Proving The Value of Pavement Friction Management in Virginia

March 2022

A new report from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) found that $42 million in targeted pavement friction investments could reduce roadway crashes by 20% and create more than $1.75 billion in economic savings for Virginia.

The report stemmed from an effort by VDOT to collect and analyze 7,000 miles of continuous pavement friction data on Virginia’s road network.

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) investigated the relationship between crashes and pavement friction, macrotexture, and geometric data and developed a screening process that identified sections where friction enhancements had a high potential return on investment.

The continuous pavement friction data collection was conducted using the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) SCRIM® vehicle, operated by VTTI, and WDM USA. Systemic analysis of this data led the authors to conclude that anticipated returns on investment easily justify Virginia adopting proactive, systemic pavement friction management using continuous friction measurement equipment like the SCRIM.

Pavement friction management using continuous friction measurement is a FHWA Proven Safety Countermeasure. The report’s authors call Pavement Friction Management Programs (PFMPs) “an integral part of a network-level systemic approach” to ensuring safer roads by maintaining “adequate levels of friction…on all roadways sections based on the friction demand needed for the different types of roadway sections.”

The report recommends that VDOT pursue a systemic, data-driven PMFP and conduct detailed safety analyses on areas highlighted for having high potential savings.

VDOT’s report is one of the first statewide assessments of a PFMP approach using SCRIM® technology in the United States, but the findings closely mirror other places, such as the United Kingdom and New Zealand, which benefit from SCRIM® continuous friction measurement in integrating safety into network management. On just the 7,000-mi of Virginia roads selected for study, VDOT calculated a BCR (benefit-cost ratio) of 43:1.

• FHWA concludes that continuous pavement friction measurement is an established and proven approach that provides the “missing part of the puzzle” when it comes to tackling road safety issues.
• The FHWA SCRIM® survey vehicle was built by WDM UK, who provide continuous pavement friction survey and consulting services through its WDM USA subsidiary.
• Details in the VDOT report include not only the methodology used to analyze expected benefits, but also treatment selection and a process for integrating SCRIM® data into network screening and site investigations.

Click here to read the VTTI report

Click here to learn more about FHWA’s Proven Safety Countermeasures, including Continuous Friction Measurement

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