www.safety.fhwa.dot.gov

CASE STUDY:

KENTUCKY TRANSPORTATION CABINET’S HIGH FRICTION 

SURFACE TREATMENT AND FIELD INSTALLATION PROGRAM
02

Notice

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of 

Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no 

liability for the use of the information contained in this document. The U.S. Government 

does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers’ names 

appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the objective of the 

document.

Quality Assurance Statement

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information to serve 

Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. 

Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, 

and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its 

programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.
 Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72)

1. Report No. 

FHWA-SA-15-038

2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No.

4. Title and Subtitle 

Case Study: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's High Friction Surface 

Treatment and Field Installation Program

5. Report Date

February 2015

6. Performing Organizations Code

7. Authors

 Harold Von Quintus, P.E., Andy Mergenmeier, P.E.

8. Performing Organization Report No.

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Applied Research Associates, Inc.

100 Trade Centre Drive, Suite 200

Champaign, IL 61820

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)

11. Contract or Grant No.

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

Federal Highway Administration

U.S. Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20590

13. Type of Report and Period Covered

Case Study

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

HSA

15. Supplementary Notes

Contracting Officer's Technical Manager: Andy Mergenmeier

16. Abstract

Roadway departure fatalities account for approximately 65 percent of all fatalities in Kentucky. One of the methods 

KYTC identified to meet the roadway departure goal was the application of high friction surface treatments (HFST). 

HFST provides a durable and long-lasting solution to specific and defined roadway locations where a contributing 

factor in crashes is that the roadway friction demand exceeds the available pavement surface friction. This document 

provides an overview of Kentucky’s efforts to establish an HFST program for reducing roadway crashes and fatalities 

as well as the State’s standards, guidance, and specifications for using this safety treatment strategy as a practice to 

reduce roadway departures at select road sections. It also identifies and discusses the various elements to consider 

when selecting candidate roadway segments for placing HFSTs and lists some of the important insights and lessons 

learned from the Kentucky program.

17. Key Words

High friction surface treatment, roadway friction demand, roadway 

departure, safety countermeasures, horizontal curves 

18. Distribution Statement 

 No restrictions

19. Security Classif. (of this report) 

Unclassified

20. Security Classif. (of this page) 

Unclassified

21. No of Pages

 32

22. Price 

 N/A

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized.
ii

Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

Acknowledgements

The FHWA would like to acknowledge the staff of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) who have supported this study 

with their time, effort, and comments, and substantially contributed to its success. 

We are especially grateful to the following individuals for supporting and assisting us with developing this case study:

Tracy Lovell, KYTC

Jason Siwula, KYTC

Jarrod Stanley, KYTC

Tracy Nowaczyk, KYTC

Tim Scully, UK–Kentucky Transportation Center

Eric Green, UK–Kentucky Transportation Center 

Cover Photo Credits: Courtesy of Andy Mergenmeier
iii

 Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................. 1

SECTION 1: Introduction.......................................................................................................................................... 3

1.1. BACKGROUND............................................................................................................................................................................................................3

1.2 HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT DEFINED..................................................................................................................................3

1.3 KENTUCKY TRANSPORTATION CABINET’S HIGH FRICTION SURFACE 

TREATMENT PROGRAM........................................................................................................................................................................................3

1.4 PURPOSE OF THE DOCUMENT ........................................................................................................................................................................4

1.5 SCOPE OF THE DOCUMENT...............................................................................................................................................................................4

SECTION 2: Brief History of High Friction Surface Treatments and Their Benefit ...................................... 5

SECTION 3: Kentucky’s HFST Program.................................................................................................................. 7

3.1 KYTC OVERALL SAFETY PROGRAM.................................................................................................................................................................7

3.2 HFST PROGRAM CONCEPTION AND HISTORY........................................................................................................................................9

SECTION 4: HFST Site Selection Process............................................................................................................. 11

4.1 CRASH DATABASE - KYOPS ...............................................................................................................................................................................11

4.2HFST SITE SELECTION SCREENING PROCESS I – THE 30 WORST ..............................................................................................11

4.3 HFST SITE SELECTION SCREENING PROCESS II – 2010 RWDIP ....................................................................................................11

4.4 HFST SITE SELECTION SCREENING PROCESS III – USING THE EMPIRICAL 

BAYES METHODOLOGY........................................................................................................................................................................................12

4.5 HFST FIELD SITE ASSESSMENT..........................................................................................................................................................................12

SECTION 5: Data Collection and Analysis in Support of the HFST Program............................................... 15

5.1 HFST POST-INSTALLATION CRASH ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................................15

5.2 HFST POST-INSTALLATION FRICTION MONITORING ........................................................................................................................15

SECTION 6: Contracting and Constructing HFST.............................................................................................. 17

6.1 CONTRACTING PROCESS ....................................................................................................................................................................................17

6.2 CONSTRUCTION........................................................................................................................................................................................................17

SECTION 7: Project Examples of HFST Application ......................................................................................... 19

References ...............................................................................................................................................................21
PHOTO: Andy Mergenmeier

iv

Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 
1

 Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Roadway departure fatalities account for approximately 65 percent of all traffic-related fatalities in Kentucky. 

