Measuring Pavement Macrotexture Depth Using A Volumetric Technique

Designation: E965 15
Standard Test Method for
Measuring Pavement Macrotexture Depth Using a

Volumetric Technique1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E965; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon () indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
3. Terminology
1.1 This test method describes a procedure for determining

the average depth of pavement surface macrotexture (see 3.1)
(1)2 by careful application of a known volume of material on
the surface and subsequent measurement of the total area
covered. The technique is designed to provide an average depth
value of only the pavement macrotexture and is considered
insensitive to pavement microtexture characteristics.
3.1 Terminology used in this standard conforms to Terminology E867.
1.2 The results obtained using this procedure to determine

average pavement macrotexture depths do not necessarily
agree or correlate directly with those obtained by other
pavement macrotexture measuring methods (1-5).
1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded
as the standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information
only and are not considered standard.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:3
D1155 Test Method for Roundness of Glass Spheres
E178 Practice for Dealing With Outlying Observations
E867 Terminology Relating to Vehicle-Pavement Systems
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:

3.2.1 pavement macrotexturethe deviations of a pavement
surface from a true planar surface with the characteristic
dimensions of wavelength and amplitude from 0.5 mm up to
those that no longer affect tire-pavement interaction.
4. Summary of Test Method
4.1 The standard materials and test apparatus consist of a
quantity of uniform material, a container of known volume, a
suitable wind screen or shield, brushes for cleaning the
pavement surface, a flat disk for spreading the material on the
surface, and a ruler or other measuring device for determining
the area covered by the material. A laboratory balance is also
recommended for further ensuring consistent amounts for each
measurement sample.
4.2 The test procedure involves spreading a known volume
of material on a clean and dry pavement surface, measuring the
area covered, and subsequently calculating the average depth
between the bottom of the pavement surface voids and the tops
of surface aggregate particles. This measurement of pavement
surface texture depth reflects the pavement macrotexture characteristics (1, 5).
NOTE 1In spreading the material specified in this test method, the
surface voids are completely filled flush to the tips of the surrounding
aggregate particles. This test method is not considered suitable for use on
grooved surfaces or pavements with large (1.0 in. (25 mm)) surface
voids.
5. Significance and Use

1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E17 on Vehicle
- Pavement Systems and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E17.23 on
Surface Characteristics Related to Tire Pavement Slip Resistance.
Current edition approved May 1, 2015. Published June 2015. Originally
approved in 1983. Last previous edition approved in 2006 as E965 96 (2006)
which was withdrawn in January 2015 and reinstated in May 2015. DOI:
10.1520/E0965-15.
2
The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the list of references at the end of
this test method.
3
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at [email protected]. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standards Document Summary page on
the ASTM website.
5.1 This test method is suitable for research and development purposes and for field tests to determine the average
macrotexture depth of a pavement surface. The knowledge of
pavement macrotexture depth serves as a tool in characterizing
the pavement surface texture. When used in conjunction with
other physical tests, the macrotexture depth values derived
from this test method may be used to determine the pavement
skid resistance capability and the suitability of paving materials
or finishing techniques. When used with other tests, care
should be taken that all tests are applied at the same location.
Copyright ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
Copyright by ASTM Int'l (all rights reserved); Thu Nov 19 02:09:31 EST 2015
1
Downloaded/printed by
Petrofac (Petrofac) pursuant to License Agreement. No further reproductions authorized.
E965 15
the disc shall be covered with a hard rubber material and a
suitable handle may be attached to the top surface of the disc.
NOTE 3An ice hockey puck is considered suitable for use as the hard
rubber material in this test method.
6.1.4 Compressed air or a soft-bristled brush, or both, shall

be used to thoroughly clean the pavement surface prior to
application of the material sample.
6.1.5 Wind ScreenA suitable screen or shield shall be
placed on the pavement surface to protect the material sample
from the wind and turbulence created by traffic. An example is
shown in Fig. 1.
6.1.6 ScaleA standard scale 12 in. (305-mm) or greater in
length and having 0.1-in. (2.5-mm) or 1-mm (0.04-in.) divisions should be used.
FIG. 1 Apparatus for Measuring Surface Macrotexture Depth
Improvements in pavement finishing practices and maintenance schedules may result from use of this test method.
5.2 The texture depth measurements produced using this
test method are influenced by pavement macrotexture characteristics and not significantly affected by pavement microtexture. Pavement aggregate particle shape, size, and distribution
are texture features not addressed in this procedure. This test
method is not meant to provide a complete assessment of
pavement surface texture characteristics.
5.3 The pavement macrotexture depth values measured by
this test method, with the equipment and procedures stated
herein, do not necessarily agree or correlate directly with other
techniques of surface texture measurements.
NOTE 2The pavement surface to be measured using this test method
must be dry and free of any construction residue, surface debris, and loose
aggregate particles that would be displaced or removed during normal
environmental and traffic conditions.
6. Materials and Apparatus

