This guide is the first industry-specific guideline focused on the tire-guideway surface interface in straddle-type monorail systems. Developed by the International Monorail Association’s Working Group on Tire-Guideway Surface Interaction, it fills a major gap in global transit standards by providing clear, evidence-based recommendations for designing, testing, and maintaining concrete running surfaces for rubber-tired monorails.
Its purpose is to establish a consistent framework that improves safety, durability, ride quality, lifecycle costs, and environmental performance. Drawing on international standards (ISO 13473, ASTM E274, EN 13036) and global best practices, it consolidates worldwide experience into monorail-specific recommendations.
Core guidance includes the use of standardized testing methods – Dynamic Friction Tester (DFT), Circular Texture Meter (CTM), British Pendulum Tester, and Sand Patch – to assess friction and texture, with target values based on the International Friction Index (IFI). It also defines acceptable concrete finishes, surface treatment techniques, inspection procedures, and material compatibility requirements with OEM tire compounds. Additional topics cover functional tire-guideway interactions, safety considerations such as tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), environmental effects like wet-surface behavior, maintainability, and sustainability measures including SCMs and low-carbon concrete.
The guideline is intended for transit agencies, operators, contractors, engineers, rolling stock manufacturers, and tire OEMs, providing practical direction for maintenance, design, and specification.
This technical paper also serves as a foundation for future national and international standards and supports academic research on tire-road interaction. Overall, the document represents a major step toward enhancing safety, performance, and reliability across straddle-type monorail systems worldwide.
It is available here for download free of charge.