The Kentucky Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) established a safety goal for reducing the number 

of annual roadway fatalities within the State to no more than 700 by the end of 2008. The Kentucky 

Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) tentative updated goal was to reduce fatalities from 2008 levels by 15 

percent by 2012. The agency merged a data analysis package, along with a set of roadway departure 

countermeasures, to identify a set of cost-effective countermeasures, deployment levels, and the funds 

needed to achieve the 15 percent roadway departure fatality reduction goal. 

One of the methods KYTC identified to meet the roadway departure goal was the application of high 

friction surface treatments (HFST). HFST provides a durable and long-lasting solution to specific and 

defined roadway locations where a contributing factor in crashes is that the roadway friction demand 

exceeds the available pavement surface friction; HFST is more than a pavement resurfacing, it is a safety 

countermeasure. 

Experience and data from Kentucky show HFST can be used where most needed, such as on ramps and 

freeways, two-lane urban or rural roads at horizontal curves, areas near steep grades, areas at or near lane 

changes, and rural and urban intersections. More importantly, Kentucky’s HFST program is considered a 

major success and is one of the techniques or methods used to achieve the goal of reducing the number 

of roadway departures and fatalities in Kentucky.

This document provides an overview of Kentucky’s efforts to establish an HFST program for reducing 

roadway departure crashes and fatalities as well as the State’s standards, guidance, and specifications for 

using this safety treatment strategy as a practice to reduce roadway departures at select road sections. It 

also identifies and discusses the various elements to consider when selecting candidate roadway segments 

for placing HFSTs and lists some of the important insights and lessons learned from the Kentucky program. 
2

Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 
3

 Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

SECTION 1: Introduction

1.1. BACKGROUND

Single and multi-vehicle crashes are the leading cause of fatalities and major injuries in the United States, particularly in rural 

areas. Roughly 25 to 50 percent of all fatal crashes occur at intersections or on horizontal curves.1,2 The probability of crashes 

during vehicle stopping and turning movements is influenced by the friction between the tires and pavement surface.

In horizontal curves, vehicle speed and curve geometry create a “friction demand” that can be higher than adjacent sections of 

road. Crashes can also occur at intersections when errors in driver judgment create an unexpected need for increased friction 

due to excessive speed, lateral movement, or both.

Highway safety starts with the driver’s ability to control the vehicle. The combination 

of: 1) the judgment needed to negotiate a horizontal curve, 2) pavement surface wear, 

and 3) the higher friction demand of a vehicle moving through a horizontal curve 

compared to the rest of the road results in increased potential for crashes. Adequate 

surface characteristics, particularly for friction, at critical locations are an effective 

means to increase traffic safety and reduce crashes. Maintaining an appropriate level 

of friction is critical for safe driving. One low-cost approach that has been shown to 

be effective in addressing high “friction demand” locations is the installation of a High 

Friction Surface Treatment (HFST). 

1.2 HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT DEFINED

HFSTs are pavement surface treatments with exceptional skid-resistant properties that are composed of extremely hard, polishand abrasion-resistant aggregates bonded to the pavement that greatly enhance the frictional characteristics of a road surface. 

The high-adhesive and tensile properties of the binder lock the aggregates in place. This creates a durable surface capable of 

providing long-lasting surface friction on road sections with high friction demands, such as those that experience excessive and 

heavy braking, contain sharp horizontal curves, or feature a vertical grade in combination with a horizontal curve.

HFSTs address two speed-related crash conditions: (1) where there is low to marginal friction (further reduced by weather), and 

(2) where the available friction is incompatible with approach speeds and roadway geometry (friction demand). In general, HFSTs 

assist in keeping vehicles in their lane around curves and allow vehicles to stop in shorter distances at intersections. For details 

on the HFST material requirements and test methods, the reader is referred to the list of references at the end of this document.

1.3 KENTUCKY TRANSPORTATION CABINET’S HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT PROGRAM

Although multiple agencies have installed HFST, the KYTC was one of the first organizations in the United States to establish a 

formal HFST program—a program considered to be one of the best in the country. The KYTC program was developed in the 

mid- to late-2000s. One reason for the success of the Kentucky program is the effectiveness of the data analysis processes the 

State uses in identifying areas where HFST application will maximize the benefit. This benefit has been validated or confirmed 

through the use of a crash monitoring program prior to and after HFST installation.

1 ATSSA, Safety Opportunities in High Friction Surfacing, American Traffic Safety Services Association, February 2013.

2 Federal Highway Administration, Horizontal Curve Safety, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC, February 2012, available at: 

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811552.pdf

Highway safety starts 

with the driver’s ability to 

control the vehicle. 
4

Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

1.4 PURPOSE OF THE DOCUMENT

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) works with States to accelerate the use of innovative technologies and programs, 

especially those where the proof of the concept has been validated with field data, under the Every Day Counts 2 Program.3

In 2012 under this program, HFST was selected as one of the safety initiatives. FHWA aims to mainstream HFST as a safety 

countermeasure on the Nation’s highway to decrease serious injuries and fatalities. This document is a case study on the 

Kentucky HFST program from inception to full-scale deployment.

