Copyright © 2000/08, C.J.Summers
THIS IS A GUIDE TO INFORMATION, RELATED TO WHITE LINES & ROAD MARKINGS
Please use the "find"
function in your web browser to search for specific key
word items
Many "packets" of
information can be found on this page.
A more in-depth description of road marking can be
accessed by, pressing ----------> HERE
I
have left superseded specifications in this list because some
consultants, suppliers, and contractors in various authorities in
countries around the world still refer to some of them.
It is necessary to be aware of the nature of the specification that is
in force for the work that you are involved in.
It also contains lists of standards, reports and design guides on the subject of road marking and related subjects.
BS 3262 : Hot applied thermoplastic road marking materials,
now superseded, but an excellent standard and often still made reference to, it is/was in three parts :-
Part 1:Specification for constituent materials and mixtures
Part 2:Specification for road performance
Part 3:Specification for the application of material to the road surface
All road markings and studs shall be laid as described in the :-
D.fT. Traffic Signs Manual, Chapter 5.
The specification for road studs was BS 873 : Part 4.
The specification for Pavement marking paints was BS 6044.
BALLOTINI - GLASS BEADS - WHITE LINES - ROAD MARKINGS - RETRO-REFLECTIVITY - RATES OF SPREAD
The glass beads incorporated in, and laid on top of WHITE LINE material are often referred to as BALLOTINI because BALLOTINI was the original large producer of glass beads in the market, and as such the brand name is used to describe glass beads in and on road markings, just as you use "Biro" or "Hoover".
Glass beads/BALLOTINI had to comply to BS 6088.
There used to be a minimum requirement for a rate of spread of 450grammes of glass beads +/- 50grammes per square metre of white line surface, this used to be included in BS 3262, but is now no longer part of the specification.
This was changed in later editions of BS 3262 to state the amount of glass beads necessary to achieve the required retro reflectivity stated in the specification or contract document, not a stated quantity.
BS 6044 : Specification for pavement marking paints
BS 7396 : Permanent preformed road markings
A method for carrying out the retro reflectivity test is included in this standard.
BS EN 1423 : 1998 : Road marking materials - Drop on materials - Glass beads, antiskid aggregates and mixtures of the two
BS EN 1424 : 1998 : Road marking materials - Premix glass beads
BS EN 1436 : 1998 : Road Marking Materials : Road marking performance for road users
BS EN 1463-1:1998 - ROAD MARKING MATERIALS - RETRO-REFLECTING ROAD STUDS
BS EN 1824 : 1998 : Road marking materials - Road trials
It gives guidance for conducting road trials for road marking materials intended for use in both permanent and temporary road marking.
Recommendations are given for test sites, for the application of road marking materials on the test sites, for the parameters to be measured and the frequency of the measurements, and for the presentation of a test report.
BS EN 1871 : 2000 : Road marking materials - Physical properties
This standard is for paint, thermoplastic and cold plastic
COLOURED ROAD SURFACINGS - ROAD MARKINGS
A coloured surface can be achieved in a variety of ways depending on what other criteria you have to consider apart from colour, such things as wear, abrasion resistance, skid resistance, texture, price, etc.
Some immediate possibilities are :-
(1) Pigmented resin systems, (epoxy, polyurethane, or thermoplastic), with coloured aggregate
(2) Pigmented slurry sealing.
[ Systems that only have a pigmented resin to provide the colour will fade with time, some faster than others according to the amount and type the colouring pigment.]
(3) Surface dressing with a suitable coloured aggregate.
(4) A HRA wearing course with a coloured PRECOAT and clear resin coating.
There are a number of proprietary processes available that will provide a coloured road surface, these will however tend to be expensive, so consider all suitable alternatives.
Surface dressing is likely to be the cheapest method when it is an acceptable type of surface.
