Texture and Noise Characteristics of Exposed Aggregate Concrete Road Surfaces

Exposed aggregate cement concrete (EACC) road pavements are used on a large portion of the Austrian federal motorway network due to their durability and reduced noise emission. The standardized types with 8 and 11 mm chipping sizes have been characterized due to their noise emission and are subject to approval testing after construction. Nevertheless there are variations in the noise performance of specific EACC road sections which may be linked differences in the realized texture. This paper reports on the results of a pilot study based on simultaneous measurements of noise emission and texture with a mobile device according to ISO/CD 11819?2. These results should give a first insight into the possible causes and serve as preparation for a larger investigation starting in 2014 within the Austrian national research project OSILAWA.