The FHWA partnered with the American Traffic Safety Service Association, Inc. (ATSSA) and the American Association of State 

Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) to develop material and performance standards to help State departments of 

transportation (DOT) and local transportation agencies to implement and use HFST. The standard was published in 2014 as 

PP79, High Friction Surface Treatment for Asphalt and Concrete Pavements. This case study on the Kentucky HFST program was 

prepared as part of this assistance and documentation so that other agencies interested in deploying their own programs can 

benefit from the insights garnered from Kentucky’s experiences.

This document summarizes Kentucky’s efforts to set up and establish a HFST program for reducing roadway crashes and fatalities 

and outlines Kentucky’s standards, guidance, and specifications for using this safety treatment strategy as a practice for reducing 

roadway departure crashes in critical areas of the roadway. It also identifies and discusses various elements to consider when 

selecting roadway segments that are candidates for HFST applications and lists some of the important insights and lessons 

learned from the Kentucky program. The case study document also includes experiences and lessons learned from HFST 

installation. 

1.5 SCOPE OF THE DOCUMENT

The information for this case study document is based on experiences obtained from Kentucky’s formal program to identify and 

select roadway segments that would be expected to improve roadway departure safety by increasing the available pavement 

surface friction. Including this Introduction, this case study is organized into seven sections:

• Section two presents a brief overview on the history of HFSTs, including the successful application of HFSTs made 

throughout the United States and other areas of the world to address crash issues. It also summarizes the main 

reasons why Kentucky selected HFST.

• Section three presents an overview of the development and deployment of Kentucky’s HFST program as an element 

of its overall Strategic Highway Safety Plan. This section also addresses the level of effort and budget needed to 

deploy this program.

• Section four focuses on Kentucky’s site selection process to maximize the benefit of applying HFSTs.

• Section five focuses on Kentucky’s data analysis in support of selecting high-potential locations that were most 

likely to see the greatest benefit from using HFST to reduce roadway departure crashes and single and multi-vehicle 

collisions at intersections.

• Section six includes information on materials and construction practices used in Kentucky for placing HFSTs and how 

changes were made in contracting and construction based on the lessons learned from the early years deploying this 

technology. This section also addresses Kentucky’s post construction assessment friction testing methodology.

• Section seven provides a listing and summary of selected Kentucky HFST projects that document the benefit from 

using HFST in optimal locations.

• The final section is the list of references cited throughout the document as well as additional reference material.

3 For more information on the Every Day Counts 2 Program, please visit http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/everydaycounts/
5

 Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

SECTION 2: Brief History of High Friction Surface Treatments 

and Their Benefit 

HFSTs were originally developed in the United States during the 1950s using epoxy resin, but their use has increased in recent 

years. An HFST wearing surface has been successfully used in Europe and Asia for decades, including on a wide scale in London 

in the early 1970’s. HFST wearing surface has also been tried and proven at a wide variety of sites as part of the FHWA’s Surface 

Enhancements at Horizontal Curves (SEAHC) demonstration program. State-of-the-art friction measurement equipment has 

been used to verify the improved friction available after installation as well as to determine how well treated surfaces retain that 

friction over time.

Kentucky decided to use HFST to assist in effectively reducing highway fatalities. The following are other benefits for using this 

safety treatment:

• HFST provides a durable and long-lasting solution for specific and defined roadway locations where a contributing 

factor in crashes is that the roadway friction demand exceeds the available pavement surface friction. HFST is a safety 

treatment that happens to be a pavement treatment. 

• The reported service life of HFST is approximately 10 years based on European experience and the oldest projects 

in the United States. Based on the performance of the initial projects placed in Kentucky since 2009, it is believed 

KYTC will realize a similar service life.

• The benefit-cost ratio is many times higher for HFST when compared with other alternatives because the crash 

reductions continue for many years and the cost of other solutions—such as straightening horizontal curves—

can be cost prohibitive and include significant environmental and right-of-way impacts.

• Experience and data from Kentucky show HFST can be used where most needed, such as ramps and freeways, 

two-lane urban or rural roads at horizontal curves, areas near steep grades, areas at or near lane changes, and at 

rural and urban intersections. 

• Project lengths can be short, and because the HFST sets up quickly, the treatment can be applied in hours, 

resulting in minimal construction work zone impacts on local traffic. 

• HFST can be applied by equipment at a similar speed to other paving surface treatments, or it can be applied

with hand tools. 

• HFST can be installed on both asphalt and portland cement concrete surfaces. The pavement, however, 

must be in fair condition to realize the desired service life. 
6

Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 
7

 Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

SECTION 3: Kentucky’s HFST Program

Kentucky, the FHWA, and other agencies have reported significant crash reductions at a number of high-crash sites where an HFST 

was applied and monitored. While HFST is yet to be known or understood by many practitioners in the United States, that should 

change in the future with the increased awareness and publicity of Kentucky’s successful program. In addition, the American 

Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) is undertaking an effort to promote a better understanding of the benefits of HFSTs.

