ACI 325.

6R-88
(Reapproved 1997)

Texturing Concrete Pavements

Reported by ACI Committee 325

Ralph L. Duncan* Shiraz D. Tayabji

Chairman Secretary

Carl P. Meglan Michel Amin Sargious

Richard O. Albright Robert J. Fluhr Jon I. Mullarky Terry W. Sherman
Walid Abu-Onk Wilbur C. Greer, Jr. Thomas J. Pasko, Jr. Douglas C. Staab
Glen Bollin Starr D. Kohn Robert W. Piggott William V. Wagner, Jr.
Jerry A. Breite Torbjorn J. Larsen Steven A. Ragan C. Philip Weisz*
Benjamin Colucci Richard A. McComb, Sr. John L. Rice* Gerald E. Wixson
Michael 1. Darter B. Frank McCullough Raymond S. Rollings William A. Yrianson*

The importance of the need for skid-resistant pavement has been
known for many years. Increased traffic volumes and speeds have in-
creased the need for an improved skid-resistant surface. The empha-
sis has been to improve skid resistance by creating new surface tex-
tures that increase the “macrotexture” of the concrete pavement.
These textures are created by forming the deeper textures in the plas-
tic concrete during the finishing operations. Skid resistance has also
been improved in existing concrete pavements by sawing grooves in
the hardened concrete with cutting heads composed of a number of
circular diamond saw blades. The traveling public may better under-
stand this as a process of placing a “tread” in the pavement surface,
which complements the tread on the car tires, and stops the vehicle
without skidding or loss of control by permitting the rapid escape of
water.
Keywords: concrete finishes (hardened concrete); concrete finishing (fresh con-
crete); concrete pavements; maintenance; measurement; skid resistance; tex-
ture.
CONTENTS
Chapter 1-Need for texture, p. 325.6R-1
1.l-Development of textures
1.2-Benefits of texturing
1.3-Factors affecting skid resistance
Chapter 2-Texture types, p. 325.6R-3
2.l-Texturing plastic concrete
2.2-Texturing hardened concrete
Chapter 3-Testing, p. 325.6R-8
3.1-Measuring skid resistance
3.2-Measuring texture
Chapter 4-Maintenance, p. 325.6R-9
4.1-Snow and ice removal
4.2-Retexturing
Chapter 5-Standards related to this report, p.
325.6R-9
Chapter 6-References, p. 325.6R-10
6. l-Cited references
6.2-Related references
CHAPTER 1 - NEED FOR TEXTURE
1.1- Development of textures
The importance of the need for a uniform surface
texture to increase skid resistance of both highways and
airport pavements has been recognized for many
years. ‘s2
The problem of skidding vehicles is not considered to
be critical when low volumes of traffic and low speeds
are prevalent .3 During the late 1940s and early 1950s,
civil engineers raised serious concerns about pavement
safety on the highway system. Increasing traffic vol-
umes and speeds, which were contributing to a con-
stantly increasing number of accidents and fatalities in
the United States, were the two main factors that led
engineers to believe that pavement skid resistance
needed to be improved if skidding accidents were to be
reduced.

ACI Committee Reports, Guides, Standard Practices, and

Commentaries are intended for guidance in designing, plan-
ning, executing, or inspecting construction and in preparing
specifications. Reference to these documents shall not be made
in the Project Documents. If items found in these documents
are desired to be part of the Project Documents they should
be phrased in mandatory language and incorporated into the
Project Documents.
Copyright @I 1988, American Concrete Institute.
All rights reserved including rights of reproduction and use in any form or
by any means, including the making of copies by any photo process, or by any
electronic or mechanical device, printed, written, or oral, or recording for sound
or visual reproduction or for use in any knowledge or retrieval system or de-
vice, unless permission in writing is obtained from the copyright proprietors.
*Texturing Concrete Pavement Task Group.
The committee would like to recognize the contribution made by Martin L.
Cawley for background information and editorial help in preparing this report.

