Pavement Marking Materials Research Articles

Longitudinal Degradation of Pavement Marking Detectability for Mobile LiDAR Sensing Technology in Real-World Use

Recent advancements in vehicle automation and driver-assistance systems that detect pavement markings has increased the importance of the detectability of pavement markings through various sensor modalities across weather and road conditions. Among the sensing techniques, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors have become popular for vehicle-automation applications. This study used low-cost mobile multi-beam LiDAR to assess the performance of several types of pavement marking materials installed on a limited-access highway in various conditions, and quantified the degradation in detection performance over three years. Four marking materials, HPS-8, polyurea, cold plastic, and sprayable thermoplastic, were analyzed in the current study. LiDAR reflectivity data extracted from a total of 210 passes through the test sections were analyzed. A new detectability score based on LiDAR intensity data was proposed to quantify the marking detectability. The results showed that the pavement marking detectability varied across the material types over the years. The results provide guidance for selecting materials and developing maintenance schedules when marking detectability by LiDAR is a concern.

Prioritizing Roadway Pavement Marking Maintenance Using Lane Keep Assist Sensor Data.

There are over four million miles of roads in the United States, and the prioritization of locations to perform maintenance activities typically relies on human inspection or semi-automated dedicated vehicles. Pavement markings are used to delineate the boundaries of the lane the vehicle is driving within. These markings are also used by original equipment manufacturers (OEM) for implementing advanced safety features such as lane keep assist (LKA) and eventually autonomous operation. However, pavement markings deteriorate over time due to the fact of weather and wear from tires and snowplow operations. Furthermore, their performance varies depending upon lighting (day/night) as well as surface conditions (wet/dry). This paper presents a case study in Indiana where over 5000 miles of interstate were driven and LKA was used to classify pavement markings. Longitudinal comparisons between 2020 and 2021 showed that the percentage of lanes with both lines detected increased from 80.2% to 92.3%. This information can be used for various applications such as developing or updating standards for pavement marking materials (infrastructure), quantifying performance measures that can be used by automotive OEMs to warn drivers of potential problems with identifying pavement markings, and prioritizing agency pavement marking maintenance activities.

Glass microspheres in road dust of the city of Kielce (south-central Poland) as markers of traffic-related pollution

Glass microspheres are widely used as reflective components in road and pavement marking materials. They commonly occur in road dust mixed with different particles of anthropogenic and geogenic origin. This paper describes different methods that enable discrimination of glass microspheres from other morphologically similar particles that occur in road dust of Kielce. The individual glass microspheres vary from 30 to 1350 µm in diameter and consist of recycled Ca-, Na-, Mg-silica glass with a minor admixture of Al, Fe, K and S. Because of their stability and chemical composition, glass microspheres are good markers of traffic-related pollution in different environmental archives. Of different elements present in Kielce road dust, the fraction < 0.125 mm was distinctly abundant in zirconium, the main constituent of disk brakes or brake pads and a potential marker of road traffic pollution. However, the statistically significant positive correlation of the Si–Zr pair (R = 0.54) in the 1.0–2.0 mm fraction is linked to the presence of some detritic quartz grains with zircon inclusions. The other metals determined provide ambiguous traffic-related signatures and may be derived from different pollution sources.

Laboratory-Based Evaluation of Pavement Marking Characteristics

AbstractDespite the growing demand for pavement marking materials that facilitate road driving by providing increased visibility, there is concern about the durability and long-term weatherability ...

Anthropogenic spherules in Zuari estuary, south west coast of India

In this study we report silica rich anthropogenic spherules from the marine environment. We found spherical, dumbbell, teardrop and fused spherules in Zuari estuary (near the Dona paula jetty), south west coast of India. The spherules were composed of SiO2 (69.8%), Na2O (13.2%), CaO (8.8%), MgO (3.8%), and traces of Al2O3, and FeO. Their high Na and Ca contents rules out the possibility of being an impact spherule or microtektite, or anthropogenic spherules coming from fly ash. Their elemental composition suggests that these are glass micro beads that have many applications including production of road and pavement marking materials, such as traffic paints. Considering that the glass micro beads are known to have high concentrations of Pb, As, and Sb that can leach into the marine environment, this study also raises questions regarding the impact of such spherules on marine biota, and highlights the need for further detailed study.