This section describes the Kentucky program from inception to full deployment and provides insights into the benefits and 

challenges overcome during the deployment of Kentucky’s HFST program. 

3.1 KYTC OVERALL SAFETY PROGRAM

Kentucky’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan 2011-20144 has the following mission and goal:

• Mission – To reduce highway fatalities and serious injuries.

• Goal – To reduce the number of highway fatalities and serious injuries toward zero.

The KYTC recognized that it needed to apply improved safety treatments on horizontal curves 

throughout the State to reduce the number of roadway departure crashes experienced statewide. 

Nationally, roadway departure crashes account for 57 percent of fatalities; however, in Kentucky, 

roadway departure crashes have accounted for more than 70 percent of total fatalities since 2005. 

As a result, the Kentucky Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) adopted a goal of reducing the 

number of annual roadway fatalities to no more than 700 by the end of 2008. A tentative updated 

goal was to reduce fatalities from 2008 levels by a further 15 percent by 2012. 

KYTC merged a data analysis package along with a set of roadway departure countermeasures to identify a set of cost effective 

countermeasures, deployment levels, and funds needed to achieve a 15 percent roadway departure fatality reduction goal. This 

information is documented in the April 2010 KYTC Roadway Departure Safety Implementation Plan. The data analysis indicated 

that the roadway departure goal could be achieved with the following enhancements to the safety program:

• The traditional approach of relying primarily on pursuing major improvements at high-crash roadway departure 

locations would need to be complemented by adopting: (1) a systematic approach that involves deploying large 

numbers of relatively low-cost, cost-effective countermeasures at many targeted high-crash roadway departure 

sections; and (2) a comprehensive approach that coordinates an engineering, education, and enforcement (3E) 

initiative on corridors and in urban areas with large numbers of severe roadway departure crashes.

o The systematic improvement categories to be deployed included the following:

• Sign and marking enhancements on curves with crash histories;

• Centerline rumble strips on rural two lane highways;

• Edge line rumble stripes and shoulder rumble strips, predominantly on rural two-lane highways; and 

• Selective rural tree removal program.

o The systematic and comprehensive approaches generate a much larger number of roadway departure 

improvements statewide, and District personnel would need to be trained and take a more active role in 

identifying the appropriateness of systematic improvements within their Districts.

• The safety program would need to be expanded to incorporate low-cost, cost-effective countermeasures on other 

types of projects, such as resurfacing and surface transportation projects, when a crash history exists within the area 

of the work and the countermeasures can reduce future crash potential.

4 Kentucky Strategic Highway Safety Plan 2011-2014, Toward Zero Deaths, available at: http://transportation.ky.gov/Highway-Safety/Documents/strategic_

plan_draft1.pdf

57% 70%

Nation

2007-2009

ROADWAY DEPARTURE

Percent of Total Fatalities

Kentucky

2005-2011
8

Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

• The safety program would need to encompass cost-effective treatments on rural roads since a sizeable portion of the 

statewide roadway departure crash problem occurred on rural roads.

• Additional countermeasures rarely or never used in Kentucky would need to be carefully and judiciously 

deployed on highway sections that had specific crash problems that these countermeasures could address. These 

countermeasures included:

o Florescent yellow warning signs and inlaid pavement markings in advance of curves,

o High friction surfaces,

o Traffic calming, and 

o Use of edge line and shoulder rumble stripes/strips on narrow pavements.

• To achieve the roadway departure safety goal, it would take an investment of approximately $48 million over the 

5-year period (or $10 million per year) for infrastructure improvements.

• In addition, a substantial pilot program would need to be initiated to improve safe driver behavior on selected 

corridors and cities that had significant numbers of severe roadway departure crashes. These pilots would involve 

highly visible active enforcement and, if successful in reducing severe crashes, would be applied to other corridors 

and cities that had similar crash histories.

The bottom line for a successful plan implementation was that, once fully implemented over a 10-year 

period, approximately 21,000 roadway departure crashes and almost 1,500 disabling 

injury crashes would be prevented, and more than 650 lives would be saved.

Kentucky’s HSIP Investment Plan is documented in a May 10, 2013, letter to FHWA and includes the following information: 

“The Federal highway legislation, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) was enacted in 2012. MAP-21 

continues the HSIP with an increase in funding for Kentucky from $22 million per year to $38 million per year to achieve a 

significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. Kentucky’s HSIP focuses on three areas for 

improvement: Roadway Departures, Intersections, and Other Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) measures. 

• Roadway Departures – Kentucky’s HSIP planning for MAP-21 includes a significant investment in the reduction 

of roadway departure crashes—more than $25 million (66 percent of total HSIP funding) annually. HFSTs are 

included within this category and represent about $2 million, or 8 percent of the total funding level for the roadway 

departure plan. KYTC’s field experience with HFST, which started in 2009, gave them the confidence to develop an 

HFST program of this magnitude.