325.6R-1
325.6R-2 ACI COMMITTEE REPORT
During the same period, aircraft runways were being
more critically examined in terms of pavement slipperi-
ness. The advent of jet-powered aircraft quickly estab-
lished that high-performance airplanes, with accompa-
nying higher takeoff and landing speeds, were much
more difficult to control on wet runways than were pis-
ton-type aircraft .4
Published reports on the adverse effect of pavement
slipperiness on vehicle control go back to the late nine-
teenth century. The first concrete street in the United
States, built in Belfontaine, Ohio, had 4 x 4 in. (102
x 102 mm) squares formed in the plastic concrete to
provide traction for horses’ hooves.
Grooving hardened concrete pavement appears to
have been a British innovation that was used in 1956 on
a number of airfield pavements in England. In the
United States in the early 1 9 6 0 s the California State
Division of Highways started sawing grooves in pave-
ments to reduce hydroplaning on curves.4
Textures have also been constructed on bridges and
parking-deck ramps by building up a multicomponent
epoxy coating system, as indicated in ACI 503.3-79.
For many years, pavement texturing in plastic concrete
had been accomplished with a burlap drag or a belt
drawn longitudinally along the pavement surface. Dur-
ing the late 1960s, deeper texturing efforts were initi-
ated. Textures on pavements have been made with both
longitudinal and transverse patterns using brooms, tin-
ing combs or rakes, roller imprints, and a longitudi-
nally drawn, coarse polyethylene artificial-turf drag in-
verted to provide texture.
The concerns of engineers in developing new deeper
textures in concrete whether in the plastic state or in the
hardened state were:
1. The possibility of objectionable pavement noise.
2. The possibility of increased roughness, which
would cause objectionable vehicle handling character-
istics.
3. Problems associated with vehicles, particularly
motorcycles, experiencing sensations of “tracking” or
loss of handling control of the vehicle on longitudinal
grooves.
4. Increased aircraft-tire wear associated with high-
speed landings on deeper textured pavements.
5. Increased pavement wear and rutting.
Highway and airport designers have no control over
vehicle speed and tire characteristics, and therefore
must pay attention to the skid resistance of the pave-
ment surfaces in their designs. Specifications should be
adopted for constructing new portland cement concrete
pavements with satisfactory surface textures and
crowns for existing older pavements that have lost their
skid resistance.
Cross slopes (or crowns) built into concrete pave-
ments, airport runways, and high-speed turnoffs pro-
vide for draining the water from the surface rapidly.
Generally, a minimum cross slope on highways of 1
percent is recommended. Slopes greater than this can be
used provided they are consistent with road safety and
driveability of the vehicles using them. Cross slopes on
airport runways and taxiways vary from 1 percent to a
maximum of 1.5 percent. The cross slopes enhance the
skid resistance of textures by proving a good drainage
characteristic.
1.2 - Benefits of texturing
The results of testing with a standard skid trailer
(ASTM E 274) indicate that transverse textures pro-
duce higher friction numbers than longitudinal textures
(higher friction numbers indicate greater skid resis-
tance). However, it does not necessarily follow that
transverse textures should be used throughout the high-
way system, since friction numbers, as measured with
the locked-wheel device, are not sensitive to cornering
friction. It is apparent from studies of grooved pave-
ment that longitudinal grooving increases cornering
friction significantly, whereas transverse grooving in-
creases mainly longitudinal braking friction.5 Trans-
verse grooves provide a path perpendicular to the di-
rection of travel for the escape of water under the tire,
which is an important factor in reducing hydroplaning.
The Edens Expressway in Cook County, Ill., was
constructed as a jointed portland cement concrete
pavement in the early 1950s. The pavement was resur-
faced with a bituminous concrete mix in the late 1960s.
Between 1979 and 1980, it was reconstructed as a con-
tinuously reinforced concrete pavement. The texturing
technique used in the reconstructed pavement was a
longitudinally drawn artificial turf drag followed by a
transverse tine device. The positive benefits of surface
tining are reflected in a comparison of the accident sta-
tistics compiled for the four years before and after its
reconstruction, as shown in Table 1.2. The northbound
lanes were installed in 1979 with tining combs that had
tines spaced at 1/2 in. (13 mm). In 1980, the south-
bound lanes were constructed; however, the tine spac-
Table 1.2 - Statistics compiled by Illinois De-
partment of Transportation, District 1 Bureau of
Traffic
Safety impact of Edens Expressway reconstruction - Four years be-
fore-after comparison of Edens Expressway versus System*
Accidents before Accidents after
reconstruction: econstruction: Change,
Accident type 1 1974 to 1977 1981 to 1984 percent
I
59,869 - 3.9
3249 - 22.9
181 - 7.7
11 - 8.3
13,677 - 8.9
1001 - 22.8
16,470 + 8.9
851 - 40.8
7769 + 2.4
510 - 40.8
*Chicago Metropolitan Expressway System accident experience excluding
Edens Expressway.
Note: Edens Expressway under construction 1978 to 1980.
 TEXTURING CONCRETE PAVEMENTS
ing was changed to 3/4 in. (19 mm) to reduce tearing of
the concrete surface. Although a slight increase in noise
level was anticipated, it was negligible when measured
and actually screened out by other noises. The 3/4 in.
(19 mm) tine s pa cingis now standard in Illinois.”
The reduction of the “wet, snow/ice road surface
conditions” accidents in Table 1.2 shows a very im-
pressive safety impact has been achieved by reducing
accidents. This improvement has been attributed to the
improved surface texture.
Additional benefits observed on pavements with the
deeper textures are: 1) a reduction in water spray from
traffic due to improved surface drainage, by providing
channels for the expulsion of water at the tire-pave-
ment interface into the grooves or deeper striations; 2)
a reduction in headlight glare due to the rougher sur-
face of the pavement; and 3) a slower buildup of rub-
ber on runways due to airplane touchdowns on grooved
airport pavements.
1.3 - Factors affecting skid resistance
Skid resistance of pavements is affected by both the
“microtexture” of the pavement as related to the sand
in the mortar portion of the concrete mixture; and by
the “macrotexture,” which is defined as the measur-
able deeper striations or grooves formed in the plastic
concrete during the finishing operations, or the shallow
grooves cut in the hardened pavement with cutting
