Evaluating Alternative Pavement Marking Materials

On federally funded projects, the Federal Highway Administration wants state highway maintenance engineers to justify their choice of pavement marking material and show how it is better than alternative materials in the application environment in which it is being proposed. However, a convenient method of conducting such a comparison is not available. In this study, a model is described which allows comparison of the relative value of alternative pavement marking materials given the existing conditions at the application site such as pavement surface type, remaining pavement service life, traffic volume, line type, and line color.The model compares alternative pavement marking materials in terms of their benefit-cost ratio over the useful life of the material. The model was developed from approximately 3,500 readings of retroreflectivity on 40 mil and 90 mil thermoplastic, tape, and inverted profile pavement marking material on Interstate highways in Louisiana. Its use is demonstrated in sample applications.