• Intersections – Over the past 7 years, intersection-related crashes have accounted for nearly 14 percent of roadway 

fatalities and 25 percent of injury crashes. Thus, the Governor’s Executive Committee on Highway Safety voted 

in September 2012 to include intersections as an emphasis area in Kentucky’s SHSP. An investment of $6.5 million 

annually, or about 17 percent of the MAP-21 HSIP funding, was directed to intersections. HFSTs were initially not 

included in this category, but have since been used at selected intersections.

• Other HSIP Initiatives – The key component of these initiatives are opportunities to partner with KYTC District 

personnel and other shareholders to deliver data-driven safety solutions, advance safety culture throughout the 

KYTC, and obtain safety funding for projects of local importance while still utilizing a data driven approach. An 

annual investment of $6.5 million in MAP-21 HSIP funding is directed toward these activities. These funds provide for 

engineering activities to support key strategies within the SHSP...”

Source: Excerpt from the cover letter for the “KYTC HSIP MAP-21 Investment Plan” submitted by KYTC Secretary of 

Transportation Michael Hancock to FHWA Kentucky Division Administrator Jose Sepulveda, May 10, 2013.
9

 Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

3.2 HFST PROGRAM CONCEPTION AND HISTORY

KYTC’s first HFST installations were in 2009 at two locations on KY 22 in District 5 near Louisville. District engineers had assessed 

various safety countermeasures for reducing roadway departure crashes and selected HFST as a treatment to assess with field 

installations. Working with local law enforcement and transportation personnel, two locations were selected that had high crash 

rates. KYTC expected that these crash rates could be reduced if a high 

friction surface treatment was installed. District 5 engineers assessed 

the sites in the field and concurred that the locations were good 

candidates The HFST was applied, and the locations realized a significant 

reduction in crashes immediately. The two locations had 65 reported 

wet pavement crashes in the 3 years before the HFST treatment (average 

21.7/year) and 15 (average 3.75/year) in the 4-year after period. This initial 

positive experience was significant in KYTC developing a HFST program.

In late 2009, KYTC conducted a data analysis that resulted in identifying the 30 highest crash sections that had the potential 

to benefit from HFST installation. Within this same time frame, KYTC collaborated with FHWA to develop the KYTC Roadway 

Departure Safety Implementation Plan (RwDIP). The RwDIP also included a data analysis process that resulted in identifying 159 

sections that had the potential to benefit from HFST. Both of these data analysis processes are considered reactive since the 

analysis is driven by crash frequency.

To facilitate application of HFST on these sections and to reduce risk of poor construction practices, KYTC executed a “Master 

Agreement” contract (i.e., “on-call” contract) with one HFST contractor in 2010. This contracting mechanism allowed KYTC 

to direct the contractor to place HFST within a few weeks of the order. This contracting method enabled the agency and 

contractor to develop a strong partnership that led to a high level of satisfaction with product quality at the KYTC, a contractor 

that responded quickly to any remediation requests, and the foundation for clearer, more exact specifications in future HFST 

contracts. The Master Agreement has since expired, and KYTC now contracts for HFST installations in a competitive regional area 

contracting method. The agency’s contracting and construction experiences will be detailed further in section six. 

21.75

avg. /yr.

3 Years Before 

HFST Treatment

3.75

avg. /yr.

4 Years After 

HFST Treatment

WET PAVEMENT CRASHES
10

Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 
11

 Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

SECTION 4: HFST Site Selection Process

As mentioned in section 3.2, the initial selection of two high-crash locations with high friction demand served Kentucky well 

in launching their HFST program. The significant after treatment crash reductions were realized immediately, which led to the 

selection of additional sites to more clearly prove the benefit. To develop an effective HFST program, however, KYTC needed a 

process to screen for the most appropriate locations to be treated. This section describes the evolution of KYTC’s site selection 

screening processes.

4.1 CRASH DATABASE - KYOPS 

KYTC uses the Kentucky Collision Analysis for the Public (KYOPS) database that was developed and is maintained by the Kentucky 

State Police. This Kentucky crash database is considered comprehensive and of high quality for the KYTC road network. It is also 

considered a key asset for the agency’s safety program. The crash database and information are available to the public at

www.crashinformationky.org. The Kentucky State Police has continuously improved KYOPS in terms of both data quality and 

detail since 2000. Thus, KYTC has a high level of confidence in the data from 2008 and forward. To reduce errors and increase 

quality, the majority of data is collected electronically. Another quality element of the data collection system is that crash 

locations are generated automatically by the electronic data collection system. 

4.2 HFST SITE SELECTION SCREENING PROCESS I – THE 30 WORST 

In 2009, at the time the first two HFST installations were ongoing, KYTC developed its first HFST site selection screening process. 

Since HFST was in its infancy, the process was designed to find sections that had a high probability of realizing benefits (i.e., crash 

reductions) in a short time frame as a means of continuing to gain support from KYTC personnel. Thus it was a reactive type 

screening process. 