heads composed of uniformly spaced circular diamond
saw blades. This report will not discuss microtexture.
The term “hydroplaning” refers to the separation of
tire contact from the pavement surface by a layer of
water. This separation causes a loss of steering and
braking control of the vehicle. Hydroplaning is a com-
plex phenomenon that is affected by 1) water depth; 2)
pavement texture; 3) tire-tread depth; 4) tire-inflation
pressure; 5) tire-contact area; and 6) vehicle speed. An
approximate relationship exists between the speed at
which hydroplaning will occur and the tire inflation
pressure
___________
Hydroplane speed = 10.35 \/ tire pressure
when speed is in mph and pressure is in psi.
Fig. 2.1.1-Artificial turf texture
325.6R-3
Some of the earliest investigations and technical re-
ports on loss of vehicle control, which came from the
National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA),
were primarily concerned with hydroplaning of aircraft
during wet weather operations. The U.S. Army Air
Corps, and its successor the U.S. Air Force, also did
valuable work on this subject. Later, the Road Re-
search Laboratory in Great Britain began investiga-
tions related to hydroplaning of automobiles. Concur-
rent with this research, the Americans and Germans
studied tires and road surfaces to seek their own theo-
ries of the factors contributing to skidding.5
CHAPTER 2 - TEXTURE TYPES
2.1 - Texturing plastic concrete
2.1.1 Artificial turf texture - This finish (Fig. 2.1.1)
2.1.1) may be accomplished by using artificial turf in-
verted and suitably attached to a device that will permit
control of the time and rate of texturing. A transverse
artificial turf with approximately 2 ft. in contact with
the pavement surface and operated longitudinally in the
direction that the pavement is being placed should be
required. The artificial turf may be weighted to pro-
duce a deeper and more uniform texture.
One artificial turf that provides a satisfactory texture
is made of molded polyethylene with turf blades ap-
proximately 0.85 in. (21.6 mm) long, and containing
7200 individual blades per ft2 (930 cm2).
2.1.2 Transverse tine texture - This finish (Fig.
2.1.2) may be obtained by using a single pass of an ar-
tificial turf or burlap followed by a mechanically oper-
ated transverse-texturing device. The texturing device
consists of a single line of flat, slightly flexible, tem-
pered spring steel tines, spaced at not less than 1/2 in.
(12.7 mm) nor more than 1 in. (25 mm) centers. Closer
centering of the tines will lead to early raveling while
larger spacing may lead to objectionable road noise.
Random spacings have been used on some projects due
to the concern for noise developing from a uniform
spacing. The tine width should be 1/8 in. (3.2 mm).
Texturing is applied while the concrete is still plastic
325.6R-4 ACI COMMITTEE REPORT
enough to obtain a depth of at least 1/8 in. (3.2 mm) but
not more than 1/4 in. (6.4 mm). The texture is obtained
by one continuous pass of the width of pavement being
textured. Additional passes or overlapping are not de-
sirable because they create weak narrow ridges of mor-
tar that will break easily under traffic.
2.1.3 Longitudinal tine texture - The longitudinal
tine texture (Fig. 2.1.3) is accomplished with the same
basic materials, equipment, and care as the transverse
tine texture, except that the tines are pulled in a line
parallel with the centerline of pavement.
Fig. 2. 1 .2- Transverse tine texture
Fig. 2.1.3-Longitudinal tine texture
Fig. 2. 1. 4- Transverse broom texture
2.1.4 Transverse broom texture - This finish (Fig.
2.1.4) may be obtained by using a mechanically oper-
ated transverse broom finishing device. The broom
consists of multiple rows of stiff bristles capable of
producing striations 1/16 to 1/8 in. (1.6 to 3.2 mm) deep
in the plastic concrete. The striations are uniform in
appearance with a spacing approximately equal to their
depth and are transverse to the pavement centerline.
2.1.5 Longitudinal broom texture - The longitudi-
nal broom texture (Fig. 2.1.5) is accomplished with the
same basic materials, equipment, and care as the trans-
 TEXTURING CONCRETE PAVEMENTS
verse broom finish except that the brooms are operated
in a direction parallel to the pavement centerline.
2.1.6 Transverse tine with longitudinal artificial turf
texture - The transverse tine texture preceded by the
longitudinal artificial turf finish (Fig. 2.1.6) is recom-
mended for high-speed highways or where sudden ac-
celeration or deceleration (panic stops) may occur. The
transverse texture provides 1) a better drainage pattern;
2) improved initial skid resistance in a longitudinal di-
rection; 3) a longer lasting texture due to deeper valleys
as compared to the broom; and 4) a slight improve-
ment in cornering control provided by the initial pass of
longitudinal artificial turf. A longitudinal tine texture
could be used on areas such as curves where cornering
forces are required. Other textures may be appropriate
on low-speed roads or city streets and highways; they
provide satisfactory initial skid resistance, but they will
wear smooth at an earlier age.
2.1.7 Friction numbers of textures - Table 2.1.7, for
friction numbers at 30, 40, and 50 mph, indicates that
the best results were obtained by the various textures as
follows.7 The results are listed from highest (best) to
lowest:
1. Longitudinal artificial turf and transverse tine
2. Transverse tine
Fig. 2.1.5-Longitudinal broom texture
Fig. 2.1.6 -Transverse tine texture with longitudinal artificial turf texture
325.6R-5
3. Transverse broom
4. Longitudinal artificial turf
5. Longitudinal tine
6. Longitudinal broom
The values were obtained when the various surface tex-
tures were tested in accordance with ASTM E 274 for a
locked-wheel skid trailer.
The following graphs illustrate the changes in fric-
tion numbers obtained in October, 1976 (when con-
structed) and for three succeeding years for each of the
textures constructed in plastic concrete. Fig. 2.1.7(a)
and 2.1.7(b) are plotted for regular (treaded) tires at 40
mph from data listed in Table 2.1.7.
2.1.8 Factors affecting pavement texture - The
depths obtained with the various types of texturing in
plastic concrete depend upon the timing of the textur-
ing operation. Therefore, field-inspection personnel
should work with the contractor to achieve the desired
depth of texture. Because timing is critical, it is recom-
mended that the texturing machine be a separate piece
of equipment. Combining this operation with another
one, such as a membrane-curing machine, may delay
the texturing until less than desirable depths of textur-
ing are obtained. The benefit of the deeper texture is
longer service life, assuming studded tires are not per-
325.6R-6 ACI COMMITTEE REPORT

