High Friction Surface Treatment WSDOT’s Experience
Jeff Uhlmeyer WSDOT State Pavement Engineer
Rocky Mountain West Pavement Preservation Partnership Seattle, WA October 23-25, 2017
High Friction Surface Treatment - Background • HFS has gained popularity over the last decade in the United States for its crash reduction potential in locations which demand friction – Horizontal curves, locations with heavy braking such as approaches to intersections or crosswalks and/or steep grades
• Nine of the 39 states that have installed HFST have moved to aggressively deploy its use • Many states have documented high reductions in crashes at horizontal curves.
1. FHWA
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High Friction Surface Treatment
• Durable, polish-resistant aggregate applied to an existing surface – Most common applications consist of calcined bauxite with a two-part epoxy resin
• Friction numbers are typically >70 – Average friction numbers on new HMA are generally in the 40 to 50 range
• Generally high benefit-cost ratio – Accidents drastically reduced
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Mechanical Placement
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Mechanical Placement
Mechanical/Manual Placement
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Hand Placement
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Hand Placement
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WSDOT Projects •
2010 - SR 14 (WB On-Ramp at 164th Ave) Experimental Feature project – Two-lift mechanical installation – Third lift was placed in 2011
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2014 - Bald Hills Rd. – Thurston County project – Manual installation using maintenance personnel
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2015 - I-90 (WB On-Ramp at 148th St) and SR 526 (EB to I-5 SB On Ramp) placed under one contract
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2016 - I-5 (SB On-Ramp to I-405), I-405 (WB On-Ramp to I-90), SR 14 (SB Off-Ramp to I-205), I-205 (3 Off-Ramps to SR 14) and SR 2 (Mainline) placed under three contracts
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13 additional projects scheduled in the next three years.
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SR 14 – 2013 (three years later)
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SR 14 – 2016 (six years later)
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Bald Hills Rd. – 2015 (one year later)
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Bald Hills Rd. – 2016 (two yeas later)
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Bald Hills Rd. – 2016 (two years later)
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SR 526 to I-5 Ramp SB – 2016 (9 months later)
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SR 526 to I-5 Ramp SB – 2016 (9 months later)
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148th Street on ramp to I-90 WB – 2016 (9 months later)
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148th Street on ramp to I-90 WB – 2016 (9 months later)
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Issues Affecting HFST Performance • Raveling in roadway surface prior to installation • Existing longitudinal joint reflecting through • Existing cracks deteriorate after placement of HFST • Low density areas in HMA or distresses causing pop outs • Surface tension difference between HMA and resin compound • Are there alternate materials rather than Bauxite that would be effective (NCAT Study)
Therefore WSDOT developed criteria for HFST . . .
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Criteria for HFST Projects
Pavements that are nearing their due year for rehabilitation should not receive HFST • HFST should only be placed on a pavement that is in relatively good condition (5 years or less in age but dependent on condition) – – – –
No structural-related cracking or rutting. No age-related alligator or longitudinal cracking Transverse cracking is okay provided the edges of the cracks are not raveled No cracks greater than ¼ inch in width
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Criteria for HFST Projects (cont.)
– HFST should not be placed over longitudinal joints in the wheel path – The maximum rut depth should be less than 1/4 inch and at least 75% of the site should be less than 1/8 inch – No raveling, flushing or evidence of stripping – No drainage problems that result in water on the pavement surface during dry periods – Must have sufficient surface texture for a good bond
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Friction Performance Bellevue / Eastgate – SB 148th to WB I90 Date tested Baseline FN before treatment Initial FN – after HFST 6-month performance 1 year FN performance 2 year FN performance
5/13/2015 7/7/2015 1/14/2016 8/16/2016 8/23/2017
Single lane ramp / ADT 11400 38.1 74.5 72.1 3.2% decline 71.4 1% decline 71.6 0.3% increase
Everett – EB 526 to SB I5 Baseline FN before treatment Initial FN – after HFST 6-month performance 1 year FN performance 2 year FN performance
Date, time and initials of last edit
Date tested 5/13/2015 7/7/2015 1/14/2016 8/16/2016 8/23/2017
Left lane (GP) / ADT 12650 38.7 82.9 76.6 7.6% decline 73.8 3.5% decline 67.6 8.4% decline
Right lane (HOV) / ADT 2400 39.7 86.0 77.5 77.8 71.9
10% decline 0.4% increase 7.6% decline
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Friction Performance Factoria – SB 405 to WB I90 Baseline FN before treatment Initial FN – acceptance 8-month FN performance 1 year performance
Date tested 5/13/2015 8/16/2016 3/16/2017 8/23/2017
Left lane (GP) / ADT 20150 37.1 83.9 72.8 13% decline 69.8 4.1 decline
Right lane (HOV) / ADT 3090 43.0 87.1 79.3 9% decline 72.4 9.5% decline
Date tested 5/13/2015 8/16/2016 3/16/2017 8/23/2017
Left lane (GP) / ADT 18500 39.3 81.9 62.3 24% decline 63.4 1.7% increase
Right lane (GP) / ADT 7930 41.5 83.1 76.1 8% decline 71.6 6.3% decline
Lynnwood / Swamp Creek -SB I5 to SB 405 Baseline FN before treatment Initial FN – acceptance 8-month FN performance 1 year performance
Date, time and initials of last edit
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HFST Collision Reduction 5-Year Average July - Dec
2015 July - Dec
Percent Reduction
Partial 2016 Jan – Mid February
All Collisions
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1
94%
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Wet Surface Collisions
15.2
0
100%
0
All Collisions
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5
55%
0
Wet Surface Collisions
9.4
1
89%
0
I-90 Westbound
SR 526 Eastbound
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Maintenance of HFST • Cracking – Low, medium or high severity cracking – Do nothing, do not install rubberized crack sealant on HFST
• Delamination – Small areas (5’x10’) – Patch with polymer materials and the bauxite aggregate used for HFST
• Potholes – Isolated spots can be repaired by cutting back to a well-bonded area and using had applied polymer resin and stone to blend the patch with existing material – Small areas (5’x10’) – Will need to patch with asphalt materials then polymer/bauxite on surface • This would be a two-phase patch with asphalt materials, then at least 30 days later, placement of the polymer materials
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Unknowns • Can it be recycled? – Small quantities – Are the material properties relevant to HMA production? – Are there environmental factors that need to be considered?
• Precedence set using HFST – Once placed always placed? – Who pays for treatments between HMA rehab cycles.
• Maintenance repairs
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Summary • The HFST countermeasure is most often used at locations with a higher friction demand (i.e. horizontal curves) and is most effective at sites with a history of wet weather collisions. The safety benefits of high friction surface treatments align with the Washington State Strategic Highway Safety Plan • Pavement condition criteria needs to be determined prior to installation • Preservation maintenance techniques can be used to address needed repairs although similar materials are preferred • The reduction of collisions using HFST has shown to be a valuable low-cost tool around the nation and within Washington State to mitigate lane departure accidents