Longevity you can measure

DEGAROUTE® for sustainable pavement markings

Pavement markings are an important part of traffic safety. Thanks to our DEGAROUTE® reactive resin, they can also last a long time and contribute to sustainability.

In collaboration with the German Research Association for Road Markings (Deutsche Studiengesellschaft für Straßenmarkierungen e.V., or DSGS), Germany’s Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) has been using a wear simulator for some 25 years to test marking systems and determine whether they meet German regulatory requirements. But because this laboratory test does not allow scientists to gauge the impact of snow plows on marking systems, a field test unlike any other to date was performed in the Harz Mountains. The goal was to determine how well marking systems hold up under major winter maintenance involving the frequent use of snow plows.

The test track was laid out on the right-hand lane of a road, with the marking systems arranged in strips two meters in length. These were applied to the pavement parallel to the direction of travel and across the entire width of the roadway (in a layout similar to that of a pedestrian crosswalk). The various pavement marking systems were applied to the test area under controlled conditions and tested over a period of five years, with particular emphasis on how well they withstood snow plows.

After the first three winters, snow removal services had already had a significant impact on some of the test samples, including partial loss of marking films, which made the markings more difficult to see at night, among other problems.

Sustainable markings for a safe journey

After five years, only just a few of the systems tested—and DEGAROUTE® systems were among these—met all of the requirements for type 2 pavement markings (enhanced nighttime visibility when wet). When their traffic engineering properties were last inspected, these cold-plastic markings continued to meet the demands for type 1 markings under normal use—even though they have now been in place for 8 to 9 years.

These are impressive results: despite countless snow plows and salt treatments, the cold-plastic markings based on DEGAROUTE® were all largely intact, even nine years after they were installed. Government agencies that already work with these cold plastics can confirm how extremely long lasting and rugged they are. “Because of their durability, cold-plastic systems in pavement markings have also proven to be a particularly good solution for conserving resources and protecting the environment,” explains Dr. Alexander Klein, the head of Applied Technology for Reaction Resins.

Road markings are an extremely important navigation tool for drivers, especially after dark or in rain or snow. This means that they have to be renewed on a regular basis—and every repair consumes resources. Our DEGAROUTE® reactive resin acts as a binder for cold-plastic marking materials, offering sustainable solutions for road markings that have been shown to last an exceptionally long time.

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