<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="https://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
  <channel>
    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
    <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
    <atom:link href="https://rip.trb.org/Record/RSS?s=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" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
    <description></description>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
    <image>
      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
    </image>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluation of a Local Carbonate Aggregate Source for Pavement Surface Applications in the Bristol District</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2714406</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The purpose of this project is to evaluate the field frictional performance of surface paving applications incorporating a local carbonate aggregate source to support potential approval for use in surface applications in the Bristol District. This purpose will be accomplished through coordinated field trials, laboratory characterization, and continued monitoring of existing field sites. Specifically, the study will: (1) further evaluate the performance of existing field projects in the Bristol District to determine whether conclusions drawn from short-term performance monitoring remain consistent over a longer evaluation period, and (2) implement and monitor additional field trials incorporating carbonate aggregates in pavement preservation treatments and surface asphalt mixtures on roadways carrying traffic volumes greater than 750 ADT.
The scope of this study includes friction and surface texture measurements of 14 field sections consisting of carbonate aggregate treatment sections and, where applicable, companion reference sections incorporating conventional non-carbonate aggregates. The evaluated sections will include both pavement preservation treatments and surface asphalt mixture applications. These field sections will be systematically monitored throughout the study period to assess friction and texture performance trends over time and to further evaluate the long-term field behavior of the local carbonate aggregate source under varying traffic conditions.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:54:44 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2714406</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>How Can NMDOT Use TSD Data to Support Pavement Design</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2704033</link>
      <description><![CDATA[TSD is a valuable technology for measuring surface deflections at short intervals and capturing data on roughness, texture, and rutting at traffic speed. Several highway agencies in the United States and other countries are currently either looking into how to use TSD data in their pavement management system (PMS) to ensure responsible expenditure of taxpayers’ dollars.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 20 May 2026 11:15:23 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2704033</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Impact of Pavement and Weather Conditions on Traffic Speed at Sharp Horizontal Curves  </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2646943</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Lane departure crashes on sharp horizontal curves are a major safety concern on both highways and freeways, accounting for a disproportionately high number of fatal and severe injury crashes. Research has shown that these crashes are often linked to speeds relative to curve geometry. While geometric design factors like curve radius and superelevation have been well studied, less attention has been given to how pavement and weather conditions influence traffic speed on these elements. Particularly, current safety models do not fully account for the effects of pavement surface conditions, such as friction, roughness, and texture, or adverse weather elements like precipitation, temperature drops, and reduced visibility. While the impact of factors like road curvature effects on traffic speed have been studied, current models often fail to integrate the complex interaction of pavement conditions and weather data in predicting traffic speeds. This results in inaccurate speed predictions, which can compromise safety and infrastructure planning. Without comprehensive, data-driven models, interventions such as speed limits, signage, or road maintenance are often poorly targeted, leading to higher risks of crashes, congestion, and inefficient resource allocation. The motivation for this project is to develop a predictive model that integrates pavement conditions, weather effects, and road geometry to estimate traffic speed at horizontal curves. This will provide safer roads by enabling better traffic management, targeted infrastructure improvements, and more efficient interventions. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 05 Jan 2026 23:07:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2646943</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Conduct a Friction Testing Program, Data Analysis and Effectiveness of the NMDOT Open Grade Friction Course Program</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2582895</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The conducts friction testing year-round on all state-owned roads and collected data are stored in database. There is a lack of guidance on what new roads should test at for open-graded friction course (OGFC), concrete, or chip seal, or any correlation with traffic safety, smoothness, or resurfacing criteria. Findings from this friction data focused research will be applied to pre- and post- OGFC, to determine if the friction courses are effective.
There is a need to study the influence of friction values (skid number) and limits on traffic crash rate potential, which is proposed herein. In addition, it is important to understand how friction affects paving material selection (say, a good quality high micro-texture aggregate), as well as pavement ME distress functions (modify IRI equation).

