Hard Aggregate Resistance to Studded Tires: Alaskan Experience

The results and methodology used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of using harder aggregate in Alaska in an effort to reduce the wear caused by studded tires are presented. Scandinavian countries have studied the relationship between aggregate hardness, as measured by the Nordic abrasion value, an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Transportation research record 2004, Vol.1874 (1), p.19-28
Main Authors: Frith, Douglas J., Morian, Dennis A., Stoffels, Shelley M., Saboundjian, Steve
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:The results and methodology used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of using harder aggregate in Alaska in an effort to reduce the wear caused by studded tires are presented. Scandinavian countries have studied the relationship between aggregate hardness, as measured by the Nordic abrasion value, and studded tire wear and have shown that harder aggregates have resulted in improved pavement performance. High-quality aggregates are not readily available throughout Alaska; therefore, a cost-effectiveness study of improved aggregate hardness was needed. Performance models based on the existing wear rates within the Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau regions were developed. On the basis of existing performance data, studded tire wear is not a problem in the Fairbanks region, although this cannot be explained by aggregate hardness. Areas of greatest concern are the Anchorage and Juneau regions. Performance models relating pavement wear to the Nordic abrasion value of aggregates were developed. A methodology for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of transporting improved aggregates is provided. On the basis of the cost and performance data gathered, pavement wear caused by studded tires can be reduced and result in improved performance of the pavement in a cost-effective manner. Through the use of harder aggregates conforming to the Nordic abrasion specification, pavement performance can be increased by 1.4 to 1.9 times that currently experienced in the Anchorage and Juneau regions, respectively.
ISSN:0361-1981
2169-4052
DOI:10.3141/1874-03