PLASTIC PAVEMENT MARKING MATERIALS. FINAL REPORT

Pavement markings are one of the most effective traffic control devices available to the traveling public. They serve to guide, warn, and regulate the motorist in the use of highways and streets during the day and night. For many years traffic paints were the only materials available for pavement markings. Even today the vast majority of pavement markings are painted. Much research and effort, however, has been employed in the development of marking materials more durable than paint. This report looks at two of the leading durable marking materials available to the traffic engineer today: long life pavement marking tape and thermoplastic. Three major findings emerge from this research report. First, currently available long life pavement marking tapes used as special markings or symbols are not performing acceptably due to reflectivity after only two years of service on high volume roadways (5,000 ADT). Second, thermoplastic pavement markings are providing 5 to 8 years of acceptable service (including reflectivity) when used as long lines on high volume asphalt roadways in North Carolina. Third, life-cycle costs indicate that thermoplastic used in a long line condition is less expensive than paint on high volume asphalt roadways (5,000 to 20,000 ADT) and approximately equal in cost to paint on asphalt roads with ADTs over 20,000. Life cycle costs for special markings and symbols shows thermoplastic's life cycle cost is approximately one third that of paint on urben and high volume routes and approximately equal to the cost of paint on low volume routes. These same life cycle costs indicate that the cost of long life tape is 3 to 5 times more expensive than either paint or thermoplastic.

• Corporate Authors:

  North Carolina State University, Raleigh

  Institute for Transportation Research and Education, Centennial Campus, 909 Capability Drive
  Raleigh, NC  United States  27695

  North Carolina Department of Transportation

  Division of Highways, P.O. Box 25201
  Raleigh, NC  United States  27611

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Attaway, R W
  • Babcock, W F
• Publication Date: 1988-6

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 181 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Costs; Durability; Life cycle analysis; Life cycle costing; Performance; Reflectivity; Road marking materials; Road marking tapes; Thermoplastic materials; Traffic paint
• Old TRIS Terms: Traffic marking materials; Traffic marking tapes
• Subject Areas: Finance; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; I35: Miscellaneous Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00479594
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/NC/88-007
• Contract Numbers: 23241-86-4
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Feb 28 1989 12:00AM