1 minute read
HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT (HFST) GOAL
by REA site
To increase friction on pavement for motorists to help maintain better control while drive in both dry and wet conditions.
WHAT IS IT?
Advertisement
High friction surface treatment (HFST) is a tactic to help maintain control while driving. HFST works provide pavement friction in areas where critical braking or corner maneuvers are generally going to wear down the pavement. When excessive braking occurs, pavement can become polished and cause vehicles to lose control. HFST works to counter this result.
This surface treatment is a high-quality aggregate that is applied to the pavement using a polymer binder to restore and maintain pavement friction. It is usually applied to roads in areas that have potential to be a high-risk crash site or areas that already are high risk. Local and collector streets are generally good areas to consider HFST but are not limited to other areas. High volume intersections, interchange ramps, and selected segments of interstate alignments would benefit from these treatments as well. To learn more, click here.
Potential Conflicts
Research shows that there are not many problems associated with this strategy. When applying HFST to roads, especially around the centerlines or edge lines of roads, markings will need to be painted back on. Thermoplastic adheres well to the treatment and will last longer when applied to the textured surface of HFST. Pavement marking tape should be avoided however, since it does not apply well to textured surfaces.
Common issues that have been seen are primarily due to an installation step. A list of issues that might reduce the effectiveness of the treatment can be seen below:
/ Improper mixing of the epoxy,
/ The roadway having significant cracking underneath the bonding making it not the best location for the treatment to be applied,
/ Ambient requirements might have been ignored while being installed, or
/ Roadways might be “too new” (asphalt that less than 30 days old) or applied to concrete without proper cleaning.
Cost
Low-cost
