Pavement friction depends on both the micro texture of aggregates and the maccro texture of the overall pavement surface. Microtexture, usually defined as small-scale texture up to 0.5 mm wavelengths, is largely a function of the surface texture of aggregate particles, while macrotexture is a larger texture between about 0.5 mm and 50 mm wavelengths (1.2).Of the two texture types, microtexture affects the adhesion area between aggregate and tire rubber and controls the pavement friction level at low speeds, while macrotexture has a greater effect on hysteresis friction.Unlike microtexture, macrotexture also helps to provide a drainage channel for water to escape. Macrotesture assumes a greater role at high speeds and is the controlling factor in the speed dependency of friction(1). To adequately assess the pacement friction for operational vehicles, the effects of both the microtexture and macrotexture need to be cvaluated in testing and analysis. It is important to provide both microtexture and macroteture parameters to ensure appropriate frictional characteristics on wet pavements(2). In pavement engineering. A number of devices have been developed to measure and characterize pavement surface friction, with different degeees of consideration of the two texture types. Because each device measures friction in a different way. Mainly due to the mechanical action employ and the characteristic or response that is measured, it can be difficult to directly compare the output from different devices.
An important factor that influences the measurement of friction is slip speed, which is defined as the velocity of a test rite surface relative to the pavement surface. The slip ratio is the ratio of the slip speed to the device/vehicle speed. A free-rolling wheel has a slip speed and slip ratio of zero: while a fully locked wheel has a slip speed equal to the vehicle speed and a slip ratio of unity. The maximum value of friction is usually obtained when the slip ratio is between 10 and 20 percent(3). The general relationship betwenn friction and slip ratio is shown in figure 1.