Table 2.1.7 - Friction number at 30,40 and 50 mph (Reference 7)

Texture FN30 Range
___ Range FN 60 Range____
Lane 2 Lane 1 Lane 2 Lane 1 Lane 1 Lane 2 Lane 1 Lane 2 Lane 1 Lane 2
Transverse tine and
artificial turf (longitudinal)
__ __ __ __ __ __
10-05-76 69-87 71 62-77 62 53-74
07-18-77 68 62-69 65-72 62 67 61-64 63-71 57 63 54-59 60-68
10-24-77 67 71 65-69 68-74 64 68 62-67 66-70 59 64 56-61 61-69
04-24/25-78 Reg.* 63 75 61-67 73-78 56 71 54-58 69-74 53 68 52-55 66-69
04-24/25-78 Slic 61 71 56-65 66-76 51 66 46-57 61-73 47 57 45-50 48-64
10-10-78 Reg. 57 62 55-61 61-65 54 60 52-55 58-62 50 58 48-54 56-59
10-10-78 Slicks 56 58 52-61 55-61 48 54 46-49 45-57 46 51 39-50 44-57
07-06-79 Reg. 61 62 60-64 58-65 57 63 55-58 61-64 53 61 50-55 58-65
07-06-79 Slicks 60 61 54-65 57-66 54 60 48-57 58-62 50 58 48-51 44-62
10-19-79 Reg. 55 65 52-58 63-68 53 64 51-57 60-68 50 60 48-54 57-61
10-19-79 Slicks 52 62 48-53 59-65 46 57 43-49 50-60 41 52 38-44 49-55

Transverse tine
__ __ __ __ __ __
10-05-76 79 72-86 65 59-73 56 52-61
07-18-77 62 65 61-64 62-70 56 58 53-59 54-60 51 56 45-53 53-62
10-24-77 67 68 64-69 64-73 61 63 57-63 60-65 55 59 53-58 54-62
04-24/25-78 Reg. 61 72 59-64 68-75 56 66 52-58 63-68 50 62 47-53 58-64
04-24/25-78 Slicks 54 61 40-61 45-72 45 60 29-55 46-66 35 49 26-42 36-59
10-10-78 Reg. 57 61 55-60 59-64 54 56 52-55 53-58 51 53 48-54 50-55
10-10-78 Slicks 47 50 42-55 36-54 39 44 23-45 31-50 35 40 18-40 31-47
07-06-79 Reg. 58 61 54-64 59-64 56 59 54-58 56-62 52 56 50-54 54-58
07-06-79 Slicks 54 56 38-61 44-64 43 53 28-52 45-58 43 43 29-49 30-53
10-19-79 Reg. 57 61 53-61 58-64 53 59 50-55 57-62 47 54 45-49 49-57
10-19-79 Slicks 47 56 39-53 43-63 41 50 27-47 34-55 36 44 25-43 29-49

