During the last decade certain developments have been taking place directed towards the reduction of noise levels generated by cement concrete pavements. A reduction in texture depth was considered to be beneficial in that respect and to that end the coarse broom, used in finishing the surface, was in many instances replaced by a finer one or even the surface was washed out. Although these pavements broadly met the specifications of the road authorities the skid resistance during the first months after completion did not always reach the specified level. A CROW-working group was set up to look into this problem, which resulted in the monitoring of skid-resistance over a considerable period of time on a number of newly laid cement concrete sections. The results of this research are published in this report. The data show that the initial skid resistance of the tested sections with surfaces, treated with a fine broom or washed out, indeed did not always reach the demanded level. Nevertheless the skid resistance always was well above the intervention level and in most cases above the warning level. A year after completion all sections showed a satisfactory skid resistance. So, from a safety angle, the available skid resistance does not, not even at the stage right after completion, lead to hazardous situations. The skid resistance of concrete pavements on the long term is not inferior to other types of pavement. Therefore there might well be a case for not adhering too strictly to on the compliance with the specifications. (A)
Abstract