Diamond grinding of pavement

Most often utilized on concrete pavement, diamond grinding is typically performed in conjunction with other concrete pavement preservation (CPP) techniques such as road slab stabilization, full- and partial-depth repair, dowel bar retrofit, cross stitching longitudinal cracks or joints and joint and crack resealing.

[1] Diamond grinding restores rideability by removing surface irregularities caused during construction or through repeated traffic loading over time.

Another important effect of diamond grinding is the considerable increase in surface macrotexture and consequent improvement in skid resistance, noise reduction and safety.

Since that early tentative step, concrete grinding, grooving and texturing with diamond blades has developed into what is today a multimillion-dollar industry that is practiced worldwide.

Some of the surface imperfections that can be addressed by diamond grinding include: faulting at joints and cracks, built-in or construction roughness, polished concrete surfaces exhibiting inadequate macrotexture, wheel path rutting caused by studded tires, unacceptable noise level, slab warping caused by moisture gradient and construction curling, inadequate transverse slope and splash and spray reduction.

The increased load due to dynamic impact results in higher stresses in the pavement materials and consequently lower road life.

[4][12][13] Diamond grinding also improves cornering friction, providing directional stability by tire tread-pavement groove interlock.

The longitudinal nature of a diamond-ground texture also provides directional stability and reduces hydroplaning, thus contributing to the safety of diamond ground surfaces.