640 Pavement Markings

641 Pavement Markings – General

This information is intended to serve as a guide for construction personnel where the Contractor furnishes and installs traffic control marking devices. This information may also be useful for maintenance personnel performing the same functions.

As per 641.06, the Contractor shall establish reference points to ensure proper placement of restored markings on projects where resurfacing or other operations will result in obliteration of the existing pavement markings.

Please refer to the Traffic Engineering Manual for a complete list of forms and supplementary information. Updates are available on the following ODOT website:

http://www.dot.state.oh.us/divisions/engineering/roadway/designstandards/traffic/tem/Pages/default.aspx

Pavement Marking Materials (641.02)

Pavement marking materials used on the construction projects shall be as listed on the Approved List.

The Approved List for pavement marking materials is maintained by the Office of Material Management (OMM) and is available on the website.

http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/ConstructionMgt/Materials/Pages/PAVEMENT-MARKING-MATERIALS.aspx

The appropriate type of glass beads shall be applied according to C&MS 740.09 for different types of pavement marking materials.

Application of Pavement Marking Materials (641.03)

Pavement marking materials shall be applied according to C&MS Items 640 and 740.

Data Logging System (DLS) (641.04)

The Data logger System can be verified in the field by using the following method:

DLS Verification Testing

This section provides information on the Data Logger System (DLS) for long-line striping trucks, the reports generated by DLS, and how to use the reports to verify compliance with specifications.

DLS Requirements

The requirements for DLS are contained in C&MS Section 641.04.

According to Item 641.04, long-line striping equipment for traffic paint, polyester, epoxy, and work zone markings (Item 642) shall be equipped with a computerized Data Logger System (DLS) to document long-line markings as follows:

1. Measure and record application vehicle speed to nearest 0.1 mph.

2. Measure and record weight and/or volume amount of material used by color.

3. Measure and record weight of glass beads.

4. Measure and record pavement surface temperature.

5. Measure and record air temperature.

6. Measure and record dew point.

7. Measure and record humidity.

8. Calculate and record average material application rates and film thickness over the section painted.

9. ODOT provides standard DLS spreadsheets which prescribe the correct DLS report format and content.

DLS are not required for any markings applied by hand, with push carts, for channelizing lines, or Class II work zone markings.

When the Striping Truck Arrives on the Project

· Each district should establish one individual as District DLS Contact to receive DLS Reports for all striping activities. Check with the District Construction Office for the email address of the District DLS Contact to provide to the Contractor.

· Make sure every vehicle in the striping train has the correct maintenance of traffic equipment and signs. See SCD MT-99.20 and plan notes.

· Check the driver’s door or the door of the DLS unit to confirm the presence of the DLS calibration sticker. It should be signed and carry a date no more than one-year-old. Every DLS must be calibrated once every year.

· Make sure that there are adequate TE-24s to cover all materials needed for the job.

· Make arrangements with the Contractor’s crew foreman to get DLS Short Reports for each day’s work. DLS Short Reports are to be provided to ODOT the next working day or, when requested by ODOT personnel, any time route sections are completed on any given day. ODOT should receive a report from the Contractor for each day worked. The DLS specification requires the Contractor to furnish ODOT with a paper copy of the DLS Short Report which should be retained to compare to the electronic file that will be received later.

· The Data Logger System shall be verified by field personnel. Field personnel shall randomly verify the components of the DLS. The purpose of this is to verify that the striping truck places the material shown on the DLS printout. Field personnel should try to verify the DLS of every paint contractor at least once per construction season. If field personnel believe that the DLS printouts are not accurate, then more field checks can be taken.

How to Field Verify the Data Logger System

Figure 640.A – Striping Truck with DLS System

Figure 640.B – Electronic Control Box

Figure 640.C – Sensors

Sensors such as temperature sensors, located at appropriate locations on the striping truck, provide temperature data.

Figure 640.D – Gauges

Gauges provide data and help monitor the temperatures of striping material in the tanks.

