United States Department of Transportation
i
Comparison of Wet Reflective Elements With Tape – A Pavement Marking Study Based on Field Measurements
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2021-04-01
[PDF-3.24 MB]
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Edition:Final Dec 2017 to Apr 2021
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Abstract:This field-based evaluation summarizes the performance, in terms of retroreflectivity, of a number of treatments for pavement markings applied to continuous yellow and white edge lines, as well as broken white lane lines. Measurements were taken using mobile and semi-mobile setups for dry conditions and wet conditions, respectively, along a test deck installed by UDOT on I-215 during August of 2017. Wet conditions included readings from a dry state, transitioning through a continuous wetting phase until saturation, and reaching a steady state after wet recovery. Datasets were collected by a third-party contractor, using equipment and following procedures according to the applicable ASTM standards. A total of four datasets were evaluated, starting with measurements soon after installation, and ending with a dataset collected after 802 days of service. Treatments installed in the test deck included an all-weather tape (3M 380 AW tape), treatments with proprietary elements in paint and epoxy (3M elements Series 50), and Utah blends also in paint and epoxy. The retroreflectivity of the all-weather treatment indicated superior performance and durability both in dry and wet conditions, and across all line types, as expected. After 460 days in service, all treatments remained well above 100 mcd/m2 in dry conditions, but the wet recovery retroreflectivity values were at or below that threshold, except the all-weather treatment. Additional results from a dataset collected at a different location on UT-167 are also included in this report. Recommendations for future research include expansion of data collection to additional sites with varied geometries and traffic demands, as well as economic analyses including materials, installation costs, traffic demands, and potential safety benefits based on local crash data and research related to crash modification factors associated to retroreflectivity levels. These recommendations are conducive to establishing an objective decision-making support system to optimize pavement marking investment plans.
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