Abstract

During rain storm events, water builds up on road pavement, thereby reducing the contact between vehicle tires and road surface putting drivers as well as road users into immediate danger, especially at high speeds. This is a considerably dangerous condition of the road and the realistic measurements and prediction of the effect of rainfall event on pavement surface is relevant for road traffic management and safety. In this research, the skid resistant performance of water-induced slippery pavement was characterized by means of a British Pendulum Skid Tester. Through simulating different pavement conditions in the laboratory, the skid resistance of asphalt pavement under various water-induced slipperiness is measured with the use of pendulum friction coefficient tester. Then, the effects of the degree of wetness on skid resistance of dry, wet, water filmed, water ponded and waterflooded pavements are quantitatively analysed. The effect of water thickness on the pavement has been established. Through quantitative analysis, empirical evaluation model of pavement friction coefficient (PFC) under different rain-induced wet conditions has been created. The PFC is classified into five levels, which illustrates the equivalent relationships of skid resistance assessment and asphalt pavement slippery conditions occasioned by rainfall events.