Figure 640.E – Glass Bead Tank Load Cells

Glass bead tanks are mounted on load cells. Load cells are the basis of bead weight calculations.

Figure 640.F – DLS Electronic Data Sheet

1. DLS data is automatically recorded and stored electronically.

2. DLS data includes:

a. Sensor data.

b. Distance data.

c. Ambient conditions.

d. Material quantities.

3. Verification test results will be compared to the Contractor’s electronic sheet data.

Calibration Sticker Check

Check for the presence of the annual calibration sticker.

Figure 640.G – Calibration Sticker

Evidence of the annual calibration shall be a signed and affixed sticker to the inside of the driver’s door of each striping truck.

Yearly Calibration

1. As per C&MS 641.04, each DLS shall have an annual calibration.

2. Items to be calibrated include:

a. All mechanical and electrical components.

b. Software.

c. Function and output.

3. Calibration will be confirmed by the manufacturer.

The Plate Test

Figure 640.H – The Plate Test

1. Place an aluminum plate, approximately 24 inches by 8 inches under the paint gun of the striping truck. Aluminum plates are supplied through the Office of Materials Management (OMM), Chemical Section.

2. Allow the striping truck to stripe over the plate in order to get a stripe of the desired thickness on the plate.

3. Send the striped plate to the OMM, Chemical Section for film thickness testing. After converting dry film thickness to wet film thickness, the difference obtained from the plate should be no more than 5 percent from the DLS reading.

4. Send the Contractor’s DLS average mils applied data as comparison for the film thickness testing results. See picture below.

5. Note: Be careful not to damage the paint stripe on the plate.

Figure 640.I – Average Mils Applied

The Bead Weight Test

Figure 640.J – The Bead Weight Test

1. Check and record the bead weight on the DLS electronic data sheet W1.

2. Obtain an object of known weight. Must be a minimum of 20 pounds (e.g., a 50 pound bag of glass beads).

3. Place the weight on top of the bead tank. Keep the weight in position on top of the tank and check and record the new weight, W2, on the DLS electronic data sheet.

Subtract W1 from W2 to get the known weight of the object used.

W2 – W1 = weight of the object of known weight used.

Correct test results confirm the proper operation of the bead tank load cells as well as the accuracy of the data on the spreadsheet. The difference should be no more than 5 percent.

Figure 640.K – The Bead Weight Test

The Infrared Thermometer Test

Figure 640.L – The Infrared Thermometer Test

Use a hand-held Infrared Thermometer to measure road surface temperature, air temperature, and/or striping material temperature.

1. To operate the infrared thermometer, follow the manufacturer’s operating procedures.

2. Compare temperature readings to the data on the appropriate DLS electronic screen.

3. Temperature readings on the DLS screen should be within ±5 percent of the thermometer readings.

Figure 640.M – The Infrared Thermometer Test

The Humidity Test

Figure 640.N – The Humidity Test

1. Measure the ambient humidity with the use of a sling hydrometer.

2. To operate the sling hydrometer, follow the manufacturer’s operating procedures.

3. Compare humidity readings to the data on the appropriate DLS electronic screen.

4. Humidity readings on the DLS screen should be within ±5 percent of the hydrometer readings.

Figure 640.O – The Humidity Test

The Distance Traveled Test

Figure 640.P – The Distance Traveled Test

1. Testing the distance traveled data on the DLS electronic data screen can be done using a distance wheel like the one shown in the picture.

2. To operate the distance wheel, follow the manufacturer’s operating procedures.

3. Compare distance readings to the data on the appropriate DLS electronic screen.

4. Distance readings on the DLS screen should be within ±5 percent of the distance wheel readings.

5. DLS distance data can also be checked using mile markers and an accurate odometer.

Figure 640.Q – The Distance Traveled Test

Summary

1. The specified annual calibration of the data logger system is the primary check of the operation of the systems.

2. The tests described above are meant to be done in a random fashion to:

a. Verify proper operation after calibration.

b. Verify correct millages are applied.

c. Determine if the system is the cause of suspicious developments in the field application of striping material.

