The Joys of Watching Paint Dry (or the Brisbane City Council Pavement Marking Materials Trial)

The variety of pavement marking materials and products available to the traffic engineer today is vast and continues to grow! With a wide range of properties, and additives such as glass beads, anti-skid materials and curing agents, the choice is becoming more of a dilemma than ever.
This is the challenge facing Brisbane City Council (BCC) today. With over 5,400 kilometres of sealed
road, ranging from residential cul-de-sacs to major arterials, the choice of pavement marking material is critical to ensure longevity of the product and value for money for Council whilst maintaining safe and clear guidance to the road user.
BCC has established two pavement marking test decks containing in excess of twenty-two different
products or materials. The decks contain samples of the four major types of pavement marking
materials ? cold-applied plastics, waterborne paint, thermoplastics and linemarking tapes. The
materials are used in combination with glass beads and anti-skid material. The trial also includes
examples of raised retro-reflective pavement markers and adhesives.
Since being established in August 2005, the decks have been tested on a regular three monthly basis
for visual signs of wear, retro-reflectivity and skid resistance. We wish to share these results and revised processes as examples of an applied engineering technique addressing practical
implementation issues.