Published on: 2026-09-28
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –
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At the Department of Ground Transport and Technological Machines (NTTM) of the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, a method has been developed to determine the duration, nature, and technical support of measures to maintain safe road surface parameters during the off-season.
The study is devoted to one of the key road safety issues – combating road surface slipperiness when the air temperature crosses the zero mark. During this period, water on the road surface begins to freeze, forming an ice layer, which reduces the tire-road grip coefficient and increases the risk of traffic accidents.
As noted by the author of the study, an associate professor of the NTTC department and candidate of technical sciences Anzhelika Abrosimova, Existing anti-slip measures allow maintaining safe road surface conditions under stable weather conditions. However, when there is a sudden change in temperature, the effectiveness of the measures depends on how accurately the start time of the impact, its duration, and the necessary technical means are determined.
To solve this problem, specialists from SPbGASU conducted a series of experimental studies in the university’s laboratory. Samples of asphalt concrete pavement with a water layer corresponding to a precipitation intensity from 1 to 20 mm were placed in a “KTX-3600” heat-cold climatic chamber. Using a sensor system, the temperature of the road surface, water, and air was recorded. In the experiments, the air temperature varied from −10 to −2° C, and the researchers recorded the time from the start of water crystallization to its complete freezing.
A multifactor regression model was built based on the obtained data. It takes into account precipitation intensity, air temperature, and road surface temperature, and allows forecasting the duration of changes in the road surface condition when the temperature transitions into the negative range.
The model showed a high degree of correlation between the freezing duration and the studied factors—the coefficient of determination was R² = 0.94, and the average error did not exceed 15%. This allows the results to be used to estimate the duration of the most dangerous period when both water and ice are present simultaneously on the road surface.
The developed model became the basis of a method that allows for justifying the nature and duration of measures to combat slipperiness, as well as the composition and parameters of the necessary road equipment. Depending on the forecasted conditions, specialists can determine which interventions should be applied — mitigating or eliminating — and select the appropriate equipment.
Thus, the research results create a foundation for more precise planning of winter road maintenance activities during transitional periods and allow for consideration of specific weather conditions when ensuring safe road surface parameters.
The work “Method for determining the duration, nature, and technical support of measures to maintain safe road surface parameters” was carried out within the framework of research work by the scientific and pedagogical staff of SPbGASU under internal university grants in 2026.
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