NTL Record

Title Temporary Wet-Weather Pavement Markings for Work Zones, Phase II: All-Weather Pavement Marking for Work Zones, Field Evaluation in North Carolina and Ohio
Record ID 68040
Personal Name
Creator
Cunningham, Christopher M.; Hummer, Joseph E.; Chang, J.; Katz, Donald; Vaughan, Christopher L.; Findley, Daniel; Schroeder, Bastian J.; McAvoy, Deborah S.
Corporate Creator United States. Federal Highway Administration
Corporate
Contributor
North Carolina State University. Institute for Transportation Research & Education
Publisher United States. Federal Highway Administration
Publication Date 20130501
Language English
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.
Rosap ID dot:42688
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/42688
TRT Terms Road markings; Wet weather; Reflectorized road markings; Retroreflectivity; Work zone safety
Geographical
Coverage
United States
TRIS Online
Accession No
1571963
Contract Number DTFH61-08-G-00001
Report Number FHWA-HIF-13-004
Resource type Tech Report
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/68000/68000/68040/FHWA-HIF-13-004.pdf
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository