Achieving Safer Roads through the Use of System Dynamics and Porous Friction Courses

Abstract

Wet weather–related hazards such as poor visibility and hydroplaning can be reduced significantly with the proper use of porous friction courses (PFCs), which allow water to drain quickly and provide higher friction. However, widespread adoption of this technology has been hampered because of concerns about long-term benefits, early onset of distresses, and progressive clogging of the voids by winter treatment materials. For the proper adoption of a PFC, a system of multicriterion simulation and analysis for a holistic evaluation in different climatic conditions is needed. The objectives of the study reported in this paper were to develop a framework for a system for PFC and to evaluate its long-term performance with a multicriterion analysis approach. A comprehensive system dynamics model was developed, along with a web-based simulation tool. The model was simulated for different conditions during a period of time, and the performance was evaluated in regard to different properties, as well as through a composite index that reflects the cumulative effect of different parameters. Results show that a systems approach is essential to understand the long-term performance of PFC and that the simulation tool can be beneficial for user agencies to experiment with different scenarios and select the most appropriate design, construction, and maintenance method(s).