Transverse broom
__ __ __ __ __ -
10-05-76 69 60-74 61 56-66 50 45-55
07-18-77 61 66 56-67 53-71 53 57 48-57 50-62 45 50 39-53 42-52
10-24-77 62 70 59-66 68-73 59 64 56-62 60-67 53 56 51-55 54-59
04-24/25-78 Reg. 61 73 59-62 71-77 52 65 51-54 59-69 45 61 40-47 57-63
04-24/35-78 Slicks 29 40 25-31 33-46 21 42 17-25 36-48 14 21 12-18 14-28
10-10-78 Reg. 53 61 48-55 56-64 51 56 48-53 55-57 46 51 45-47 50-53
10-10-78 Slicks 25 37 23-27 34-39 19 26 18-22 23-30 15 22 13-18 18-26
07-06-79 Reg. 55 65 53-57 63-67 52 60 49-54 58-61 48 54 44-50 51-57
07-06-79 Slicks 33 37 29-37 32-40 27 30 22-30 22-39 22 25 19-26 21-33
10-19-79 Reg. 53 62 51-55 60-64 49 60 46-53 57-62 44 54 42-46 53-56
10-19-79 Slicks 29 39 24-31 32-42 21 32 18-23 28-38 16 24 14-20 16-27

Artificial turf (longitudinal)

__ __ __ - __ __
10-05-76 68 61-78 55 42-65 42 38-48
07-18-77 57 64 47-63 60-67 48 55 40- 50 48-60 40 46 31-47 41-50
10-24-77 63 65 62-66 61-68 52 58 48-58 54-64 49 51 42-57 49-53
04-24/25-78 Reg. 60 73 54-63 66-78 51 65 46-57 60-68 43 54 39-46 51-59
04-24/25-78 Slicks 33 48 27-39 34-61 23 38 15-33 29-48 16 24 10-25 15-34
10-10-78 Reg. 54 61 50-59 59-64 49 56 44-54 53-58 44 49 38-48 46-52
10-10-78 Slicks 31 45 24-40 35-50 21 31 18-27 23-34 16 25 13-22 18-32
07-06-79 Reg. 58 62 56-59 60-65 50 60 50-51 57-61 47 54 43-52 49-57
07-06-79 Slicks 39 46 28-51 38-52 27 35 21-34 23-41 24 26 18-30 21-34
10-19-79 Reg. 54 64 51-57 62-65 49 57 47-54 53-60 44 50 41-47 47-55
10-19-79 Slicks 29 39 25-37 29-44 21 26 17-26 22-34 16 23 9-19 17-28

Longitudinal tine
__ - __ __ __ __
10-05-76 66 60-72 53 46-60 45 39-57
07-18-77 61 62 56-67 55-66 54 54 47-60 46-60 47 48 36-53 41-56
10-24-77 64 64 61-68 62-68 58 59 52-63 55-62 54 52 49-58 46-57
04-24/25-78 Reg. 61 70 58-66 66-72 53 65 49-59 62-67 48 58 46-51 54-61
04-24/25-78 Slicks 56 64 45-61 51-74 36 48 22-50 28-58 38 41 25-45 22-59
10-10-78 Reg. 56 58 54-59 56-59 52 54 48-55 50-57 49 49 45-52 45-51
10-10-78 Slicks 54 47 49-57 39-55 40 39 33-47 31-46 35 31 24-41 23-45
07-06-79 Reg. 61 62 58-64 60-63 59 59 57-61 58-61 52 57 49-56 53-60
07-06-79 Slicks 53 59 45-58 53-62 49 50 41-55 42-55 39 43 30-45 34-59
10-19-79 Reg. 58 60 54-60 59-62 55 56 52-57 53-58 49 50 46-52 46-53
10-19-79 Slicks 48 50 37-54 42-56 41 40 30-48 28-48 34 31 24-41 21-41

Longitudinal broom
__ __ __ __ __ __
10-05-76 65 52-76 52 43-65 37 35-41
07-18-77 56 60 52-61 57-64 49 51 46-52 45-56 43 46 38-49 41-48
10-24-77 62 63 58-64 60-66 57 56 55-59 54-59 50 49 46-52 47-51
04-24/25-78 Reg. 61 71 55-63 68-73 49 62 45-52 61-64 44 55 42-45 53-57
04-24/25-78 Slicks 31 42 29-33 36-47 23 28 19-40 23-30 14 17 12-16 14-21
10-10-78 Reg. 55 59 53-58 58-60 53 53 52-54 49-56 45 48 42-47 46-50
10-10-78 Slicks 35 39 31-38 35-44 21 26 18-23 22-33 20 21 15-32 18-30
07-06-79 Reg. 60 63 58-61 61-65 53 61 49-56 59-64 48 56 45-50 54-58
07-06-79 Slicks 36 38 34-39 35-44 28 26 26-31 22-29 20 21 18-23 17-23
,,
*“Reg. denotes treaded tires ; “slicks” are smooth or nontreaded tires.
 TEXTURING CONCRETE PAVEMENTS 325.6R-7

