Skid Resistance Deterioration of Steel Slag Pavement Based on Texture Characteristics: A Case Study of Tongjian Highway

Abstract

The skid resistance of asphalt road pavements declines rapidly, and their degradation patterns are unclear. Therefore, predicting and evaluating the skid resistance deterioration of high-speed asphalt pavements is necessary. In this study, high-precision three-dimensional (3D) scanning equipment and digital image processing were used to evaluate and predict the skid resistance degradation of a steel slag–limestone asphalt pavement in the downhill section of the Tongjian Highway. The evaluation and prediction were based on 3D texture features. The research findings indicated a significant correlation between the British pendulum number (BPN) and the 3D texture feature parameters (including the root-mean-square height [Sq], peak valley volume [Vmp], core valley volume [Vmc], central void volume [Vvc], and valley void volume [Vvv]) and demonstrated a consistently declining trend. Therefore, 3D texture feature parameters can serve as effective indicators for evaluating the skid resistance of asphalt pavements. Based on the variations in the BPN and 3D texture feature parameters, the skid resistance of the steel slag pavement is superior to that of the limestone pavement. In addition, the degradation in the antiskid performance of the pavement was predicted using an exponential decay equation, providing a scientific basis for subsequent road maintenance and management.

Keywords: road engineering, texture characteristics, three-dimensional scanner, skid resistance