Glass Beads for Road Markings: Surface Damage and Retroreflection Decay Study

Kevin M Wenzel,Wilhelm A Buckermann,Anton Pashkevich,Tomasz E Burghardt

doi:10.3390/app12042258

Kevin M Wenzel, Wilhelm A Buckermann + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/app12042258

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Abstract

Road markings must be reflectorised with glass beads to be visible to drivers at night, retro-reflecting light from vehicle’s headlights, which is critical for road safety. Four commonly used types of glass beads were evaluated in a laboratory setting for retroreflectivity and their surfaces were analysed using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The glass beads were subjected to abrasion and a visual correlation was sought between the measured retroreflectivity and the surface damage. Scratching the glass bead surface with corundum in a rotary drum resulted in major differences in the rates of damage development, depending on the type of the glass beads, and it could be correlated with the rate of retroreflectivity decay. The relative results from abrasion testing were confirmed under tyre action during a turntable evaluation. Based on the outcomes of these tests, service lives, defined as maintaining appropriately high retroreflectivity, were predicted and used to calculate the consumption of raw materials—the basic sustainability parameter. It was shown that the use of ‘premium’ glass beads, enhanced with TiO2 and made in a proprietary process, provided the road marking system characterised by the lowest long-term consumption of resources.

Highlights

IntroductionOne of the basic yet highly effective safety features on majority of paved roads are road markings (RM)
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutralOne of the basic yet highly effective safety features on majority of paved roads are road markings (RM)
While many materials can be used for the base layer [2], the retroreflective layer always consists of glass beads (GB) that are partially embedded in it

Summary

Introduction

One of the basic yet highly effective safety features on majority of paved roads are road markings (RM). These special types of industrial maintenance coatings must be considered systems comprising a base (paint) layer and a retroreflective layer, and only their cooperation furnishes the functional RM [1]. Retroreflectivity is critical because the number and severity of accidents that occur in darkness is disproportionally higher as compared to daytime, despite much lower traffic loads [6]. Studies have shown that increase in RL is associated with lower accident rate on unlit roads at night in with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations

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