Durable Pavement Marking Materials Study

This report describes the work done by Mn/DOT during the past ten years to develop and evaluate a durable yet economical striping material. Discussed in the report are: the development of equipment capable of applying a two-component epoxy resin, the evaluation of the epoxy, polyester and thermoplastic resins and the cost effectiveness of such materials. Field evaluation of the
various materials consisted of visual observations, photographs, macrophotographs, retro-reflectivity measurements and chipping surveys. The available data suggests that epoxy can be placed on a high volume bituminous or Portland cement concrete roadway, at a thickness of 10 mils, and provide adequate delineation for 12 months or longer, while remaining as economical as paint. It was also found that; the polyester material did not adhere well to Portland cement concrete and the aggregate in the bituminous pavement, and thermoplastic is generally unacceptable because it is too susceptible to removal by traffic and snowplows when placed at the manufacturer's recommended minimum thickness of 30 mils , and also does not bond adequately to Portland cement concrete.