This study investigates the relationship between Mean Texture Depth (MTD) and skid resistance, as measured by the Locked Wheel Skid Tester (LWST) under wet conditions, through correlation and regression analyses. Results indicate a strong positive association, with Spearman’s (0.8970), Pearson’s (0.8693), and Kendall’s (0.7349) correlations confirming statistical significance. Among various regression models, polynomial regression best captures the relationship, highlighting a non-linear interaction between pavement texture and skid resistance. Additionally, the study examines the correlation between skid number (SN) and crash data across multiple years. The low R² values for most years suggest a weak correlation, except for 2016 (R²=0.4617), indicating a moderate association. These findings emphasize the necessity of filtering data to identify crash-prone road segments where low SN values significantly contribute to crashes. Proper segment selection and supervised crash data collection are critical.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2025 10:54:23 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2582895</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Updating Friction/Texture Demand Categories for Improved Pavement Design Guidance</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2452923</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The skid qualities of pavements play an important role in road safety. Road surfaces must ensure an adequate level of friction at the tire-pavement interface to provide safe conditions for vehicles. Unfortunately, current asphalt mix design protocols do not explicitly account for friction and texture performance. Furthermore, recent research projects have shown that North Carolina mixes have become finer over the years, resulting in low macrotexture and in some cases compromised skid resistance values in the field. Recently completed projects, RP2020-11 and RP2022-05 have characterized the extent of these issues and proposed performance thresholds to aid North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to identify when potential issues exist. To complete the implementation of the outcomes of this work, additional research is now needed to comprehensively integrate the findings from these projects so that an effective pavement friction management plan can be developed and so that the effectiveness of different surfacing and/or mitigation strategies are fully understood. The final integration process should: (1) relate the mixture compositional factors with the initial friction/texture in the field, (2) define methods to control the construction quality of new surfaces in terms of skid resistance demand, and (3) incorporate functional performance considerations in the mix design process by balancing the structural and functional requirements. 

In light of this need, the proposed research plan will seek to achieve four objectives: (1) validate the proposed friction/texture performance models and their respective investigatory and intervention thresholds; (2) categorize friction demand for existing pavement sections, (3) develop a decision framework that allows identifying the surface characteristics that satisfy friction demand requirements; and (4) develop a quality assurance (QA) protocol to evaluate the pavement surface at the time of construction.
 
These objectives will be met with six tasks: (1) Literature review. (2) Crash rate and threshold validation for alternative surface courses. (3) Develop demand categories for existing pavement sections across the state along with priorities based on crash rates and sites with factors likely to contribute to wet crash rate issues. (4) Develop an evaluation matrix and design guidance for new projects so that the appropriate friction demand category is assigned at the design phase and appropriate material choices can be made at the time of project delivery. (5) Define a quality acceptance protocol to ensure acceptable initial skid resistance after construction. (6) A final report summarizing the methodology, results, and recommendations will be prepared. 

The primary outcome of the proposed research will include friction demand categories and recommendations for design strategies on sites requiring high friction/texture performance. Additionally, a recommended QA procedure will be proposed to ensure adequate friction/texture after construction. This protocol will support the decision-making to mitigate safety problems. Friction and macrotexture have been shown to closely relate to lane departure wet crashes. Higher crash risks are associated with combinations of friction and macrotexture that result in low skid resistance values. Therefore, by controlling the skid resistance performance on roadways through more informed management or material design practices it could be possible to reduce the number of collisions related to skid resistance problem.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 15 Nov 2024 16:35:30 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2452923</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Highway Speed Micro &amp; Macro-Texture Data Collection &amp; Processing for Pavement Friction</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2413941</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Macro and micro-texture data can be used to evaluation roadway friction at the road network level. Both micro and macrotexture data of pavements are crucial for adequate assessment of pavement surface friction, which is a primary indicator of pavement safety sufficiency during inclement weather. The current practice of data collection of pavement macro-texture at network level is based decades-old principle of Mean Profile Depth (MPD) and is well established nationally. However, while micro-texture has been identified as a critical function of available friction, it has not been fully developed because the collection of micro-texture data at highway speed is currently not available due to lack of standards and limitation of sensor technology to achieve sub-0.5-mm data accuracy. The new Safety Sensor at the Western Transportation Institute (WTI) at 0.1-mm 3D resolution is a potential solution to applying a highway speed data collection technology for implementation at MDT for both micro and macro-texture in one pass data collection.
