A computational framework for evaluating tire-asphalt hysteretic friction including pavement roughness

Two-dimensional profiles extracted from three-dimensional pavement surface textures acquired by close-range photogrammetry are employed as geometrical input for modeling complex interfaces in finite element contact simulations of viscoelastic materials. The methodology allows to establish a robust computational framework for the systematic investigation of possible correlations between the simulated viscoelastic friction coefficients of profiles, the profile roughness descriptors, and the measured surface frictional performance assessed through the static skid resistance tester (SRT) parameter. The study shows that the proposed methodology successfully recovers consistent values of the friction coefficient in the range of velocities typical of the equivalent experimental tests. The methodology is suitable for large-scale statistical analyses and uncertainty quantification, which emerge as key aspects for future research.