Calibration of the Swedish studded tyre abrasion wear prediction model with implication for the NORTRIP road dust emission model

An experimentally based prediction model of road abrasion wear due to studded tyres is available in Sweden and has been found to work well. However, it has not been validated since 2007, and since then road surfaces and tyre design have developed, and the question has arisen regarding the model's current validity. The abrasion wear model is used in the NORTRIP emission model (NOn-exhaust Road Traffic Induced Particle emission modelling), and the effect of a recalibrated abrasion wear model on the emission model is shown. In this paper, the abrasion wear model is compared to full-scale field measurements at several recently constructed roads in Sweden to investigate its validity, while also proposing changes to allow for continued use. It is concluded that the model overestimates the wear and an update is suggested. In addition, the impact on NORTRIP emission predictions is briefly investigated. There were also indications that NORTRIP is affected by the abrasion model overestimating the contribution of pavement wear to the particle emissions.

Automated summary

This paper compares a road abrasion wear model with full-scale field measurements on recently constructed roads in Sweden to investigate its validity, proposing potential changes for continued use. It concludes that the model overestimates wear and suggests an update, while also briefly investigating the impact on emission predictions by NORTRIP. There are indications that NORTRIP is affected by the abrasion model overestimating the contribution of pavement wear to particle emissions.