DD ENV 13459-1 : Road marking materials - Quality control : Part 1 : Sampling from storage and testing
DD ENV 13459-2 : Road marking materials - Quality control
Part 2 : Guidelines for preparing quality plans for material application
DD ENV 13459-3 : Road Markings - Quality control Part 3 : Performance in use
DD ENV 13459-1 : Road marking materials - Quality control
Part 1 : Sampling from storage and testing
DD ENV 13459-2 : Road marking materials - Quality control
Part 2 : Guidelines for preparing quality plans for materials application
DD ENV 13459-3 : Road marking materials - Quality control : Part 3 : Performance in use
D.Tp. DESIGN GUIDE - TD 26/86 - TRUNK ROADS AND TRUNK ROAD MOTORWAYS - MAINTENANCE OF ROAD MARKINGS
This standard gives general information relating to the maintenance of road markings on trunk roads.
Included in the standard is a table listing inspection criteria relating to Wear, Spread, Luminance Factor, Skid Resistance and Retro-reflectivity.
D.fT. DESIGN GUIDE - TD 26/04 - INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCEOF ROAD MARKINGS AND ROAD STUDS ON MOTORWAYS AND ALL-PURPOSE TRUNK ROADS
DTP STANDARD TD 6/79 - TRANSVERSE YELLOW BAR MARKINGS AT ROUNDABOUTS
This standard covers the setting out of markings and the composition and properties of the thermoplastic material used.
The material mostly used being a yellow thermoplastic to BS 3262 incorporating GLASS BEADS and CALCINED BAUXITE.
ECODYN - WHITE LINE RETRO REFLECTIVITY - ROAD MARKINGS
ECODYN is a mobile system for measuring the RETRO REFLECTIVITY of WHITE LINES.
It is a relatively small device that can be attached to the front of a larger more robust car or light commercial vehicle.
The measuring device is mounted slightly off set on the passenger side front of the vehicle, with the data processing / storage unit carried in the back of the vehicle.
The principle of operation of the ECODYN is the same as that of the RETROMETER.
There are still considerable doubts about the accuracy of this machine mainly concerning the effect road texture has on the result, and the difficulty in keeping the unit at a consistent height above the surface it is testing, it is undergoing further trials.
There is also an unpublished TRL Report on this apparatus, copies may be obtainable from TRL.
The enormous advantage of this machine, when / if proved reliable, is the greatly increased amount of WHITE LINE it is able to test compared to the RETROMETER.
EN 1424 - Road marking materials - Premix glass beads
This is a "Ratified text" document, and is now published as a full BS EN.
EN 1436 - Road marking materials - Road marking performance for road users
This is a "Ratified text" document, and is now published as a full BS EN.
EN 1463-1 - Road marking materials - Retro-reflecting road studs :
Part 1 : Initial performance requirements
This is a "Ratified text" document, and is now published as a full BS EN.
EN 1824 : EN 1824 : Road marking materials - Road trials
It is now published as a full BS EN standard.
LIST OF ROAD TRIAL CERTIFICATES - ROAD MARKINGS - WHITE LINES
This is a list of CLASS "A" road marking materials, when tested in accordance with :-
BS 3262:PART 2
It is a very useful list, but I notice a large number of certificates held by many suppliers will expire if not renewed.
It is published by the British Standards Institute, but it may well become irrelevant when the new European specifications come into place, but still useful information all the same.
PD 6518 - TEMPORARY ROAD MARKINGS - WHITE LINES
This is a "Published Document" and gives information on prefabricated temporary road marking materials for use at road works.
Obtainable from BSI.
RETRO REFLECTIVITY - SPECIFYING WHITE LINES - ROAD MARKINGS
RETRO REFLECTIVITY is the "engineering" term applied to the ability of a WHITE LINE to reflect light from a vehicle's headlights back to the driving position of a vehicle.
Initially RETRO REFLECTIVITY will be determined by the amount of glass beads / BALLOTINI spread on the line.
The continuing performance of the line is determined by the amount and quality of glass beads included in the WHITELINE material.
RETRO REFLECTIVITY is able to be accurately measured by a piece of equipment known as a RETROMETER.
This does avoid the subjective assessment by individuals undertaking visual night surveys.
Minimum standards of RETRO REFLECTIVITY were included in later editions of BS 3262 at the relatively low level of 100 mcd/lux/square metre.
Higher more appropriate levels of retro reflectivity are now included in the contract specifications of individual authorities and these levels should be routinely tested for to ensure compliance.
