Design and Specification of

Pavement Surface Texture for

Tracks and Proving Grounds

Bad Roads Well Built 2022 Workshop

18 February 2022

Robert Otto Rasmussen, PhD, INCE, PE

The Transtec Group, Inc., Austin, Texas (USA)
Robotto@TheTranstecGroup.com
What is Texture?Roughness (IRI) Megatexture (LME)

Macrotexture (MPD) Microtexture (m)

 Why is Texture Important?
Category Wavelength
Texture 0.1 mil 1 mil 10 mil ⅛ in. 1 in. 1 ft. 10 ft. 100 ft.
1 mm 10 mm 100 mm 1 mm 10 mm 100 mm 1m 10 m 100 m

Microtexture Macrotexture Megatexture Roughness

PIARC

Rolling Resistance
Pavement Surface Characteristic (PSC)

Ride Quality

Wet Friction
Influence

Dry Friction

Splash and Spray

Tire Wear Vehicle Wear

In-Vehicle Noise
Key:
Good Bad Tire-Pavement Noise

Source: PIARC
Why is Texture Important?
How is Texture Specified?
Cement Concrete
D (3 mm)

S (19 mm) W (3 mm)

Asphalt

Diamond Grinding

Job Mix Formula

Spacer Width Blade Width

(2.8 mm) (3.0 mm)
How is Texture Constructed?
How is Texture Constructed?
How is Texture Constructed?
How is Texture Constructed?
How does Texture Change?
How is Texture Measured?
How is Texture Measured?
3-dimensional
How is Texture Measured?
2-dimensional
How is Texture Defined?
Texture “depth”
Texture “frequency”
Texture “geometry”

For Proving Ground and Tracks,

texture should be defined in a way that is
relevant to the vehicle or tyre response !
Defining Texture
Depth (Amplitude)
Spacing (Frequency)
Functional
Defining Texture
Depth (Amplitude)
❑Spacing (Frequency)
❑Functional
Defining Texture – Depth (Amplitude)
2.5

2 Average Height (rectified)

1.5 Ra = 0.42 mm
1

0.5
Profile (mm)

-0.5

-1

-1.5

-2

-2.5
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Distance (mm)
Defining Texture – Depth (Amplitude)
9

7
Skewness (Std. 3rd Moment)
5

3 Rsk = -1.7 (negative skew)

Profile³ (mm³)

-1

-3

-5

-7

-9
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Distance (mm)
Defining Texture – Depth (Amplitude)
2.5

2 Mean Profile (Segment) Depth

1.5
MPD (MSD) = 0.68 mm
1 0.83 mm
0.55 mm
0.5
Profile (mm)

-0.5

-1

-1.5

-2

-2.5
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Distance (mm)
Defining Texture
❑Depth (Amplitude)
Spacing (Frequency)
❑Functional
Defining Texture – Spacing (Frequency)
2.5

2 Mean Spacing
1.5 Sm = 28 mm
1

0.5
Profile (mm)

-0.5
Boundary Line (lower)
-1

-1.5

-2 31 mm 25 mm
-2.5
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Distance (mm)
Defining Texture – Spacing (Frequency)
40

Dominant Texture Spacing

35
Texture Level (dB ref 1 µm RMS)
30

25

20

15

10

0
1.6 2 2.5 3.15 4 5 6.3 8 10 12.5 16 20 25 31.5 40
Texture Wavelength (mm)
Defining Texture
❑Depth (Amplitude)
❑Spacing (Frequency)
Functional
Defining Texture – Functional
2.5

1.5 Peaks – First Region of Contact / Wear

1

0.5
Core – Working Region
Profile (mm)

-0.5

-1

-1.5

-2
Valleys – Water/Air Flow Amplitude
-2.5
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Density
Distance (mm)
Function
Defining Texture – Functional
3

Profile Bearing Area Curve

2
Peaks – First Region of Contact / Wear

1
Profile (mm)

-1
Core – Working Region

-2

Valleys – Water/Air Flow

-3
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Profile Bearing Length Ratio (%)
Defining Texture – Functional
3

Profile Bearing Area Curve

2
Peaks – First Region of Contact / Wear

1 Rpk = 0.47 mm
Rk = 0.65 mm
Profile (mm)

-1
Core – Working Region
Rvk = 1.68 mm
-2

Valleys – Water/Air Flow

-3
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Profile Bearing Length Ratio (%)
Defining Texture – Functional
Pavement Surface 1

Pavement Surface 2

Pavement Surface 3
How is Texture Defined?
Relevant to vehicle and tyre responses:
NVH
Braking
Handling
Ride
Coastdown
Durability
Texture Relevance – Tyre-Pavement Noise

Louder – 111 dBA

Quieter – 103 dBA

Texture Relevance – Rolling Resistance

Higher
Rolling
Resistance
Texture Relevance – Rolling Resistance

Lower
Rolling
Resistance
Texture Relevance – Grip
Lower Grip
Texture Relevance – Grip
Higher Grip
Variability and Visualization
 Vielen Dank!
Merci!
ありがとうございます！
Thank You!

Robert Otto Rasmussen, PhD, INCE, PE

Vice President & Chief Engineer
The Transtec Group, Inc.

Robotto@TheTranstecGroup.com
+1 (512) 451 6233 [office]
+1 (512) 680 8362 [mobile]
www.TheTranstecGroup.com

6111 Balcones Drive, Austin, Texas, 78731 USA