3. One or all of the tests may be used to check the DLS operation.

What to Do When the DLS Fails

If the DLS fails during the day, allow the Contractor to complete the day’s work and document the application quantities. Make the calculations for gallons of material per mile and pounds of beads per 100 square feet from the quantities used, provided by the Contractor, with your confirmation of accuracy. The Contractors are expected to repair the DLS before resuming work. See C&MS Section 641.04, paragraph three.

If you have any significant issues regarding DLS use, please call Dan Groh at Central Office Construction, (614) 387-1162 or Maria Kerestly at the Office of Material Management, (614) 275-1349 for further assistance.

DLS Reports

The DLS Report is an Excel spreadsheet which contains data on environmental conditions and material application parameters recorded during striping operations.

ODOT has developed standard DLS Reports for four different types of striping trucks:

· Weight-Based DLS – for pressure tank trucks (CA-T-1, CA-T-2)

· Stroke-Based DLS – for pumper trucks (CA-T-3, CA-T-4)

· Flow-Based DLS – for either type, but using material flow meter (CA-T-5, CA-T-6)

· Thermoplastic DLS – for thermoplastic trucks. Note: the thermoplastic DLS is an abbreviated report, as we cannot yet measure material used, although beads used and environmental conditions are recorded (CA-T-7, CA-T-8).

Two versions of the DLS Report are contained in each Excel file: DLS Short Report and DLS Full Report. The DLS Short Report is an abbreviated format containing only critical application information which can be easily printed on an 8.5 inch by 11 inch paper using in-truck printers. DLS Full Reports contain all project, application, and environmental data.

Delivery of DLS Reports

Each district should establish a District DLS Contact person who will receive email copies of the DLS Reports and provide that person’s name and email address at the preconstruction meeting.

The paper copy of the DLS Short Report covering all route sections completed each day must be provided to ODOT personnel the next working day. A paper copy of the DLS Short Report may be requested from the Contractor by ODOT personnel at any time during striping operations for those route sections completed so far that day. The paper copy of the DLS Short Report should be retained by the project and compared to the DLS Full Report for the same route sections, which will be provided to ODOT personnel by the Contractor at a later time, as described below.

DLS Full Reports contain all project, application, and environmental data and can be provided to ODOT by any one of the following methods, which should be agreed upon at the preconstruction meeting:

· Hand delivery of paper report.

· Fax delivery of paper report.

· E-mail an electronic version of the Excel spreadsheet file.

Within two weeks of the application date of the markings which require documentation with the DLS, the Contractor is required to furnish the District DLS Contact with an electronic version of the Excel spreadsheet file of the DLS Report in ODOT standard DLS Report format by e-mail at the e-mail address provided at the preconstruction meeting. Note: This file will contain both the DLS Full Report and the DLS Short Report on separate sheet tabs.

At the end of the project, the Contractor is required to furnish the District DLS Contact with all DLS Excel spreadsheet files in ODOT standard DLS Report format. Note: This file will contain both the DLS Full Report and the DLS Short Report on separate sheet tabs. The Engineer shall forward the final electronic copy containing the DLS Long report and the DLS short report to the following address:

DLS.Report@dot.state.oh.us

DLS Report Security

ODOT has established a method to monitor accuracy of DLS Reports. This method is based on comparison of the paper copy DLS Short Reports for daily production to the DLS Full Report for the same day. Note: The DLS Short Report does not contain all project or environmental information, but does contain all information necessary to monitor correct application rates and speed.

The Contractor is required to provide ODOT personnel with a paper copy of the DLS Short Report for each day’s production the next working day. ODOT personnel may also occasionally request a copy of the DLS Short Report during the day for those route sections completed thus far that day. On projects with only partial days of striping work, ODOT personnel should request the DLS Short Report immediately after the Contractor finishes the striping operation. Printing of the DLS Short Report soon after completion of the striping operation will minimize the opportunity for tampering.