The proposed research The proposed research includes (1) the network level data collection for MDT using the new WTI data vehicle equipped with the Safety Sensor at 0.1-mm 3D resolution; (2) development of technical solutions in data processing and computation using various tribology principles to better represent safety properties of pavement surface than the traditional methods, such as MPD; (3) development of PMS based safety index for network level survey that would pinpoint potential pavement sections with safety concerns; (4) development of evaluation method on pavement section with chip seal treatments for texture & friction properties; (5) development of safety evaluation procedures on bridge approaches and bridge decks based on data collected with the 0.1-mm Safety Sensor.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 06 Aug 2024 11:00:40 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2413941</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices. Topic 56-17. Friction Management Program Practices to meet Safety and Pavement Performance



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2384694</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Pavement friction data is crucial for assessing and preventing safety-related crashes due to loss of traction and directly affects vehicle control during braking, steering, and acceleration. Its effectiveness is influenced by factors such as road geometry, traffic conditions, pavement characteristics, and weather. By integrating friction data with these variables, transportation agencies can pinpoint high-risk areas and implement targeted safety improvements in their Pavement Friction Management Program (PFMP). Resources like the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Pavement Friction Guide (2022) and the AASHTO Highway Safety Manual (2014) offer methodologies to evaluate friction demand and compare it with available friction, helping to minimize crash risks and enhance roadway safety.

This AASHTO Guide recommends a network safety analysis as one of the components of a pavement friction management program. For such an analysis, a functional relationship between crashes (or crash risks) and skid resistance is needed, i.e., a safety performance function (SPF) that uses friction and/or texture as one of the safety predictors. The model structure defined for the SPF can differ among DOTs. There is a need to document the different methods and practices used by state DOTs to model safety performance as a function of friction and to integrate this analysis into a comprehensive PFMP.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this synthesis is to document current and planned state DOT practices incorporating pavement friction characteristics into roadway safety analysis, including pavement friction/texture measurement, associated design processes, safety modeling, and pavement friction management.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 30 May 2024 16:23:59 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2384694</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Develop Recommendations for Evaluating Surface Types and Aggregate Properties to Minimize Wet Weather Crashes</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2256332</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The current design methodology for asphalt and seal coat surfaces is limited when considering safety aspects like friction and surface texture, also known as skid resistance. The only requirement for asphalt or seal coats placed on high demand areas is that they use surface aggregate classification (SAC) A coarse aggregates. This approach has several shortcomings: does not consider the friction and texture of the final surface; does not consider the change in skid resistance versus trafficking; SAC system is defined by the acid insolubility test, not a direct measurement of aggregate properties that mechanically generate skid resistance; and SAC categories are very broad with no distinction of the best and worst performing aggregates in each class.