6.1 The essential elements of the apparatus, shown in Fig. 1,
consist of the following material and equipment:
6.1.1 Material4Solid glass spheres having 90 % roundness in accordance with Test Method D1155. The spheres shall
be graded to have a minimum of 90 % by weight passing a No.
60 sieve and retained on a No. 80 sieve5.
6.1.2 Sample ContainerA cylindrical metal or plastic
container with a predetermined internal volume of at least 1.5
cubic in. (25 000 mm3) shall be used to determine the volume
of sand spread.
6.1.3 Spreader ToolA flat, hard disc approximately 1 in.
(25 mm) thick and 2.5 to 3.0 in. (60 to 75 mm) in diameter
shall be used to spread the sand. The bottom surface or face of
4
Historically Ottawa natural silica sand was used for this test method; however,
glass spheres have been found to provide an equivalent measurement with greater
precision, both within laboratory and between laboratories, and are now considered
to be the standard.
5
Commercially available material may be used, but must be graded and tested
for roundness to assure that they conform to this test method.
6.2 Use of a laboratory balance, sensitive to 0.1 g, is

recommended with this test method to provide additional
control and to ensure that the amount of material used for each
surface macrotexture depth measurement is equal in both mass
and volume.
7. Procedure
7.1 Test AreaInspect the pavement surface to be measured
and select a dry, homogeneous area that contains no unique,
localized features such as cracks and joints. Thoroughly clean
the surface using compressed air or a soft-bristled brush, or
both, in order to remove any visible residue, debris, or loose
aggregate particles from the surface. Precautions should be
taken to prevent wind, vibration, and vehicle drive-by from
having an effect on the measurement. A portable wind screen
around the surface test area is one option.
NOTE 4On surfaces where the slope is sufficient to cause the glass
spheres to roll, inconsistent or invalid measurements might occur.
7.2 Material SampleFill the cylinder of known volume

with dry material and gently tap the base of the cylinder several
times on a rigid surface. Add more material to fill the cylinder
to the top, and level with a straightedge. If a laboratory balance
is available, determine the mass of material in the cylinder and
use this mass of material sample for each measurement.
7.3 Test MeasurementPour the measured volume or
weight of material onto the cleaned surface within the area
protected by the wind screen. Carefully spread the material into
a circular patch with the disk tool, rubber-covered side down,
filling the surface voids flush with the aggregate particle tips.
Measure and record the diameter of the circular area covered
by the material at a minimum of four equally spaced locations
around the sample circumference. Compute and record the
average diameter.
NOTE 5For very smooth pavement surfaces where the patch diameters
are greater than 12 in. (305 mm), it is recommended that half the normal
volume of material be used.
7.4 Number of Test MeasurementsThe same operator

should perform at least four, randomly-spaced measurements
of average macrotexture depth on a given test pavement
surface type. The arithmetic average of the individual macrotexture depth values shall be considered to be the average
macrotexture depth of the test pavement surface.
2
E965 15
8. Calculation
8.1 Cylinder VolumeCalculate the internal volume of the
sample cylinder as follows:
V5
d 2 h
4
(1)
where:
V = internal cylinder volume, in.3 (mm3),
d = internal cylinder diameter, in. (mm), and
h = cylinder height, in. (mm).
11. Precision and Bias
8.2 Average Pavement Macrotexture DepthCalculate the

average pavement macrotexture depth using the following
equation:
MTD 5
4V
D 2
10.1.4 Number of test measurements,

10.1.5 Average diameter of the area covered by the material,
in. (mm), for each test,
10.1.6 Mean texture depth, in. (mm), for each test, and
10.1.7 Mean texture depth, in. (mm), for total pavement test
surface.
(2)
where:
MTD = mean texture depth of pavement macrotexture, in.
(mm),
V
= sample volume, in.3 (mm3), and
D
= average diameter of the area covered by the material,
in. (mm).
NOTE 6The mean texture depth of pavement macrotexture (MTD) is
not the equivalent of the mean profile depth (MPD) of the same surface.
9. Faulty Tests
9.1 Tests that are manifestly faulty or that give mean texture
depth values differing by more than 0.005 in. (0.13 mm) from
the average of all tests on the same pavement surface shall be
treated in accordance with Practice E178.
10. Report
10.1 The report for each pavement test surface shall contain
data on the following items:
10.1.1 Location and identification of test pavement surface,
10.1.2 Date,
10.1.3 Volume of material used for each test measurement,
in.3 (mm3),
11.1 Analysis of macrotexture depth data collected during

