Developing a laboratory test method for rolling resistance characterisation of road surface texture

Abstract In this work, a new laboratory test method is developed to characterise the relationship between rolling resistance and macrotexture of road surfaces. This test would allow a fast characterisation and comparison of different wearing courses in terms of rolling resistance. Description of the test machine, samples and test protocol is provided. The effect of influential factors such as speed, temperature and surface texture on the test results is evaluated. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between surface macrotexture and rolling resistance. The macrotexture of the samples is characterised using the measured surface profiles. The partial profile envelopment by the rubber and its effect on the results is simulated by applying different filters to the surface profiles. Obtained results show that by considering the envelop profile a good correlation between surface macrotexture and rolling resistance can be observed. The laboratory results are in good agreement with those obtained using the road test.