65
64
63
62
61
60
59
56
57
56
55
54
53
52
51
50
49
1976 1977 1976 1979
CALENDAR YEARS

Fig. 2.1.7(a)-Friction__number changes: Various textures ( __ = transverse tine; X

= longitudinal tine; \/ = transverse broom) ^

70

66

66

56

54

52

50

46
1976 1977 1976 1979
CALENDAR YEARS

Fig. 2.1.7(b)-Friction number changes: Various textures (0 = longitudinal

broom; T = transverse tine and longitudinal turf; 0 = artificial turf [longitudi-
nal])

mitted on vehicles using the road. There is no known
texture that can survive wear in the tire paths caused by
normal volumes of traffic using studded tires.
Rain on a pavement surface during construction may
obliterate the texture if the concrete has not hardened
sufficiently. 8 This can be corrected by grinding the
pavement and grooving the concrete in the hardened
state by the use of diamond-blade saws. Leaving a rain-
damaged texture uncorrected will create an area of
pavement with a surface of a different texture. This will
cause different vehicle-handling characteristics, espe-
cially during rain, snow, or icing conditions, which may
cause an operator to lose control of his or her vehicle.
2.2 - Texturing hardened concrete
Skid resistance on worn, polished, contaminated, or
slippery hardened concrete may be improved by several
methods, including diamond grinding and/or groov-
ing, sandblasting, waterblasting, or chemically treating
of the pavement surface. Sandblasting, chemical treat-
ment, or grinding can produce an improved skid resis-
tance; however, sawed transverse grooves will result in
325.6R-8 ACI COMMITTEE REPORT
Fig. 2.2.2-Diamond saw-blade texture
improved texture, better drainage, greater skid num-
bers and a longer life with improved skid resistance.
2.2.1 Groove patterns - Sawed groove patterns for
highways should be not less than 1/8 in. (3.2 mm) wide
or more than 1/4 in. (6.4 mm) deep and centered at not
less than 1/2 in. (13 mm) nor more than 1 in. (25 mm).
Highway grooving may be transverse or longitudi-
nal. The transverse grooves are cut at 90 deg to the
centerline of the pavement while the longitudinal
grooves are cut parallel to the centerline of the pave-
ment.
Generally, transverse grooving is recommended for
highways, particularly where frequent braking action is
required. The exception might be on curves or heavily
traveled highways. However, the interference to traffic
caused by closing more than one lane at a time, along
with the greatly increased time to groove the pavement
and increased cost, has resulted in longitudinal groov-
ing being used in lieu of transverse grooving. Trans-
verse textured surfaces tend to be noisier than longitu-
dinally textured surfaces when the textures are new. As
the surfaces experience traffic wear, the variations be-
tween the noise levels decrease and are insufficient to
rule out their use as a final finish.7
For airports, the Federal Aviation Administration of
the U.S. Department of Transportation recommends
that the sawed-groove pattern on runways should be
transverse (perpendicular to the direction of aircraft
motion). The grooves should be 1/4 in. (6.4 mm) wide
by 1/4 in. (6.4 mm) deep with center-to-center groove
spacing not less than 1 1/8 in. (28.6 mm) nor more than
2 in. (50.8 mm).9
2.2.2 Reprofiling pavements - Before texturing
hardened concrete, particularly in areas where studded
tires are permitted, field checks should be made to de-
termine whether ruts have been worn in the pavement
surface, creating water channels and making hydro-
planing very probable. A suggested method of reprofil-
ing pavements is the use of a multiple diamond saw-
blade grinding machine. These machines have been de-
veloped specifically to restore the cross slope or crown
in the pavement, and will leave a texture of shallow fins
of concrete, as shown in Fig. 2.2.2.
CHAPTER 3 - TESTING
3.1 - Measuring skid resistance
3.1.1 Airport pavements - The skid resistance of
airport pavements is measured by the British “Mu-Me-
ter” (ASTM E 670), which is used throughout the
world. It is a simple device and consistent when used on
level, tangent sections of pavement and has the mobil-
ity needed to take measurements with a minimum
amount of runway downtime.9
3.1.2 Highway pavements
3.1.2.1 Skid trailer - Surface friction-number
measurements of highway pavements in the United
States are typically made using a locked-wheel skid
trailer that meets the requirements of ASTM E 274.
This procedure measures the frictional force on a
locked test wheel as it is dragged over a wet pavement
surface under constant load and a constant speed, with
its major plane parallel to the direction of motion and
perpendicular to the pavement. The standard reference
speed is usually 40 mph, and the results are expressed
as a friction number (FN). Well-textured new pave-
ments will have friction numbers above 60 when tested
at a speed of 40 mph.
3.1.2.2 British pendulum- The British pendulum
device (ASTM E 303) has also been used to measure
surface friction properties. A number of other devices
have been used, including the diagonal brake vehicle,
Swedish skiddometer, James brake decelerometer, and
the Miles friction trailer.
3.2 - Measuring texture
Pavement textures are complex, and therefore ef-
forts at correlating skid resistance with texture mea-
surements have had marginal success. There are many
different proposed methods for measuring pavement
