Extending the Service Life of Structurally Sound Concrete Roads in England

A number of concrete surfaced roads in the UK have been in service for over 30 years. In some cases, the original surface laitance applied to these carriageways is becoming worn, leading to reductions in texture and skid resistance, a combination that has been shown to have a negative effect on road user safety. Where the original pavement is structurally sound, a surface re-texturing treatment (such as longitudinal diamond grinding, transverse grinding, bush hammering, shot blasting, or fine milling) may be appropriate to restore the pavement’s skid resistance and texture properties. This paper describes several re-texturing treatments and discusses the results of texture depth and skid resistance monitoring on trial sections over several years, which has led to the development of new policy for the management and rehabilitation of concrete roads. The expected service life of the re-texturing treatments has been estimated, together with the environmental effects resulting from both the treatment process and for the treated in-service road.