Industry experts have heard calls for a reappraisal of high friction surfacing and its importance in saving lives.
The second ‘Managing Skid Resistance – The Facts and the Friction’ event took place last week in Perth, hosted by the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA) and the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS) and chaired by Martin McLaughlin from Transport Scotland.
The event, co-sponsored by WJ Group and WDM, set out to foster understanding and promote discussion on the management of skid resistance among delegates from Scottish local authorities and transport services, including inspectors, technicians, engineers and managers.
The Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE) and the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) also supported the event, granting the seminar CPD-certified status.
IHE President Martin Polland, network manager north at Transport Scotland, opened the day.
Steve McGilchrist, consultant to the WJ Group (pictured), presented on ‘High Friction Surface Treatment – Time for a Reappraisal’, which revisited the importance of using high friction surfacing in critical locations to improve skid resistance, reduce braking distances, and save lives.
Mr McGilchrist also co-presented a session on ‘Factors Influencing In-Service Skid Resistance’ with Andy Stevenson of WDM.
Kevin Dunn, pavements manager at Amey, discussed retexturing and explained how these solutions effectively enhance skid resistance and extend road network life without a significant carbon impact, while RSTA CEO Paul Boss gave a presentation entitled ‘Sustainable Surface Treatments for Managing your Skid Risk'
Other topics covered during the seminar included Transport Scotland's skid policy implementation and skid-resistant design, the LASR Initiative for prioritizing skid resistance, safety performance functions in the USA, predictive maintenance, and the management of risk for highway operators by Zurich Insurance.
WJ Scotland general manager Brian Smith said: ‘The event was well-attended and we were delighted with the engagement from all the delegates who were keen on finding out how a safer and more sustainable road network can be delivered across Scotland.’