extensively controlled tests6 produced estimates of the repeatability (method precision) and reproducibility (applied precision) of the volumetric method, as well as sampling errors that
can be expected in measuring the average texture depths of a
pavement section by the method. The controlled tests were
conducted on laboratory specimens having a range of macrotexture depth of 0.02 to 0.047 in. (0.508 to 1.2 mm). The
macrotexture depth precision estimates are expressed as a
percentage, such as the ratio of the standard deviation of the
texture measurements to the mean texture depth multiplied by
100.
11.2 The standard deviation of the repeated measurements
by the same operator on the same surface can be as low as 1 %
of the average texture depth.
11.3 The standard deviation of the repeated measurements
by different operators on the surface can be as low as 2 % of the
average texture depth as determined by the mean size of the
glass spheres.
NOTE 7The standard deviation of the site-to-site measurements may
be as large as 27 % of the average texture depth. Here site defines a
randomly selected location within a nominally homogeneous pavement
section. This means that a large number of measurement observations
would be necessary to estimate the average texture depth reliably for given
pavement types with large variations in texture, despite the fact that the
method is highly repeatable and not subject to large operational influences.
6
Supporting data are available from ASTM Headquarters Request Research
Report: RR:E17-1001.
REFERENCES
(1) Yager, T. J., and Buhlmann, F., Macrotexture and Drainage Measurements on a Variety of Concrete and Asphalt Surfaces, ASTM STP
763, ASTM, 1982.
(2) American Concrete Paving Association, Guideline for Texturing of
Portland Cement Concrete Highway Pavements, Technical Bulletin
No. 19, March 1975.
(3) Hegmon, R. R., and Mizoguchi, M., Pavement Texture Measurement
by the Sand Patch and Outflow Meter Methods, Automotive Safety
Research Program, Report No. S40, Study No. 67-11, Pennsylvania
State University, January 1970.

(4) Dahir, S. H., and Lentz, H. J., Laboratory Evaluation of Pavement
Surface Texture Characteristics in Relation to Skid Resistance,
Federal Highway Administration Report No. FHWA-RD-75-60, June
1972.
(5) Rose, J. G. et al., Summary and Analysis of the Attributes of
Methods of Surface Texture Measurements, ASTM STP 53, ASTM,
June 1972.
3
E965 15
ASTM International takes no position respecting the validity of any patent rights asserted in connection with any item mentioned
in this standard. Users of this standard are expressly advised that determination of the validity of any such patent rights, and the risk
of infringement of such rights, are entirely their own responsibility.
This standard is subject to revision at any time by the responsible technical committee and must be reviewed every five years and
if not revised, either reapproved or withdrawn. Your comments are invited either for revision of this standard or for additional standards
and should be addressed to ASTM International Headquarters. Your comments will receive careful consideration at a meeting of the
responsible technical committee, which you may attend. If you feel that your comments have not received a fair hearing you should
make your views known to the ASTM Committee on Standards, at the address shown below.
This standard is copyrighted by ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959,
United States. Individual reprints (single or multiple copies) of this standard may be obtained by contacting ASTM at the above
address or at 610-832-9585 (phone), 610-832-9555 (fax), or [email protected] (e-mail); or through the ASTM website
(www.astm.org). Permission rights to photocopy the standard may also be secured from the Copyright Clearance Center, 222
Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, Tel: (978) 646-2600; http://www.copyright.com/
4

Measuring Pavement Macrotexture Depth Using A Volumetric Technique

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Measuring Pavement Macrotexture Depth Using A Volumetric Technique

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Measuring Pavement Macrotexture Depth Using A Volumetric Technique

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Designation: E965 15

Standard Test Method for

Measuring Pavement Macrotexture Depth Using a

1.1 This test method describes a procedure for determining

3.1 Terminology used in this standard conforms to Terminology E867.

1.2 The results obtained using this procedure to determine

3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:

5. Significance and Use

6.1.4 Compressed air or a soft-bristled brush, or both, shall

6. Materials and Apparatus

6.2 Use of a laboratory balance, sensitive to 0.1 g, is

7.2 Material SampleFill the cylinder of known volume

7.4 Number of Test MeasurementsThe same operator

11. Precision and Bias

8.2 Average Pavement Macrotexture DepthCalculate the

10.1.4 Number of test measurements,

11.1 Analysis of macrotexture depth data collected during

State University, January 1970.

You might also like