequate wet-weather friction;
• Friction-testing methods, equipment, and indices;
• Methods for establishing friction levels that signify (a) design of new pavement surfaces, (b) increased potential for skid-related crashes, and (c) the immediate need for friction restoration; and
• Guidance for aggregates, mixtures, and surface types that result in long-lasting, high-quality friction surfaces, with proper consideration of noise, economics, and other friction-related issues (e.g., splash and spray, hydroplaning, tire wear).

The guide addresses both asphalt (i.e., flexible and semi-rigid) and concrete (i.e., rigid) pavements associated with both original construction (i.e., new construction and reconstruction) and maintenance and rehabilitation (MR) treatments. It does not address winter maintenance issues (i.e., snow and ice removal/treatment) and does not deal with unpaved surfaces or nonhighway pavements.