Suitable, and achievable, levels for retro reflectivity frequently quoted are :-
250 millicandelas per lux per sq. metre, (mcd/lux/m²) at 7 days, and 200 after 6 months.
RETROMETER - WHITE LINES - ROAD MARKINGS - NIGHT TIME VISIBILITY
The RETROMETER is the piece of equipment used to determine the retro reflectivity of WHITE LINES, i.e. it is able to measure the amount of light reflected back from a white line surface from a known source.
It is able to simulate the light path from a car headlight reflected back to the driver.
Measurements of retro reflectivity shall be made at five positions at approximately 200mm. intervals on the line and the average calculated.
This procedure shall be repeated at 2 other locations along the line and in reasonable proximity to the first location.
The method for carrying out the test was included in :-
BS 7396 : Permanent preformed road markings : Appendix D
RETRO-REFLECTIVITY TESTING - WHITE LINES - BS 7396:1991 - ROAD MARKINGS
The current method of conducting the retro-reflectivity test on laid white lines is in :-
Appendix D, of BS 7396 : Permanent preformed road markings
Briefly :-
a) Calibrate the instrument in accordance with the manufacturers instructions.
b) Take measurements on dry stripe, dry if necessary.
c) Take five readings around a point in centre of the stripe.
d) Calculate average of results.
With on site testing it is usual to take three sets of results in a small area of lines to obtain a more representative figure for the retro-reflectivity performance of the contractors work.
The test procedure may be modified to an agreed test between engineer and contractor and included in the contract document, e.g. agreeing to test a washed and dried line, etc.
ROAD STUDS - CATS EYES - INSTALLATION DIMENSIONS - ROAD MARKINGS
A lot of information on this subject can be found in :-
THE TRAFFIC SIGNS REGULATIONS AND GENERAL DIRECTIONS 1994 :
Section 4, Chapter 29 (Height of road markings and size of studs)
Amongst other information the above states that a depressible stud, whether depressed or not, shall not project above the surface of the carriageway by more than 25mm.
A none-depressible stud shall not project above the road surface by more than 20mm.
TRAFFIC SIGNS MANUAL - WHITE LINES - STUDS - SAFETY - ROAD MARKINGS
The TRAFFIC SIGNS MANUAL has many "chapters" covering individual aspects of traffic signing, most of them applicable to highways maintenance.
CHAPTER 5, covers ROAD MARKINGS, (e.g. white/yellow lines, road studs)
CHAPTER 8, covers TRAFFIC SAFETY MEASURES FOR ROAD WORKS
CHAPTER 3, covers REGULATORY SIGNS
All road markings and studs shall be laid as described in :-
The D.Tp. Traffic Signs Manual. Chapter 5.
TRL Report 121 : Laboratory testing of road-marking materials
This is a report on procedures being developed for the laboratory testing of road marking materials to replace on site trials of road marking materials, such as the trials on the A1 at St. Neots in accordance with BS 3262:Part 2.
The testing regime being developed to include laboratory tests on :-
Erosion (Wear Index),
Rate of spreading of laid line,
Skid Resistance Value,
Luminance Factor,
Retro-Reflectivity,
The report is very useful reading on the above characteristics, and although the tests may not fully represent conditions under real trafficking, it has the advantage that all materials are tested exactly the same.
WHITE LINES - YELLOW LINES - ROAD MARKING
WHITE LINES (and YELLOW LINES) are usually a thermoplastic material having minimum properties of durability, luminance, skid resistance and retro-reflectivity as specified in :-
BS 3262, DTP STANDARD TD 26/86,TD 6/79, the HASS Specifications, the actual Authority Specification, and soon European standards.
What the actual white/yellow material shall consist of, how it is prepared and laid, and what criteria it's performance shall be judged against is again all included in the three parts of BS 3262 and / or the local authority contract document, which usually includes a specification for the work.
The nature of the line to be used in a particular situation and how it shall be set out is covered in the TRAFFIC SIGNS MANUAL, CHAPTER 5.
Lesser quality lines or lines of a temporary nature can be road paint as specified in BS 6044
Be aware, the new "European" specifications may come into place as from 1st April 2000, and the titles of many of them are ( and will be ) included in this guide.