Project wins Engineering Excellence Award.
Faced with aging equipment and outdated technology, Caltrans needed a new way to measure friction on its roadways and bridges to keep California drivers safe. The agency identified Continuous Friction Measurement Equipment (CFME), a new technology that continuously collects friction data under walking speeds, as an alternative to measuring skid resistance.
Caltrans turned to Atlas and GritForce Inc. to conduct a thorough investigation—comparing the device historically used to collect this data—the California Portable Skid Tester (CA PST)—to the new CFME device. Atlas worked collaboratively with Caltrans and industry partners to assess equipment performance by implementing specialized friction surveys, examining the unique capabilities of CFMEs across a range of road surfaces, including asphalt and concrete pavements along bridge decks.
Findings from these efforts informed updates to CT 342, Caltrans’ specification for skid resistance monitoring. Pavement friction plays a critical role in keeping California’s roads safer because friction affects how vehicles interact with the road. By testing pavement friction, especially on bridges or locations where vehicles are turning, slowing and stopping, Caltrans is protecting its community and helping to prevent roadway collisions by modernizing its friction measurement technology that has been in place since the 1950s.
Atlas received a Commendation Award in the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) California in its 2026 Engineering Excellence Awards competition, for its partnership with Caltrans on this public safety project. The award recognizes Atlas’ role in helping Caltrans modernize its measurement tools for monitoring roadway friction.
“Atlas has been recognized locally and nationally for our strong collaboration with Caltrans to advance roadway safety through innovative technology,” said Jacque Hinman, Atlas CEO. “We are honored to see this new technology receive industry recognition advancing public safety standards.”