(logo whooshing) (ominous music)
(car engine rumbling)
- [Narrator] The right amount of pavement friction
is critical for motor's safety,
especially during wet weather.
The Wet Surface Crash Reduction Program
from TxDOT Traffic Safety Division,
helps engineers identify existing pavement friction,
and the tools for specifying new pavement surfaces
that will meet friction demand.
Even so in recent years,
some flexible pavements have resulted in
lower than expected skid value.
To understand the problem,
researchers with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute
are evaluating the criteria used
to determine surface aggregate classifications.
- It's at TxDOT that we have a program,
it's called the Wet Surface Crash Reduction Program.
This program provides the framework
for identifying existing pavement friction.
Form 2088 is one of those tools using the program
to select those surfaces that meet the demand.
So really what this project was trying to accomplish,
was to evaluate that criteria
and to make sure that the form is really helping us
make the best decisions for our pavements.
- What we wanted to look at was the criteria on the form,
see if there is been research
since the form was created in the late '90s
and update that criteria based on the latest research.
- [Robert] What the project did
was found improvements in the program.
So it triggered two research statements.
So the first one was the evaluation of surface types,
pavement friction, and wet weather accidents.
The other project that is needed as a result of this study
is to incorporate some of the findings in a different form.
- We also recommended
that they look at the Safety spreadsheet.
This is another spreadsheet that TTI developed
through some research
that the districts are starting to use.
And a lot of the criteria that's on the form,
is also captured in that Safety spreadsheet.
So we think it's a good efficient use of resources
to just have one form.
We found some information about the aggregate
that was not being captured,
and so we made a recommendation
to improve the surface aggregate classification system
to include some pavement friction requirements
into that system.
- So safety is our priority here at Texas.
Not only safety of our employees industry,
but also it is critical to address safety
of the traveling public.
We think there's a critical need that our criteria
and our current form and our current processes,
need to make sure that the right criteria is evaluated.
We need to make sure that that aggregate
and the selection form is accurately tying friction
and reducing those accidents.
We wanna make sure that the traveling public is safe.
- [Narrator] For more information,
and to find the publications for this project,
please visit the TxDOT research library
at the link shown below.