The process included an analysis of 3 years of roadway departure crash data (total crashes and total wet weather crashes) on the 

two-lane, two-way (TLTW) rural State road system, curves,5 and ramps (section lengths varied as a horizontal curve database was 

the source). The definition of roadway departure crash includes the following crash types in the Kentucky crash data base: nonintersection, non-parking lot, non-private property, single vehicle, fixed object, non-fixed object, head on, overturn/rollover, ran 

off road left/right/straight, sideswipe/opposite direction.

KYTC identified the 30 highest crash sections (i.e., those that had greater than 50 percent wet/dry crash ratio) as priority 

candidate sites for HFST. Because the two 2009 HFST installation sections were identified within these 30, KYTC had greater 

confidence that the screening process was reasonable.

4.3 HFST SITE SELECTION SCREENING PROCESS II – 2010 RWDIP

In 2009/2010 KYTC collaborated with FHWA to develop the KYTC Roadway Departure Safety Implementation Plan (RwDIP) 

discussed in detail above in section 3.1. The HFST site selection screening process incorporated in the RwDIP included 4 years of 

crash data (2004-2008) on the rural State road system, including roadway departure crashes (defined in section 4.1) (total crashes 

and total wet weather crashes). The road system analyzed was segregated into 3,000 foot sections (curve database was not utilized 

for this analysis) and identified by county, route, and milepoint. The threshold value to be considered a candidate HFST site was 8 

wet total crashes (8 was selected due to data showing high return on investment) and a minimum wet to total crash ratio of 0.35.

The RwDIP site selection process identified 227 candidate HFST sections. All of the “Worst 30” were included in the RwDIP 

process. All 227 candidate sections have been field assessed (see section 4.4) to determine if HFST is appropriate treatment, and 

of these, approximately 160 of the candidate sections were determined to be appropriate for HFST installation. HFST installations 

based on the RwDIP process started in 2010, and by Fall 2012 approximately 160 sections had been constructed or programmed 

for construction.

5 A curve is defined as a section of road with a curvature of 3.4° or greater.
12

Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

4.4 HFST SITE SELECTION SCREENING PROCESS III – USING THE EMPIRICAL BAYES METHODOLOGY

KYTC is currently developing a more advanced screening process with assistance from the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) 

at the University of Kentucky.

A regression model incorporating Empirical Bayes methodology is currently being used to screen the network for candidate 

segments to be treated with HFST. The Empirical Bayes methodology is a data-driven, science-based approach and is described 

in detail in the Part C of the AASHTO Highway Safety Manual.

The Empirical Bayes methodology is used to more precisely estimate the number of crashes that would have occurred at 

an individual treated site in the after period had a treatment not been implemented. The effect of the safety treatment is 

approximated by comparing the sum of the predicted number of crashes in the after period for all treated sites with the number 

of crashes, corrected using Empirical Bayes, recorded after the safety treatment was installed. The advantage of the Empirical 

Bayes approach is that it correctly accounts for observed changes in crash frequencies before and after a treatment that may be 

due to regression-to-the-mean.

The steps below outline the process specific to this application for HFST.

• In assigning crashes to specific segments, KTC used 0.3 mile lengths that did not overlap. 

• KTC developed one safety performance function (SPF)6 for all wet crashes and one for serious wet crashes (fatal, 

incapacitating and evident injuries). The SPFs use both segment length and traffic volume as variables.

• To apply the model to homogeneous sections, an SPF was developed for each highway type (e.g. rural two-lane, 

urban four-lane divided). The form of the equation is

 y = L x ea x Vb

where: y = predicted crashes

 L = segment length 

 V = average annual traffic volume, and 

 a and b are coefficients that describe the behavior between length, volume, 

 and the predicted number of crashes.

4.5 HFST FIELD SITE ASSESSMENT

After the site selection screening process has identified candidate sections, a field site assessment is conducted to determine 

if HFST is an appropriate treatment. One of greatest time and cost factors of implementing HFST, but considered highly critical 

to KYTC success to date, is that one of the three HQ KYTC traffic engineers led each of the field assessments. Items considered 

during the field assessment included but were not limited to: 

• Drainage

• Superelevation

• Driveways

• Coordinate future planned work on road section by the district

• Sight distances

• Crash analysis

• HFST treatment for one or both directions of road 

6 An SPF is a mathematical model that predicts the mean crash frequency for similar locations with the same characteristics. These characteristics typically 

include traffic volume and may include other variables such as traffic control and geometric characteristics. This SPF is then used to derive the second 

source of information for the empirical Bayes estimation, the number of crashes predicted at treated sites based on sites with similar operational and 

geometric characteristics.
13

 Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

• HFST limits 

• Confirm ponding water condition is not present 

• Constructability

• Existing pavement condition has expected life of greater than about 3 years. 

