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Slide 1

Temporary All-Weather Pavement Markings for Work Zones

Project Team: 3M and TTI

Award: $499,277

Slide 2

Need

• Retroreflectivity of conventional pavement markings diminishes signifigantly under wet weather conditions at night, which severely reduces their visibility
• Reduced pavement marking guidance can compromise motorist safety, especially in work zones, where unusual traffic patterns are common
• There is a growing need for pavement markings that sustain visibility under all weather conditions, customized for work zone applications and requirements

Slide 3

Proposed Solution

• Unique optical elements made of a ceramic core surrounded by very high-refractive index beads that provide retroreflectivity under wet conditions, both during and after rain events
• These optical elements are applied together with typical glass beads onto paint using conventional application methods
• Resulting optical system offers a promising and economic solution to improve wet-weather visibility of pavement markings in work zones

Slide 4

Night-Wet Conditions

Conventional Pavement Markings

All-Weather Pavement Markings

Slide 5

3M elements help yellow pavement markings reflect their color at night.

Slide 6

Conventional and All-Weather Markings Under Different Conditions

Day-Dry

Night-Dry

Slide 7

Night-Wet Conditions