texture. All attempt to set some minimum value that
would produce an acceptable macrotexture.10 They all
give a measurement of the average texture depth. The
sand-patch test, the NASA grease smear technique, the
silicone-putty test, static drainage (outflow meter), and
stereo photo interpretation are methods that have been
used.
 TEXTURING CONCRETE PAVEMENTS
3.2.1 Sand patch test - A measured amount of sand
is poured on the pavement and the pile is carefully
spread over the surface to form a circle. The texture
depth of the surface is then determined from the diam-
eter of the circle of sand.”
3.2.2 NASA grease smear technique - A measured
amount of grease is placed on the pavement and spread
on the pavement between two lines of masking tape 4
in. (102 mm) apart. The grease is then worked into the
voids of the pavement with a rubber squeegee, with
care taken that no grease is left on the tape or squee-
gee. The distance along the taped lines is measured and
the area is then computed.9
3.2.3 Silicone putty test - A known volume of sili-
cone putty is formed into an approximate sphere and
placed on the pavement surface. A recess in a plate is
centered over the putty, and the plate is pressed down
in firm contact with the surface. The average diameter
of the deformed putty is recorded.”
3.2.4 Static drainage (outflow meter) test - A spec-
ified-size cylinder with a rubber ring glued to its bot-
tom face is placed on the pavement surface and loaded
so that the rubber ring will drape over the aggregate
particles, similar to that expected of tire tread ele-
ments. Water is poured into the cylinder, and the time
required for a known volume of water to escape
through the pavement and between the rubber ring and
surface is measured.10
3.2.5 Stereophotograph test (E 770-80) - The ster-
eophotographs of the pavement surface are viewed
through a transparent grid with a 10 x 10 mm grid. The
six texture parameter numbers for each of ten random
centimeter-squares are noted. The texture parameter
number of the pavement photograph is the average of
the parameter number of the ten squares.
CHAPTER 4 - MAINTENANCE
4.1 - Snow and ice removal
Pavements that are located in areas with snow or ic-
ing conditions, and which require deeper textures to
obtain higher skid resistance, may require an increased
maintenance effort to remove the snow and ice. Snow-
plows may experience more rapid wear of the plow
blades. Windblown snow tends to accumulate more on
deeper textures, especially when the wind is blowing in
a direction which is at right angles to the striations of
the texture. In some cases, increased quantities of
snow-removal chemicals will correct the condition. Al-
though concern has been expressed by some observers
that the increased use of deicing chemicals on pave-
ments with the deeper textures may cause earlier dete-
rioration (especially in areas adjacent to curb and gut-
ter sections and on bridge decks adjacent to the curb
sections where brine accumulations may occur), this has
not been verified by field observation. Salt-exposure
laboratory tests on properly air-entrained concrete in-
dicate that increasing amounts of deicing salts do not
contribute to increased texture deterioration.
325.6R-9
4.2 - Retexturing
Large areas of smoother textures, such as those
caused by rain damage in plastic concrete surfaces,
have been reported to ice up faster than areas with
deeper textures, thereby lowering the friction number.
Drivers traveling from a new section of pavement with
the deeper textures onto a rain-damaged pavement, or
to an older pavement surface where the surface texture
has been worn smooth, may experience inferior ve-
hicle-handling characteristics. This is particularly true
in rainy, snowy, or icing conditions. These areas can be
corrected by grooving the older pavement with multiple
diamond saw-blade grinding or grooving machines.
CHAPTER 5- STANDARDS RELATED TO THIS
REPORT
The documents of the various standards-producing
organizations referred to in this document are listed
below with their serial designation, including year of
adoption or revision. The documents listed were the
latest effort at the time this document was written.
Since some of these documents are revised frequently,
generally in minor detail only, the user of this docu-
ment should check directly with the sponsoring group
if it is desired to refer to the latest revision.
American Concrete Institute
503.3-79 Standard Specification for Pro-
(Reapproved 1986) ducing a Skid-Resistant Surface
on Concrete by the Use of a
Multi-Component Epoxy System
ASTM
E 274-85 Standard Test Method for Skid
Resistance of Paved Surfaces Us-
ing a Full-Scale Tire
E 303-83 Standard Method for Measuring
Surface Frictional Properties us-
ing the British Pendulum Tester
E 501-82 Standard Specification for Stan-
dard Tire for Pavement Skid-Re-
sistance Tests
E 524-82 Standard Specification for
Smooth-Tread Standard Tire for
Special-Purpose Pavement Skid-
Resistance Tests
E 556-82 Standard Method for Calibrating
a Wheel Force on Torque Trans-
ducer Using a Calibration Plat-
form (User Level)
E 660-83 Standard Practice for Acceler-
ated Polishing of Aggregates or
Pavement Surfaces Using a
Small-Wheel, Circular Track
Polishing Machine
E 670-85 Standard Test Method for Side
Friction on Paved Surfaces Using
the Mu-Meter
 325.6R-10 ACI COMMITTEE REPORT

