Summer 2010

Four Years and Counting…If you were offered an expensive tape or multi-component pavement marking that could last four years, would you be impressed? Probably not. How about an inexpensive waterborne traffic paint that lasted four years? Now that should pique your interest!

Back in July 2006, Dow Coating Materials (DCM) set the wheels in motion to prove that waterborne pavement markings based on FASTRACK™ HD-21A binder can pass the test of time and outlast most expectations.

In Griffin, Georgia, on a four-lane, heavily traveled, divided highway, we applied approximately 25 wet mils of FASTRACK HD-21A-based paint manufactured by PRIDE Enterprises, Baker Paint. Both white and yellow paint was applied by Peek Paving over existing thermoplastic marking on the asphalt roadway. A double drop of various glass bead combinations was used on the edge and skip lines. Initial retroreflectivity measurements taken two weeks after application ranged from averages of 409 mcd on the white skip lines to 308 mcd on the yellow edge lines.

Long-term retroreflectivity was monitored by the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) at 12, 21, 34 and, most recently, 47 months. The findings: Average retroreflectivity at all time periods was 200 mcd or greater. This includes recent readings taken almost four years after installation. As Rick Douds of the Georgia DOT comments, “These are impressive numbers for paint that has been down four years on a road with 12K ADT (average daily traffic).”

This example of FASTRACK HD-21A paint’s superior performance may be surprising to some, but not to the state DOTs that are already taking advantage of this cost-effective solution to their pavement marking needs.

If you haven’t taken a look at FASTRACK HD-21A-based paint, now may be the time to see how you can save money and improve safety, two very worthwhile goals.

Dow Targets Legislative Support for Improvements to Highway SafetyDow Coating Materials (DCM) continues to support federal legislation that would authorize funds to improve U.S. highway maintenance and safety, especially on rural roads, and to improve road safety by planning for a growing population of older drivers. In both cases, waterborne traffic paint provides one of the lowest cost solutions for increased visibility, which is key to eliminating crashes and saving lives.

Working with the American Traffic Safety Services Association1 (ATSSA) and with Dow’s Government Markets Group, Dow Coating Materials has amplified its support for new transportation legislation that would replace the “Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users” (SAFETEA-LU) bill that Congress allowed to expire last year. New comprehensive transportation legislation is needed to get out of a cycle of expirations and last-minute, short-term extensions. ATSSA and its members are asking Congress to pass a new transportation bill that will advance highway safety throughout the U.S. in a comprehensive, strategic manner, providing Departments of Transportation (DOTs) with sustainable, cost-effective solutions for improving safety on the roadways.

By increasing awareness of the need for programs that could expand the use of cost-effective, waterborne pavement markings to reduce traffic accidents, DCM is helping address the biggest obstacles preventing most state DOTs from immediately improving driving conditions on roadways – higher cost and lack of funding.

July 2006: The yellow edge line is applied.

June 2010: A close-up picture of the yellow edge line taken approximately four years after application. The majority of the glass beads are still present, resulting in an average retroreflectivity of 207 mcd.

ATSSA Past Chairman Peter Speer (right) and Rep. Jay Inslee (D.-Wash.) discuss roadway safety issues in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C., as Rep. Inslee’s staff member, Celina Cunningham, takes notes.

Wider Is Safer

Typical pavement marking width is 4 inches, but a majority of states have already begun using 6-inch-wide and even 8-inch-wide longitudinal markings to improve visibility and achieve greater safety. Rural roads, which often have minimal or no markings, are a special concern. Rural roads account for approximately 40 percent of the vehicle miles traveled but approximately 57 percent of roadway fatalities2.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the total societal cost of crashes exceeds $230 billion annually3. At least one study has calculated that pavement markings stand to provide an average benefit-cost ratio of 60:14. Expanded use of road edge markings with higher levels of retroreflectivity, provided by wider, high-build paints that act as the binder for drop-on glass beads, is already adding measurably to the safety of our roadways.

FASTRACK™ HD-21A Binder and VISILOK™ Technology – Perfect TogetherDow Coating Materials (DCM) continues to provide innovative solutions for the traffic industry. At this year’s American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) 2010 Conference and Traffic Expo, a new and unique drying additive technology, VISILOK™, was showcased along with Dow’s FASTRACK™ line of waterborne traffic paint solutions.

The new DCM drying technology is incorporated into Potters Industries’ VISILOK™ material. The VISILOK™ product reduces the drying and no-track time of high-build waterborne paint systems, providing a significant advantage, especially under less than optimal weather conditions. High humidity, low air flow and cool days can slow the dry time of high-build paint systems. The VISILOK™ additive eliminates these tracking concerns by significantly reducing the dry time.

VISILOK™ product expands the use of FASTRACK HD-21A, a patented crosslinking, 100 percent acrylic binder technology used in high-build, high-durability traffic markings. Using this innovative binder, formulators have achieved pavement markings with multi-year durability and visibility. FASTRACK HD-21A’s excellent adhesion to glass beads and reflective elements provide improved wet night retroreflectivity at an economical cost compared to other marking options. As a result, local municipalities and DOTs now have a cost-effective solution to safer roadways, while managing their budgets.

About VISILOK™ TechnologyThe VISILOK™ additive is a blend of drying beads and glass beads that work together in an intermix-type system to improve dry time, long-term durability and retroreflectivity by “locking in” the beads. VISILOK™ drying additive is easily applied with only a slight modification to existing waterborne paint trucks. The VISILOK™ material is “injected” into the paint stream so that the material is completely surrounded by paint and in the most effective position to maximize drying.

About Dow Coating Materials:Dow Coating Materials is a major resin supplier to the coatings industry, including the FASTRACK™ brand of acrylic resins for waterborne traffic marking paint. Dow continues to bring innovative products to the pavement marking industry and is now an even stronger technology leader built on the strength of both Dow and Rohm and Haas, which was acquired by The Dow Chemical Company in 2009. Additionally, Dow Coating Materials operates 13 dedicated R&D labs across all major geographies where Dow does business. References to “Dow” mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. For more information, visit us at www.dowcoatingmaterials.com

Before using any product mentioned herein, consult the product’s Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)/Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for details on product hazards, recommended handling precautions and product storage.

1 http://www.atssa.com/2 http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/local_rural/3 http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/facts_stats/4 T. Miller. Benefit-Cost Analysis of Lane Marking. In Transportation Research Record 1334, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1991, pp.38-45.

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