United States Department of Transportation
i
Temporary Wet-Weather Pavement Markings for Work Zones, Phase II: All-Weather Pavement Marking for Work Zones, Field Evaluation in North Carolina and Ohio
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2013-05-01
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[PDF-2.41 MB]
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Abstract:To address the problem of seemingly invisible pavement markings under nighttime, rainy conditions, 3M developed “All-Weather Paint” (AWP), which uses highly retroreflective elements in combination with latex-based pavement marking installed by highway agencies. Whereas standard pavement markings using waterborne pavement marking and glass beads become harder to see in the rain, the AWP performed well during closed-circuit field tests. Researchers at North Carolina State University and Ohio University teamed up to conduct tests in active highway work zones. The team defined four measures of effectiveness (MOE) in an attempt to quantify safety performance when comparing the AWP to standard pavement marking materials under real-world driving conditions: retroreflectivity, vehicle travel speed, rate of lane encroachments, and linear lane displacement. Data collection procedures for each MOE are systematically outlined throughout the report. From the results, the study concluded the following: (1) Retroreflectivity values were confirmed to be higher for AWP when compared to standard pavement markings. However, the AWP retroreflectivity values were inconsistent, likely because of the variation of application methods by pavement marking contractors. (2) Speed was used as a surrogate MOE to evaluate safety performance. It was not clear if an increase or decrease in speed has a positive effect on safety. Results showed that speed generally increased as drivers exited work zone lane shifts for all marking types; however, no consistent finding was noted between the two marking systems in similar curves. (3) The findings for lane encroachments varied throughout the sites. While the first site studied indicated that more lane encroachments occurred at standard pavement marking crossovers, a more robust study at a second site found the results to be statistically insignificant. (4) When assessing lateral lane placement, researchers found statistically significant but varied results. More often than not, motorists maintain safer lane placements when traveling along the AWP delineated lanes. This report documents Phase II of this project. The Phase I report is available on the FHWA website at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hfl/partnerships/3m/phase1/index.cfm.
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