E 707-79 Standard Test Method for Skid 6. “Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction,”
(Reapproved 1984) Resistance of Paved Surfaces Us- Illinois Department of Transportation, Springfield, Oct. 1983, 238
ing the North Carolina State Uni- pp.
7. Dierstein, Phil G., “A Study of P.C.C. Pavement Texturing
versity Variable-Speed Friction Characteristics in Illinois,” IDOT Physical Research Report No. 95,
Tester Illinois Department of Transportation, Springfield, 1982, 54 pp.
E 770-80 Standard Test Method for Clas- 8. “Interim Guidelines for Protection and Acceptance of Concrete
(Reapproved 1985) sifying Pavement Surface Tex- Pavements Exposed to Rain During Construction,” Technical Bulle-
tin No. 17, American Concrete Pavement Association, Arlington
tures Heights, 1974, 11 pp.
E 965-83 Standard Test Method for Mea- 9. “Methods for the Design, Construction, and Maintenance of
suring Surface Macrotexture Skid Resistant Airport Pavement Surfaces,” Advisory Circular No.
Depth Using a Sand Volumetric 150/5320-12, Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, D.C.,
Technique 1975, 73 pp.
10. Rose, J. G.; Hutchinson, J. W.; and Gallaway, B. M., “Sum-
mary and Analysis of the Attributes of Methods of Surface Texture
These publications may be obtained from the follow- Measurement ,"” Skid Resistance of Highway Pavements, STP-530,
ing organizations: ASTM, Philadelphia, 1973, pp. 60-77.
11. Chamberlin, William P., and Amsler, Duane E., “Measuring
American Concrete Institute Surface Texture of Concrete Pavements by the Sand-Patch Method,”
Report No. FHWA-NY-78-RR62, New York State Department of
P.O. Box 19150 Transportation, Albany, 1978, 18 pp.
Detroit, MI 48219-0150
6.2 - Related references
12. “Skid Resistance,” NCHRP Synthesis No. 14, Highway Re-
ASTM search Board, Washington, D.C., 1972, 66 pp.
1916 Race St. 13. “Guidelines for Skid Resistant Pavement Design,” American
Philadelphia, PA 19103 Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Wash-
ington, D.C., 1976, 20 pp.
CHAPTER 6 - REFERENCES 14. Ryell, J.; Hajek, J. J.; and Musgrove, G. R., “Concrete Pave-
6.1 - Cited references ment Surface Textures in Ontario - Development, Testing and Per-
1. Murphy, William E., “The Skidding Resistance of Concrete formance,” paper presented at Transportation Research Board,
Pavements: A Review of Research, Development and Practice in the Washington, D.C., Jan. 1976.
United Kingdom,” Roadways and Airport Pavements, SP-51, Amer- 15. “Skidding Accidents-Pavement Characteristics,” Transpor-
ican Concrete Institute, Detroit, 1975, pp. 231-256. tation Research Record No. 622, Transportation Research Board,
2. “Guidelines for Texturing of Portland Cement Concrete Pave- 1977, 110 pp.
ments,” Technical Bulletin No. 19, American Concrete Pavement 16. Balmer, G. G., “The Significance of Pavement Texture,” Re-
Association, Arlington Heights, 1975, 13 pp. port No. FHWA-RD-75-12, Federal Highway Administration,
3. Davis, J. L.; Ledbetter, W. B.; and Meyer, A. H., “Final Re- Washington, D.C., 1975, 44 pp.
port on Concrete Experimental Test Sections in Brazos County, 17. “Interim Report for Runway Rubber Removal Specification
Texas,” Research Report No. 141-4F, Texas Transportation Insti- Development: Field Evaluation Results and Data Analysis,” Report
tute, College Station, 1974. No. DOT/FAA/PM-85/32, Federal Aviation Administration, Wash-
4. “A Guide to Highway Grooving,” General Electric, Worthing- ington, D.C., July 1984-July 1985, 106 pp.
ton, Ohio. 18. “Rubber Removal Specification Development-Final Re-
5. Gallaway, B.M.; Ivey, D. L.; Ross, H. E., Jr.; Ledbetter, W. port,” Report No. DOT/FAA/PM-85/33, Federal Aviation Admin-
B.; Woods, D. L.; and Schiller, R. E., Jr., “Tentative Pavement and istration, Washington, D.C., May 1983-Sept. 1985, 51 pp.
Geometric Design Criteria for Minimizing Hydroplaning,” Report
No. FHWA-RD-79-3 1, Federal Highway Administration, Washing- This report was submitted to letter ballot of the committee and was
ton, D.C., 1979. approved in accordance with ACI balloting procedures.