High performance surface textures for concrete pavements designed according to requirements

For any needed performance there is the right texture – it just has to be defined and produced

Abstract

One of the most important characteristics of pavements from the user’s perspective is the surface texture. Among other points it affects skid resistance, noise emissions, driving comfort, rolling resistance, thus fuel consumption and tire wear. Depending on the kind of pavement, there are different focuses, e. g. noise emission and rolling resistance for high-speed roads or durable skid resistance on industrial pavements. The texture should be optimised for those requirements. Therefore, it is important to approach the surface from a holistic point of view in an innovative way. Today it is normal to apply standardised textures to any pavements. But with the nowadays knowledge it is possible to design textures specifically according to the requirements. That increases the sustainability of traffic pavements by focusing on increased useful life, improving the effects on environmental issues such as GHG or noise emissions or renewing a surface instead of replacing the complete pavement.

For producing the best surface, it is mandatory to know the exact purpose of the pavement. It must be investigated what is the most important characteristic for that purpose to design the appropriate texture. In the next step the designed texture must be applied to the pavement. There are different technologies as for instance micro surfacing, grinding or grooving to achieve this. It is important to know about the advantages and disadvantages of each technique to get the best result. This approach can be used for building a new pavement as well as for rehabilitation of surface textures.