Diamond grinding and grooving airport runways is common in the United States; Canada has made limited use of the technique. This is changing, due to overwhelming evidence that diamond grooving is a proven strategy for reducing the risk of hydroplaning and improving runway safety. Grooving works by providing channels for water to escape, helping eliminate standing water and restoring tire friction coefficients on wet pavement.

There are a few key takeaways. First is that pre-emptive maintenance, often referred to as pavement preservation, is necessary to maximize the life of a pavement. Second is that smooth pavements stay smooth longer, so implementing techniques like dowel bar retrofit (DBR), diamond grinding and joint resealing early in the pavement’s life will reduce dynamic loads and greatly increase the amount of time a pavement remains serviceable at a high level for minimum cost.

The IGGA and its members have been working with Australian transportation authorities to incorporate conventional diamond grinding (CDG) and other diamond saw cut textures into the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) tool box since the year 2000. Trials undertaken in New South Wales (NSW) in 2014 demonstrated that the Next Generation Concrete Surface (NGCS) reduced tire/pavement interface noise, yielding noise results equivalent to traditionally low-noise asphalt surfaces.

The Kate Freeway is a portion of I-10 that runs from the downtown Houston area westward for approximately 23 miles to the suburb of Katy. Mayors from the villages approached TxDOT about noise abatement procedures. Transverse grooving was removed and NGCS installed. Noise improved significantly and residents, as well as their mayors, were delighted with the new surface.

In 2014, aided by its Research Institute, Korea Expressway Corp. completed a pilot project using NGCS. NGCS is smoother and flatter than ordinary pavements; it has a consistent profile with a predominantly negative texture, absent of positive or upward texture elements. The pilot project’s results led to the company choosing NGCS for its long tunnels.

Next generation concrete surface (NGCS) is the quietest non-porous concrete pavement surface available, providing a solution for noise control in areas where noise walls are not feasible.