Citation

Aoun J, Apostoleris K, Psarianos B, Choueiri E. Transp. Res. Rec. 2017; 2638: 35-44.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.3141/2638-05

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Hydroplaning and the corresponding hydroplaning speed of a vehicle are critical road safety concerns. To avoid hydroplaning, nine technical measures are available. One of the most effective is the construction of skew superelevation runoff at the critical pavement section of a highway, especially in highway rehabilitation and reconstruction projects. The concept was introduced in the German RAS-L design guide of 1984; its implementation is found mainly in central European countries. Skew superelevation runoff was adopted in recent freeway projects, some of which are reconstructions of existing two-lane highways into freeways to address identified sections with high potential for hydroplaning. Its use under normal traffic has resulted in concerns about its safety and comfort effectiveness. To investigate the operational and safety performance of the constructed skew superelevation runoffs, accurate triaxial acceleration measurements were carried out on the Korinthos-Patra freeway in Greece for a combination of vehicles and speeds along these skew superelevation runoff sections. Resulting limitational thresholds were shown to be adequate for safe operation of the skew superelevation runoff. Vehicle occupant comfort thresholds, however, are narrow and require specific additional construction improvements when design values are not observed.

Language: en