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FHWA Home / Highways for LIFE / Technology Partnerships / Safety-Related Technologies / PowerPoint Presentation - Temporary All-Weather Pavement Markings for Work Zones

PowerPoint Presentation - Temporary All-Weather Pavement Markings for Work Zones

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Slide 1 – Temporary All-Weather Pavement Markings for Work Zones

Project Team: 3M and TTI

Award: $499,277

All whether pavement markings at night under wet conditions.


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

  • Close up photo of the paint with standard glass beads and 3M elements.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 under wet conditions.
Conventional Pavement Markings
All-weather pavement markings under wet conditions.
All-Weather Pavement Markings

Slide 5 – 3M elements help yellow pavement markings reflect their color at night.

Close up photo illustrates how the use of 3M elements help yellow pavement markings retain their color at night.


Slide 6 – Conventional and All-Weather Markings Under Different Conditions

Day-Dry
pavement markings under day-dry conditions
Night-Dry
The second photo illustrates the same pavement markings under night-dry conditions.

Slide 7 – Night-Wet Conditions

The photo is the same pavement markings under night-wet conditions. The conventional pavement marking virtually disappears.

Page last modified on July 6, 2016
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000