Development of a Pavement Marking Life Cycle Cost Tool

Pavement marking materials can be broadly classified into two types: durable and nondurable. The durable markings have a longer service life compared with the nondurable and, thus, need to be replaced less frequently. The material cost of the durable markings is higher compared with the nondurable markings. However, the durable markings have several benefits compared with the nondurable markings. Durable markings require less frequent striping resulting in less traffic delays faced due to marking installation and fewer accidents due to fewer work zone closures. The administrative costs associated with contracting and monitoring the work is also lower for durable markings due to less frequent contracting. The primary purpose of this project is to explore the cost differences between durable and nondurable markings, and how various factors can impact the life cycle cost of different marking materials. Researchers developed a life cycle cost calculator that considers the various costs associated with pavement markings to assist in comparing total costs of different marking materials. All costs associated with the implementation of pavement marking projects are considered, including material and installation costs, traffic delay costs and crash costs due to marking installations, and administrative costs to cover contracting and management of the pavement marking assets. This life cycle cost calculator would be another tool that decision makers could use to help choose the most cost-effective pavement marking for the selected input condition.

Research and development of polyurea pavement marking paint

Pavement markings make an important contribution to the safety of people and vehicles on roads. Many types of pavement marking materials have been used, and most recently, polyurea materials have been used as a binder in pavement marking paint. This type of paint has high retro-reflection and durability, so it has been widely applied for use at airports and on highways around the world. This article introduces the results of our research and the making of polyurea pavement marking paint using the formula: binder/harder ratio (1.3/1 by weight), 42% of pigment and filler, 10% of reflective balls, rheological additive, and dispersive additive to create outstanding features (retro-reflection &gt; 260 mcd/m2/lux).

Piecewise Multiple Linear Models for Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity Prediction Under Effect of Winter Weather Events

Most existing models for prediction of pavement marking retroreflectivity have been developed from data collected in locations with similar weather conditions; therefore, the effect of different weather conditions, such as winter weather events, has not been extensively studied. This study develops degradation models that can predict retroreflectivity of durable pavement marking materials under various winter weather conditions. Piecewise multiple linear models are proposed to explicitly account for the effect of winter weather events in this study. In comparisons of the proposed models with conventional multiple linear models (MLMs) developed from the same set of data, the proposed models outperformed the MLMs, and the overall root-mean-square error improved from 204.6 mcd/m2/lux for MLMs to 106.5 mcd/m2/lux for piecewise MLMs. The proposed models also show robust and consistent results in predicting retroreflectivity of different materials in different states. The results indicate that the proposed method can be adopted by various states and regions for comprehensive retroreflectivity prediction under various weather conditions.

고기능·장수명 차선도료의 교통사고 감소효과 분석

고기능·장수명 차선도료의 교통사고 감소효과 분석

Predicting Pavement Marking Service Life with Transverse Test Deck Data

Pavement marking test decks are an effective way to evaluate the quality of marking in the field. Transverse test decks provide accelerated wear on markings in the wheelpath area and can provide a side-by-side comparison of different pavement marking materials. The drawback is that the relationship between transverse and long-line pavement marking test decks is relatively unknown. This study was developed to provide better understanding of the relationship between the accelerated wear area on a transverse marking and how it relates to typical wear on a longitudinal marking. The objective of the study was to develop a model for predicting long-line pavement marking retroreflectivity values from transverse pavement marking test deck data. These models and associated parameters can be used to estimate the retroreflectivity of an edge line marking or the amount of time it will take for the edge line marking to reach a given retroreflectivity level. The user needs only the transverse retroreflectivity readings and an initial or assumed initial edge line retroreflectivity value.

Performance Evaluation of Wet Pavement Markings in Ohio

Snow plowable raised pavement markers (RPMs) have been used in Ohio for the past four decades to provide visual guidance to motorists under inclement weather conditions. In recent years, rare incidents have occurred where the aged pavement surface failed to provide adequate support to the RPM castings. As a result, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) initiated this study to evaluate the performance of alternative pavement marking materials and determine whether they can provide equivalent or better delineation than the existing system. These materials included all weather paint (AWP) and wet retroreflective (WR) durable tape. Both materials exhibited high initial WR. However, their wet night performance was significantly compromised within a relatively short period of time due to traffic and snow plowing activities. Therefore, it was concluded that given the harsh environmental conditions in Ohio, it will not be cost-effective to use AWP or WR durable tape as a replacement for RPMs.

