Laboratory assessment of road macrotexture durability

One essential parameter affecting safety of vehicles is the pavement surface texture. Degradation of this texture can lead to inadequate driving conditions and increased accident rates. The durability of the asphalt concrete macrotexture was evaluated using laboratory testing. The experimental procedure consists of a mechanical test which aims to simulate the impact of heavy traffic on the pavement overlays. The macrotexture of the upper face of a cylindrical specimen is altered by applying a sinusoidal repeated load on its surface. After each sequence of loading, the surface of the specimen is scanned, using a laser texture evaluation device in order to quantify the evolution of the macrotexture. This device transforms the geometry information gathered into a three dimensional map. Performing alternate sequences of loading and scanning enables the assessment of changes in macrotexture and correlates these changes with safety conditions. The materials, the experimental procedure and the various surface indicators developed to analyse the evolution of material properties are presented. For the covering abstract see ITRD E157233