A new and simplified approach to assess the pavement surface micro- and macrotexture

•Miniaturised tests of skid resistance and texture are proposed.•Experiments provide insights about the transportability of the miniaturised tests.•Physical-based models help understand and explain the results of miniaturised tests.•Theoretical aspects can benefit researchers and practitioners.

Road safety depends on pavement skid resistance and surface texture. Skid resistance mainly depends on micro-texture and macrotexture. Skid and texture measurements on samples, in the laboratory, at the preliminary stage of the design, would enhance the design in terms of timing, costs, and reliability. Consequently, this study aims at setting up and validating simple methods for assessing surface texture and skid resistance based on core/sample measurements. Experiments were carried out and predictive relationships were set up to explain and predict results. Under given conditions, miniaturised macro-and microtexture tests (modified EN 13036-1 and modified EN 13036-4, respectively) prove to be a reliable tool to optimise texture design. Results highlight the suitability of the proposed methodology and can benefit both researchers and practitioners.

Graphical abstractDownload high-res image (182KB)Download full-size image