Consequently, some recent resurfacing projects have resulted in unacceptable skid resistance shortly after construction, even when SAC A aggregates were used. As such, there is a serious need to improve the current design process for asphalt and seal coat to ensure that the surfaces will have acceptable long-term skid resistance.  The research team will develop a laboratory-based system to select the pavement surface type and coarse aggregate types that will provide adequate skid resistance over the life of the pavement surface.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 27 Sep 2023 17:11:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2256332</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Characterization of the Long-term Behavior of Textured Epoxy Coated Rebars in Bridge Decks</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2229006</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Steel reinforcing bars are placed in concrete to strengthen bridges. Placing a textured epoxy coating (TEC) on rebars not only prevents corrosive materials from damaging them, but also improves the composite behavior between steel and concrete. The aim of this project is to evaluate the bond between steel, coating and concrete in textured epoxy-coated rebars and verify that the corrosion protection is equal to coated rebars without texture. The objectives of this research are as follows: (1) verify the consistency in the roughness and bond strength of the new generation of TEC bars, (2) study the impact of TEC bars on controlling crack growth under thermal cycles and high-cycle fatigue loads (service-level live loads) and how it compares to epoxy-coated bars, (3) explore the effect of TEC bars in mitigating the progression of cracks in bridge decks subjected to realistic surface wet conditions, (4) determine the factors impacting the rebar development length and ultimate strength of bridge decks reinforced with TEC bars, (5) establish the corrosion resisting ability of TEC bars subjected to an environment that represents a concrete bridge deck in Illinois. If testing is successful, the use of textured epoxy-coated rebars will lead to longer-lasting bridge decks.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 14 Aug 2023 11:32:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2229006</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Develop Efficient Prediction Model of Highway Friction on an Annual Basis on Texas Network</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2055955</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The number of wet-weather crashes is a significant problem in Texas, consequently, the provision of pavement surfaces with adequate skid resistance or friction is of utmost importance for promoting public safety and saving lives. Measuring skid numbers for the entire Texas roadway network on an annual basis is challenging and inefficient because of the regular stops necessary to refill the water tanks. Fortunately, recent laser technology allows the measurement of texture at high resolution and speed in an efficient manner. Today, a contractor collects only macrotexture for TxDOT and delivers mean profile depth (MPD), which is a very poor predictor of skid. Consequently, TxDOT personnel have to go out and collect skid data at a high cost to calculate skid numbers. Currently TxDOT collects skid resistance on about 33% of their network on an annual basis (approximately 50% of the Interstate system and 25% of the non-Interstate system). The objective of this project is to (i) continue the work that started under TxDOT’s Project 0-7031, (ii) enhance the system that was developed as part of that project and (iii) update the models developed by collecting texture and skid on, at least 3,000 additional pavement sections distributed in at least six different districts. This information will be used to calibrate and validate equations to predict friction and skid numbers with a high degree of accuracy. This research would result in an enhanced system to collect texture data at highway speed for the entire Texas on-system network on an annual basis. The system is intended to be compact and capable of retrofitting to any surveying vehicle with minimal time and effort. This will provide not only savings but additional safety to operations.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Nov 2022 11:48:30 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2055955</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of Numerical Models to Predict the Friction and Skid Number in Network Level Application</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1879817</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT’s) Maintenance Division has recently implemented a comprehensive and more powerful pavement management system known as Pavement Analyst (PA). The new system is capable of prioritizing maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) activities for different time horizons based on a series of decision trees that account for current distress levels, scores, traffic, location, environment, etc. The decision trees incorporate new variables, such as skid and texture which are correlated to the number of wet weather crashes. Controlling these variables shall significantly improve the safety of the Texas highway network. There are no current models for the prediction of skid or texture that can be used on Pavement Analyst. The existing models are based on laboratory characterization and the exponential decay rate is estimated from laboratory performance. The objective of this research project is to develop a performance model to predict pavement skid number as a function of time, for use in TxDOT’s pavement management system, i.e. Pavement Analyst. The research team shall develop models that account for field prediction of skid and texture, to be incorporated into Pavement Analyst and to aid in the selection of optimal M&R activities. These models shall also account for treatment type: PM, LRhb, MRhb, and HRhb.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 22 Sep 2021 16:53:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1879817</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Zero Speed Profiler Assessment for Pavement Smoothness and Continuous Pavement Texture Measurements</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1755605</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The primary goal of this proposal is to evaluate a state of the art technology in roadway profiling called Zero Speed Profiling.  Conceptually developed under NCHRP Project 10-93, “Measuring, Characterizing, and Reporting Pavement Roughness of Low-Speed and Urban Roads,” this research study will evaluate the methodologies and concepts proposed in NCHRP 10-93 on New Jersey pavements and bridges.  It is anticipated that with successful implementation, the Zero Speed Profiler will provide a better assessment of the current pavement profile when compared to the High Speed Profiler.  A more realistic and comprehensive pavement surface assessment will result in better decisions regarding how to preserve or rehabilitate the pavement.

