Performance Evaluation of Wet Pavement Markings in Ohio

Abstract

Snow plowable raised pavement markers (RPMs) have been used in Ohio for the past four decades to provide visual guidance to motorists under inclement weather conditions. In recent years, rare incidents have occurred where the aged pavement surface failed to provide adequate support to the RPM castings. As a result, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) initiated this study to evaluate the performance of alternative pavement marking materials and determine whether they can provide equivalent or better delineation than the existing system. These materials included all weather paint (AWP) and wet retroreflective (WR) durable tape. Both materials exhibited high initial WR. However, their wet night performance was significantly compromised within a relatively short period of time due to traffic and snow plowing activities. Therefore, it was concluded that given the harsh environmental conditions in Ohio, it will not be cost-effective to use AWP or WR durable tape as a replacement for RPMs.