Deterioration Characteristics of Waterborne Pavement Markings Subjected to Different Operating Conditions

Abstract

Drivers rely on pavement markings to maintain a safe road path, especially during nighttime and challenging weather conditions. The objective of this study was to model the deterioration of waterborne edge-line pavement markings in the field and to develop an accelerated laboratory-based procedure to evaluate pavement-marking performance. For this study, field retroreflectivity data for the waterborne edge-line pavement markings from 38 sites were collected and analyzed over 12 months in the state of Idaho across six districts under different environmental conditions. The results yielded a logarithmic relationship between retroreflectivity and age, and pavement markings in districts subjected to higher ground snow loads deteriorated faster than those with lower ground snow loads. In the laboratory, a three-wheel polisher device was used to evaluate the performance of waterborne pavement markings; the retroreflectivity, color change, and durability were evaluated at different wearing cycles. This study will benefit transportation agencies, particularly those sited in cold-weather regions, by enabling them to predict the deterioration of waterborne pavement markings and assist in the scheduling of marking maintenance projects.