Texturing and evaluation of concrete pavement surface: A state-of-the-art review

Abstract

Concrete pavement is accompanied by two major functional properties, namely noise emission and friction, which are closely related to pavement surface texture. While several technologies have been developed to mitigate tire-pavement noise and improve driving friction by surface texturization, limited information is available to compare the advantages and disadvantages of different surface textures. In this study, a state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice review is conducted to investigate the noise reduction and friction improvement technologies for concrete pavement surfaces. The commonly used tests for characterizing the surface texture, skid resistance, and noise emission of concrete pavement were first summarized. Then, the texturing methods for both fresh and hardened concrete pavement surfaces were discussed, and the friction, noise emission and durability performances of various surface textures were compared. It is found that the next generation concrete surface (NGCS) texture generally provides the best noise emission performance and excellent friction properties. The exposed aggregate concrete (EAC) and optimized diamond grinding textures are also promising alternatives. Lastly, the technical parameters for the application of both diamond grinding and diamond grinding & grooving textures were recommended based on the authors' research and practical experience in Germany and the US. This study offers a convenient reference to the pavement researchers and engineers who seek to quickly understand relevant knowledge and choose the most appropriate surface textures for concrete pavements.