SKID RESISTANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF THERMOPLASTIC STRIPES

THIS REPORT DESCRIBES THE SCOPE AND RESULTS OF A STUDY DESIGNED TO COMPARE THE PERFORMANCE OF THERMOPLASTIC AND PAINTED TRAFFIC STRIPES IN TERMS OF /1/ SKID RESISTANCE AND /2/ VEHICLE CONTROL WHEN STOPPING ON AND CROSSING OVER THE STRIPES. PRIMARY TESTS WERE MADE ON SIX, 200 FOOT LONG STRIPES, THREE OF PLASTIC AND THREE OF PAINT, PLACED ON TANGENT SECTIONS OF PAVEMENT. THE THREE STRIPES OF EACH MATERIAL WERE NORMAL 4 INCHES WIDE, SOLID 8 INCHES WIDE AND DOUBLE 4 INCHES WIDE, RESPECTIVELY. AN 8-INCH SOLID STRIPE OF EACH MATERIAL WAS PLACED TRANSVERSELY ON A CURVED SECTION OF PAVEMENT. THE SKID RESISTANCE OF THE THERMOPLASTIC STRIPE, AS DETERMINED BY THE CALIFORNIA TEST METHOD NO. 342 B WAS IN THE RANGE OF A BLEEDING ASPHALT PAVEMENT. THE RESISTANCE TO SKIDDING OF THE PAINTED STRIPE WAS SOMEWHAT BETTER, BUT WAS QUITE VARIABLE DEPENDING ON THE THICKNESS OF THE PAINT AND THE TEXTURE OF THE PAVEMENT. FROM THE TEST RESULTS, IT WAS GENERALLY CONCLUDED THAT THE THERMOPLASTIC TRAFFIC STRIPES PRESENTED NO GREATER HAZARD TO VEHICLE OPERATION THAN THE PRESENTLY USED PAINT STRIPES. UNDER WET CONDITIONS, SOME LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL WAS EXPERIENCED FOR BOTH TYPES OF MATERIALS WHEN BRAKING WITH TWO WHEELS DIRECTLY ON 8-INCH WIDE STRIPES. IT WAS ANTICIPATED THAT THIS BEHAVIOR MIGHT PRESENT SOME PROBLEMS TO THE INEXPERIENCED DRIVER. THE 4-INCH WIDE OR DOUBLE 4-INCH WIDE STRIPES DID NOT PRODUCE DETRIMENTAL SWERVING WHEN BRAKING WITH TWO WHEELS DIRECTLY ON THE STRIPES.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Hpr-1/2/, BPR10, STATE B-1-11, JUN65
• Corporate Authors:

  California Division of Highways

  Bridge Department
  Sacramento, CA  United States  05914
• Authors:
  • Kemp, G
• Publication Date: 1965-6

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Field tests; Paint; Pavements; Performance; Road marking materials; Road markings; Skid resistance; Skidding; Thermoplastic materials; Vehicle dynamics
• Old TRIS Terms: Traffic marking; Traffic marking materials
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Operations and Traffic Management; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00215823
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 1 1994 12:00AM