Verifica prestazionale di materiali impiegati per la realizzazione di segnaletiche orizzontali

Road marking functional retraining is a maintenance operation that more and more often involves road pavement management. These maintenance operations, extended to the whole road network, become very expensive both for direct costs and for indirect costs due to traffic slowing down. Road marking noticeably influences road safety. On the subject, some studies show that the decrease of accident risk is strongly connected with typical road marking characteristics as right visibility (day-time and night-time), suitable adhesion level and durability compatible with road network management. The Standard UNI EN 1436/98, according to the provisions of the Italian Road Code, fixes the principles to control road marking performances through the service life concept. It mainly depends on the frequency of vehicular passing, on the traffic variety, on the pavement characteristics and on the particular climatic conditions. However, it ignores engineering aspects tightly connected with the material life. In this sense, the above-mentioned Italian Road Code and the relative Regulations underline the need to characterize road marking as a material and not only as a “furniture”. The present work shows the results of an experimental study carried out on a trial section. The characteristics of 6 different materials (3 solvent paints and 3 waterborne paints) were studied to evaluate both photometrical and adhesion properties employing the Standard provisions. Through direct comparisons and periodic monitoring, it has been possible to estimate, on two different pavement surfaces, the material life and the effects of environmental conditions on required performances.