Repeatability and Reproducibility of Mobile Retroreflectivity Units for Measurement of Pavement Markings

The Florida Department of Transportation has historically used a combination of handheld devices and visual surveys to evaluate the retroreflectivity of pavement markings. However, visual surveys have the inherent limitations of operator bias, while the use of a handheld device is slow and labor intensive and presents safety hazards. Many highway agencies have recognized that a mobile retroreflectivity unit (MRU) may be a safer and more efficient alternative to the handheld retroreflectometers. Because the measurement process relies on the operator-driven instrument, a level of uncertainty is always a concern in evaluating pavement markings with the MRU. This research was aimed at assessing the precision and bias of the MRU while using the handheld retroreflectometer as a reference device. Ten 1.0-mi-long field sites were selected to include various pavement surface types and pavement marking materials (paints and thermoplastics). The results indicated that, when compared with the handheld retroreflectometers, the MRU demonstrated no statistical differences or bias at a 95% confidence level for the retroreflectivity values ranging between 200 and 800 mcd/m2/lux. In addition, it was determined that the retroreflectivity values from two properly conducted tests using a single MRU on the same pavement marking should not differ by more than 7.8%, and when different MRUs were used on the same pavement marking, the retroreflectivity values should not differ by more than 13.3%. This paper presents a description of the testing program, the data collection effort, and the subsequent analyses and findings.

Evaluating Alternative Pavement Marking Materials

On federally funded projects, the Federal Highway Administration wants state highway maintenance engineers to justify their choice of pavement marking material and show how it is better than alternative materials in the application environment in which it is being proposed. However, a convenient method of conducting such a comparison is not available. In this study, a model is described which allows comparison of the relative value of alternative pavement marking materials given the existing conditions at the application site such as pavement surface type, remaining pavement service life, traffic volume, line type, and line color. The model compares alternative pavement marking materials in terms of their benefit-cost ratio over the useful life of the material. The model was developed from approximately 3,500 readings of retroreflectivity on 40 mil and 90 mil thermoplastic, tape, and inverted profile pavement marking material on Interstate highways in Louisiana. Its use is demonstrated in sample applications.

Modelling the effect of various factors on the condition of pavement marking

Poorly maintained pavement marking might certainly contribute to road accidents. The cost of road accidents is estimated to be 10–25 billion Canadian dollars annually. Accordingly, it is necessary for municipalities to develop a strategic cost-effective plan in order to renew and restripe pavement markings. Therefore, the objective of the present research is to model the effect of various factors on pavement marking conditions. Data on Alkyd paint pavement marking material are collected from the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Since the collected data from municipalities in Canada always include input variables and fail to provide output variable(s) (e.g. condition), an unsupervised neural network (UNN) model is first developed to generate the condition of pavement marking (output). Then, regression and neurofuzzy models are developed based upon the results of UNN model. The developed models are validated in which they show satisfactory results. A sensitivity analysis is performed to show the effect of changing the input variables on the developed models’ output(s).

Refinement of Drivers' Visibility Needs during Wet Night Conditions

The purpose of this project was to develop a specification for the minimum retroreflectivity of pavement markings in wet nighttime conditions. For this specification to be established, the performance of four retroreflective pavement marking materials in wet night conditions was evaluated. The performance of the pavement markings was evaluated by driver participants under simulated rain conditions with a protocol similar to that of studies that had already been performed at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The performance of the markings was verified on the basis of the participants' ability to detect the end points of the markings in both rainy and clear conditions. This investigation reached the following conclusions: (a) The materials developed over recent years showed an improved performance over those tested previously. (b) The log-linear relationship found previously was functional for the data provided. Two models were developed. The model with no intercept provided a more constrictive boundary at low levels of retroreflectivity. (c) A retroreflectivity value above 250 millicandelas per square meter per lux (mcd/m2/lx) provided limited return in terms of detection distance. (d) A specification limit of 150 mcd/m2/lx provided adequate visibility for 55 mph in dry conditions and 40 mph in wet conditions with standard dry retroreflectivity measurements and 1 in./h measurements for wet conditions. This value should be the minimum maintained over the life of the marking. (e) The retroreflectivity specifications for a white and a yellow material should be equal. (f) The rumble stripe showed a significant recovery time improvement over the other tested materials. A minimum retroreflectivity of 150 mcd/m2/lx for white and yellow pavement markings in both dry and wet nighttime conditions is recommended.

