The effective management of road surface skid resistance properties is critical for providing a safe means of road travel. The measurement of skid resistance is a key component in the effective management of road surface skid resistance. In the UK the skid resistance properties of the trunk road network are assessed annually using devices utilising the sideways-force measurement principle, the Sideways-force Coefficient Routine Investigation Machine (SCRIM).
Currently little is understood about the fundamental measurement characteristics of SCRIM. The relationship between the skid resistance properties of the UK road network, and the friction characteristics exploited by vehicles conducting various manoeuvres, is, by extension, also not fundamentally understood. In generating this fundamental knowledge, there therefore exists major potential benefits in terms of reducing vehicle incidents, reducing cost, and maximising the efficiency of road management.
This document presents the results of a desk study into the properties of SCRIM devices with the goal of characterising the measurement properties of SCRIM in terms of the fundamental properties of skid resistance devices, namely; the percentage slip and operational speed. Four equally valid characterisations were generated, and an outline experimental procedure for determining that which is related to SCRIM devices is presented.
"SCRIM" is a registered trademark of WDM