The value of having a small pool of personnel to lead each field assessment is consistency in conducting the field assessment 

and improving future field assessments by incorporating lessons learned from previous assessments. The major challenge of 

having a small pool of personnel is the time and cost to conduct the field assessment. 
14

Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 
15

 Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

SECTION 5: Data Collection and Analysis in Support of the HFST Program

This section discusses the data collection and analysis used for site selection and monitoring after HFST placement to assess the 

impact on crashes and HFST friction characteristics. 

5.1 HFST POST-INSTALLATION CRASH ANALYSIS 

To assess the value of HFST, KYTC performed a post-installation crash analysis. The latest HFST crash analysis, conducted in 

October 2013, included 43 uniquely identified HFST installations on ramps and horizontal curves that were constructed between 

July 2009 and October 2012. Since the post HFST installation time frame is not adequate in length to perform a more rigorous 

analysis, a simple 3 year “before” installation to 1 to 4 years “after” installation7 crash comparison was performed. For horizontal 

curve installations yearly wet crash averages declined by 86 percent, yearly dry crash averages declined by 47 percent, and yearly 

total crashes declined by 73 percent. For ramp installations yearly wet crash averages declined by 85 percent, yearly dry crash 

averages declined by 66 percent, and yearly total crashes declined by 78 percent.

5.2 HFST POST-INSTALLATION FRICTION MONITORING

As part of KYTC HFST post-installation assessment, there was interest in testing pavement friction on the HFST installations. 

KYTC conducts friction measurements with a conventional locked wheel skid trailer, but does not perform network-level friction 

testing. Friction testing is conducted for special requests and materials assessments. The majority of the HFST sites are in sharp 

horizontal curves, which are not conducive to testing with the locked wheel skid trailer.

KYTC selected the Dynamic Friction Tester (DFT) as the pavement friction testing device for HFST assessment. The Kentucky 

Transportation Center (KTC) was selected to provide the DFT testing services and prepare a written report. The DFT is a portable 

device that is suitable for testing pavement friction, but requires a lane closure. Friction data is collected in the inner and outer 

wheel paths as well as between the wheel paths. Testing is conducted at three locations per site: the beginning, the middle, 

and the end of the HFST installation. KTC personnel also document pavement distress and take photographs of each site. 

Unpublished reports documenting the testing conducted in 2012 and 2013 were developed. Some sites have little to no distress, 

while others display some raveling of the HFST aggregate and delamination of the epoxy-resin. Existing pavement transverse 

and longitudinal cracking have reflected through the HFST, which is expected. No moisture-trapping-related distresses have 

been observed. DFT values are consistent for most of the projects and are considered adequate. In 2012, the first year of DFT 

testing, approximately 80 sites were tested.

7 Installations occurred over a period of 3 years, so some assessed installations were older than others.

-86% -47% -73%

Wet Dry TOTAL 

HORIZONTAL CURVE INSTALLATIONS

Percent of Yearly Crash Decline After Installation

RAMP INSTALLATIONS

Percent of Yearly Crash Decline After Installation

Dry TOTAL 

-66% -78%

Wet

-85%
PHOTO: Andy Mergenmeier

16

Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 
17

 Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

SECTION 6: Contracting and Constructing HFST

As noted above, HFST is a spot treatment that is applied to an existing roadway surface that increases the surface friction 

characteristics, allowing for better traction. This application consists of a binder resin system combined with polish- and 

abrasion-resistant aggregates. Different aggregate and binder resin system materials are available to use when applying an HFST. 

The following paragraphs briefly identify and explain the contracting process that was used and the materials selected for use

by KYTC. 

6.1 CONTRACTING PROCESS

At the onset of using HFST, KYTC executed a “Master Agreement” contract (i.e., “on-call” contract) with one HFST contractor in 

2010. KYTC elected to adopt this method to enhance the probability for success by contracting with what essentially worked 

as an incentive: if the contractor performed well and was cooperative, then future work could be expected. As a result, KYTC 

realized the benefits as desired—both KYTC and the contractor learned in a cooperative manner how to develop and execute 

an effective HFST program. When issues did arise, the contractor remedied them on site or repaired the area quickly. 

Upon expiration of the Master Agreement, KYTC now contracts for HFST installations in a competitive regional area contracting 

method. The regional area contracts generally cover one construction season. Based on KYTC’s experiences from the original 

Master Agreement, current specifications have been enhanced. To date, two installations were removed and replaced shortly 

after placement by the contractor due to construction-related concerns that were recognized during application. In addition, 

three other locations have required spot repairs. A lesson learned from the initial HFST experiences with the Master Agreement 

contract was it required centerline and edge line striping to be preserved (HFST is not placed over the striping) to reduce costs. 

New contracts will generally include HFST placement over the entire lane width and new striping.

6.2 CONSTRUCTION

To date all HFST installations have included a two-part epoxy binder with calcined bauxite aggregate, although KYTC is assessing 

other binder materials for future applications. To date, all HFSTs have been placed on dense graded asphalt mixes. 

Some lessons learned about construction efforts include the following: 

• Aggregate shedding does occur, and the specifications need to require sweeping both immediately after 

installation and 3 days after installation. 