The first Implementation task to be proposed will be presentations of research findings to the NJDOT, NJ State asphalt industry and federal agency members (FAA and FHWA). The second Implementation task proposed will be a workshop consisting of how the Zero Speed Profiler and its respective capabilities can be beneficial to local, state, and federal agencies required to monitor highways.  Lastly, based on the availability of the interested agencies, it will be recommended that the technologies be introduced through pilot projects to create a real-world scenario where the Zero Speed Profiler can be utilized and the proposed specification be evaluated thoroughly prior to full implementation.

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 Dec 2020 11:38:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1755605</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Optimizing Friction and Noise Properties of Preservation Treatments</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1504886</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Nowadays, federal, state and local highway agencies are increasing the demands on the performance and functionality of preservation treatments. It is no longer sufficient to extend the structural performance of a pavement structure but there are demands in terms of friction, noise, drainability. The technical objective of this joint study between UT Austin and UH Manoa will be to evaluate surface treatments used in Hawaii and Texas in terms of texture, friction and pavement-noise. Field sections in both states will be evaluated and monitored during the duration of the project to establish meaningful relationships between texture, friction and noise. These relationships will then be analyzed as a function of the properties of the surface treatment. From these analyses, guidelines will be established that will enable the highway agencies to select the best treatment based on joint requirements of noise level and skid requirements. These guidelines could be used by the state departments of transportation (DOTs) for establishing technical specifications.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 11 Mar 2018 21:13:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1504886</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Use of Rejuvenator Prior to Chip Seal on Aged Flexible Pavement</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1472663</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Emulsions are used as tack coats to bond hot-mix asphalt layers and in chip seals to bind aggregates. The rate of emulsion application is critical to the performance of both tack coats and chip seals and hence, is an important design factor. Emulsion is often applied to aged flexible pavements in North Carolina. Oxidative aging embrittles asphalt binder near the pavement surface which increases top down cracking and raveling, leaving the pavement surface porous and dry. Consequently, when emulsion is applied to an aged flexible pavement, a portion of the applied emulsion will be absorbed by the existing pavement. To compensate, the current practice is to adjust the required target Emulsion Application Rate (EAR) used in the construction based on visual inspection of the existing pavement surface. This current practice is subjective and visual appearance cannot be tied directly to surface dryness. Therefore, an improved method is needed to inform adjustment of the target EAR during construction to account for emulsion lost to absorption. Improved selection of the design EAR will result in prolonged pavement service life, potentially resulting in significant economic savings. 
The objectives of the proposed research project are to do the following: (1) Determine the rate by which pavements absorb emulsion as a function of pavement surface characteristics; and (2) Develop guidelines for the adjustment of the target EAR to account for emulsion absorption based on quantitative measurement of the existing pavement surface characteristics.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 30 Jun 2017 16:08:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1472663</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>PPRC14 SPE 5.02: Performance Models for Seal Coats in PaveM</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1441829</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Develop performance models for specific preservation treatments currently grouped under “Seal Coat” to provide more detailed treatment selection in PaveM, including slurry seals, aggregate seal coats with different binders and gradations, fog seals, and others identified by Caltrans. The task objectives for this project are to: (1) update modeling database with seal coat projects; (2) prepare models and document; and (3)  implement and test models in  PaveM.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2017 10:53:47 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1441829</guid>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>