Ingår i: EPAM 2012: Malmö, Sweden, 5–7 September: 4th European pavement and asset management conference

A superior road marking will increase the level of road safety. Irrespective of darkness or rain, the visual guidance provided by the retroreflecting properties of the road markings is vital for the road user. Up to now, the use of a range of portable instruments have been the only way to control all the performance parameters of a road marking, in dry and wet conditions. The use of hand held instruments is time-consuming, and at the same time, both the operator and the road user can be exposed to extensive traffic risks. The safety aspect has resulted in a lot of restrictions regarding the use of hand held instruments, especially on the heavy trafficked network of roads. The absence of performance controls is often the consequence. Now, for the first time, it is possible to control each and all of the relevant performance parameters of the road markings in one dynamic operation with the Road Marking Tester- RMT®. The dynamic (mobile) performance control is more efficient and much safer than any other way of controls and measurements. In the assessment, parameters like Retroreflection in dry conditions, Retroreflection during wetness, Luminance coefficient (Qd) and Skid resistance (SRT) are measured and predicted. All parameters have been validated by the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute. Simultaneously, geometry of the road marking as well as an estimation of wear and tear, can be documented. The method takes advantage of the latest available technology to enable the continuous measurement of each and every cm of the road markings. The survey takes place in normal traffic flow, at the same speed as the other traffic, and without any disturbance of the other road users. This paper describes the method as and the quality of the results.