Road surface friction coefficient measured at different slip ratios – comparison of results from the ViaFriction and SRT-3 devices

Abstract

The anti-skid properties of road surfaces play a key role in ensuring the safety of road users. The paper emphasizes the need to use friction coefficient measurement with a variable slip of the test wheel, which allows for more detailed control of the surface technical condition, e.g., using the ViaFriction device. In Poland, the minimum required friction coefficient values ​​have so far been clearly defined only for the SRT-3 device with the locked wheel. This motivated the authors to compare the friction coefficient measurements obtained with the SRT-3 and ViaFriction devices. The tests were conducted on selected road sections in the Opole Voivodeship (Poland), considering two road surface technologies: stone mastic asphalt (SMA) and cement concrete. In the case of SMA, the operating time and the temperature surface were also taken into account. As a result, a strongly correlated linear relation between the friction coefficients from the SRT-3 and ViaFriction devices was observed for the SMA surface.