Speed Limits and Pavement Friction: A Theoretical and ExperimentalStudy

Background:As is well known, in road construction, quality acceptance procedures and quality assurance/control procedures during operations(for maintenance and rehabilitation purposes) focus on material quality from a mechanistic and safety perspective. This latter usuallyentails the consideration of friction and surface texture indicators. When friction requirements (e.g., side friction coefficientsmeasured through the SCRIM machine) are not satisfied, road agencies have two main options: closing the traffic or having lowerspeed limits. The first option is often unrealistic and challenging. It turns out that a new, often temporary, speed limit is required andappropriate methodologies are required to carry out this critical task. Aims and Objectives:Consequently, the objective of the study presented in this paper is to set up a methodology aiming at engineering-based assessmentsof speed limits based on actual friction values. Original and consistent algorithms are set up to solve theoretical and practical issues. Result and Conclusion:The main contributions of this study include: (1) setting up a methodology for friction-based assessment of speed limits throughinnovative speed-friction relationships and criteria; (2) utilising the methodology for a case study; (3) providing recommendations forthe application.Results prove that the algorithms set up are reasonable and well-grounded in logic. They can benefit both researchers andpractitioners