• The inspector needs to clearly identify the application starting and stopping points for HFST application (for 

horizontal curves - generally 50-100’ before point of curvature (beginning of curve) and 50-100’ after point of 

tangency (end of curve) to try and capture some initial braking area. 

• If not covering up centerline or edge line striping with HFST, the inspector needs to ensure HFST is placed 

adjacent to the stripe. 
18

Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 
PHOTO: KYTC 

PHOTO: KYTC 

19

 Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

SECTION 7: Project Examples of HFST Application 

This section of the document provides some specific examples where an HFST was placed to reduce wet-weather roadway 

departures and crashes. A total of four projects are included in this section. 

Location 1: Madison County, Kentucky; KY-21, MP 6.7-6.9

Installation: November 2010 

Two horizontal curves were located within these mileposts. 

Prior to the HFST installation, nine wet weather crashes and 

eight dry weather crashes were recorded at this location over 

3 years. 

After the installation, over a period of 2.9 years, one wetweather crashes and three dry-weather crashes were recorded. 

Location 2: Madison County, Kentucky; KY-21, MP 11.3-13.5

Installation: April 2011

The roadway within this segment was divided into five 

sections, each containing a horizontal curve. During the 3 years 

prior to the HFST installation, 37 wet-weather crashes 

and 6 dry-weather crashes were recorded. 

After the treatment, over a period of 2.5 years, 4 wet-weather 

crashes and 10 dry weather crashes were recorded. 
PHOTO: KYTC 

PHOTO: KYTC 

20

Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

Location 3: Fayette County, Kentucky; Ramp from I-75/I-64 to 

US-68/US-27

Installation: November 2010 

An HFST was placed on the ramp from I-75/I-64 to US-68/

US-27. The 3-year before-treatment period included 17 wetweather and 8 dry crashes in the ramp area. 

The HFST was placed from the guardrail to the edge strip 

along the shoulder. During the 3-year post-treatment period 

only one dry weather crash has been reported. 

Location 4: Fayette County, Kentucky; KY-922; MP 7.8 to 7.9

Installation: November 2010

During the 3 years prior to the HFST installation, eight wetweather crashes and five dry-weather crashes were recorded. 

After the treatment, over a period of 3 years, one wet-weather 

crash has been recorded.
21

 Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

References

ATSSA, Safety Opportunities in High Friction Surfacing, American Traffic Safety Services Association, February 2013.

Federal Highway Administration, Horizontal Curve Safety, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC, February 2012, available 

at: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811552.pdf.

Kentucky Strategic Highway Safety Plan 2011-2014, Toward Zero Deaths, available at: 

http://transportation.ky.gov/Highway-Safety/Documents/strategic_plan_draft1.pdf

Federal Highway Administration, Intersection Safety, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC, February 2009, available at: 

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/.

Federal Highway Administration, Pavement Friction Management, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC, June 17, 2010.

Federal Highway Administration, “A Road Surface Treatment for Critical Safety Spot Locations that Helps Vehicles Stay in Their Lane,” 

Federal Highway Administration, Every Day Counts, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC, available at: 

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/everydaycounts/edctwo/2012/pdfs/hfst_brochure.pdf 

Hall, J, K. Smith, L. Titus-Glover, J. Wambold, T. Yager, and Z. Rado, NCHRP Web Only Document 108: Guide for Pavement Friction, 

National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington, DC, 2009.

Hatherly, L., and A. Young, “The Location and Treatment of Urban Skidding Hazard Sites,” Transportation Research Record, 

Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington, DC, 623 (1976), 21-28.

Interstate Road Management, High Friction Surfacing Treatment, Interstate Road Management, Hazelton, Pennsylvania, available at: 

http://www.dbiservices.com/irm/hfs.asp.

Izeppi, Edgar, Gerardo Flintsch, and Kevin McGee, Field Performance of High Friction Surfaces, Virginia Transportation Research Council, 

Richmond, Virginia, June 2010.

McGee, H., and F. Hanscom, Low-Cost Treatments for Horizontal Curve Safety, Report FHWA-SA-07-002, Federal Highway 

Administration, Washington, DC, December 2006.

Milstead, R., X. Qin, B. Katz, J. Bonneson, M. Pratt, J. Miles, and P. Carlson, Procedures for Setting Advisory Speeds on Curves, FHWASA-11-22, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC, June 2011.

Road Surface Treatments Association, High Friction Surfacing, Road Surface Treatments Association, United Kingdom, available at: 

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/.

The Transtec Group, High Friction Roads, The Transtec Group, 2010, available at: http://www.highfrictionroads.com/index/

php?q=node/7.
22

Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 
PHOTO: Andy Mergenmeier

23

 Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 

25

 Case Study: Kentucky's Site Selection and Field Installation

HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT 
For More Information:

For more information, visit http://www.safety.fhwa.dot.gov

FHWA Office of Safety

Joseph Cheung

joseph.cheung@dot.gov

FHWA Resource Center

Andy Mergenmeier

andy.mergenmeier@dot.gov

FHWA-SA-15-038