Study on the water film thickness prediction for concrete pavement
Since the decrease of skid resistance of the road surface due to the effects of hydroplaning increases the ratio of vehicle crashes significantly, it is important to predict water film thickness (WFT). Tined is one of the widely used textures for concrete pavements. Since previous WFT models have been developed based on the asphalt pavement texture and broom concrete, it may not give reliable predictions for Water film thickness for tinned concrete. Furthermore, surface flow on tined texture may show hydraulically different characteristics due to the geometric characteristics of tined texture. This study aims to propose a reliable water film thickness prediction model for tined concrete. Three test slabs including a smooth surface, a tined surface with 16mm spacing, and a tined surface with 25mm spacing were prepared. WFTs of the test slab were measured for various conditions such as pavement slope (0-10%), rainfall intensity (0-130mm/h), and drainage path length (0-5m). A statistical model was proposed to predict water film thickness (WFT) as a function of pavement slope, rainfall intensity, drainage path length, and mean texture depth. This model exhibits strong agreement with the experimental test results. The GWNU prediction model consistently provides reliable predictions with the actual WFT for tined concrete pavement. Conversely, the previous equation consistently underestimated the water film thickness, notably on tined surfaces with 16 mm and 25 mm spacing, due to the occurrence of viscous flow along the tined lines.