Effect of Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity on the Performance of Vision-Based Lane Departure Warning Systems

Vision-based lane departure warning systems (LDWS) use images collected by small cameras to track the pavement markings and warn drivers when their vehicles perform unintended drifts out of the travel lanes. Pavement marking visibility at night is a function of the marking's retroreflectivity. During rain, pavement markings are covered by water, reducing the retroreflectivity and adversely affecting the visibility of the markings at night. This study examines the effects of the marking's retroreflectivity on the performance of LDWS, based on tests conducted in the field and in a simulated rain facility. The results indicate that improving the retroreflectivity attributes of commonly used pavement marking materials such as thermoplastic and paints improves the performance of LDWS for rain conditions at night. In addition, this performance improves significantly with the use of enhanced types of pavement markings that have high visibility during rain.

Comparison of Designs of Field Test Decks for Pavement Marking Materials

Historically, pavement marking materials (PMMs) have been prequalified or selected mainly on the basis of product specifications and lab testing, which do not always correlate well with the field performance of the products. Although different configurations of field test decks exist for assessing the performance of markings, no consensus exists on the optimal design. This study evaluated test deck designs for PMMs on the basis of field performance and focused on a comparison of transverse line and long line design. Field decks were designed incorporating regular long lines and long lines in the travel lane together with transverse stripes for accelerated testing, and several installation procedures were taken into consideration. Three test sites in Texas were used for data collection and analysis. The relationships between transverse and longitudinal test decks were evaluated with correlation analyses of retroreflectivity values. The results indicated that the points on transverse lines had high correlation with the corresponding five or seven longitudinal long lines in the travel lane when the retroreflectivity values of all products on a test deck were averaged. For individual products, the correlations between transverse line locations and corresponding long lines in the travel lane were not consistently high for all PMMs.

Methodologies to Predict Service Lives of Pavement Marking Materials

This study focuses on developing methodologies to predict the service life of a pavement marking material based on its retroreflectivity. Data from the 2002 National Transportation Product Evaluation Program (NTPEP) pavement marking material test deck in Mississippi are used for model development and model validation. The smoothing spline method and time series modeling are applied to estimate the service lives of different types of materials based on the assumption of a required minimum retroreflectivity value. The same models can also predict the retroreflectivity values at future times for a pavement marking product based on its retroreflectivity values in the past. The validation of the models shows satisfactory accuracy. As demonstrated in a case study, the predicted service lives of the marking materials can be used in life-cycle cost comparisons for selecting pavement marking material.

Guidance for Cost-Effective Selection of Pavement Marking Materials for Work Zones

Pavement markings provide important information to motorists, especially in a work zone environment where alignments are often changed from what is typical. Unlike normal roadway applications, work zone pavement markings are often placed on the roadway for a limited period of time, such as during an interim phase of construction. The performance and total cost for each material may vary greatly depending on a number of factors, such as traffic volume, surface type, and project duration. The objective of this study is to develop a systematic approach to provide practitioners with objective guidance for selecting cost-effective pavement marking materials for work zones that meet specific performance requirements. A Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity analyses were conducted to establish a cost-based decision support guidance given a set of factors influencing the performance of marking materials. Four types of materials considered in this study were paint, thermoplastics, temporary tapes, and traffic buttons. The analysis results indicated that traffic buttons perform slightly better at shorter phase durations and moderate traffic levels on the concrete surface. The use of thermoplastics was recommended as the lowest-cost alternative only on the asphalt surface with moderate project durations and traffic levels. Paint markings are recommended for short-duration projects regardless of traffic conditions or pavement surfaces.

Modelling the performance of pavement marking in cold weather conditions

Inadequate and poorly maintained pavement markings are considered to be one of the largest contributing factors to fatal motor vehicle crashes. As a result, it is essential to apply the appropriate pavement marking material for all weather conditions in order to increase public safety and reduce motor vehicle crashes. Building a strategic plan to renew and re-stripe pavement marking is receiving increasing interest from companies/authorities that manage the pavement marking in order to reach the most cost-efficient management plan of the available pavement marking materials. The objective of this paper is to develop pavement marking performance models that predict the condition of different marking materials under various service conditions including weather, traffic and snow removal plans. The developed models are validated and the results show that the average percent validity varies from 87% to 99%. Marking performance is assessed using a condition rating scale, which numerically ranges from 1 to 5 and linguistically from excellent to critical, respectively. Deterioration curves are developed that assess the condition of the pavement marking based on the developed models. They are expected to benefit academics and practitioners (municipal engineers, consultants, and contractors) to prioritise inspection, stripping, and re-stripping planning for various pavement markings.