Development of Road Surface Friction Monitoring System to Improve Winter Maintenance Operations

Determining of road surface conditions is an important factor for achieving effective and efficient winter maintenance. This study explores the feasibility of implementing the road surface friction in Japan as a tool to evaluate winter road surface condition quantitatively. Specifically, with a continuous friction tester, the study measures friction of road surface under winter conditions and examines the accuracy of data as well as suitability for winter maintenance operations. Then, developing a friction monitoring system for winter roads, the study enables the road authorities to access the monitoring results easily through the web-system applicable into maintenance decision and evaluation.