ODOT will keep these paper reports and compare them to the DLS Full Report that is received later. Any differences in sections, lengths, quantities, or application rates between the Short Report and Full Report should be considered suspect and will be investigated more closely. There should be no valid reason for any differences between these reports beyond the complete listing of route sections between partial day and full day reports.

Pay Items

Pay items are plan quantity. If there is a significant variance between the actual and plan quantities, meet with the ODOT project personnel to address the issue. Please note that per C&MS Section 641.12, Method of Measurement, pavement markings are designed, measured, and paid “end-to-end,” including gaps, intersections, and other sections of pavement not normally marked. This provision applies to all types of roadways and lines.

The DLS is used for two purposes, neither of which is to measure pay item quantities:

1. To monitor environmental conditions and material application parameters, such as temperatures.

2. To monitor actual application rates of marking materials and glass beads for purposes of determining deficiencies in accordance with Section 641.11.

How Data Is Entered into DLS Reports

Each report has three different types of cells which are color-coded:

1. One type contains data which may be manually entered during striping operations (yellow). Note that this information may also be entered into the job screens of the DLS console and come into the Report without additional manual entry.

2. One type contains data which must come directly from the DLS (green).

3. One type contains values that are calculated by the spreadsheet (rose) from data provided by the DLS.

The DLS Short Report and the DLS Full Report will have one row for each section painted, by route and by direction, even if the section length is less than 10 miles. (A route section is a continuous section of highway without breaks, with the same route number designation in one direction of travel.) A new route section is not started at 10 miles if the route and direction stay the same even when the section length exceeds 10 miles. Whenever material or beads are loaded, the route section is ended. Start a new route section, for that route, to complete the route or, if needed, until reloading.

Depending on how the Contractor sequences work, the route sections will generally match the plan sub-summary.

How to Read a DLS Report

The Contractor is required to provide a DLS Short Report for each day’s work. It should be furnished to the project the next working day after striping occurs. A paper copy of the DLS Short Report is printed from an in-truck printer each day or upon demand of ODOT personnel. This copy should be compared to the DLS Full Report, which is provided to the District DLS Contact person within two weeks of application.

Check General Project Information

Check the date box in upper left corner for correct information. Note that the yellow color indicates manual entry.

Check crew names and day’s production boxes in center and right upper parts of report.

The mileage values may be entered by crew from their daily work logs.

Next, check to make sure each cell in the body of the report contains data. There should be a row for each route section, by direction, striped. Start with the yellow columns on the left side. Note: The rose color indicates a value calculated by the spreadsheet. Manual entry of values in rose colored cells is not permitted.

Then, check the yellow columns on the right to confirm that the correct material and bead batch numbers have been entered. These should be supported by TE-24s.

All of the above information is manually entered into either the report or the DLS console and is the same for Section 614, Class III markings using 740.02 paint, 642, 643, 644, and 646 materials, for all types of trucks and for all types of DLS.

Check for proper material application rates – varies by type of material:

For Section 614, Class III markings using 740.02 paint, 642, 643, and 646 materials only:

Review the application thickness (which is the average mil thickness over the section), distance painted (linear feet from gun counters and equivalent miles painted calculated by spreadsheet [linear feet/5280]), gallons used, and gallons per mile applied (gallons used/equiv miles painted). Compare the actual gallons per mile applied to the requirements in Section 614.11, 642.04, 643.04 or 646.05. Determine any deficiencies per Section 641.11. Note: The green color indicates values which come directly from the DLS and rose color indicates values calculated by the spreadsheet. Manual entry of values in these cells is not permitted.

For Section 644 materials only:

Present technology does not permit measuring the material usage of hot thermoplastic. Determine pounds per mile from field measured amount of material used and the equivalent miles painted from the DLS report. Determine any deficiencies per Section 641.11.

Check for proper glass bead application rates – the same for all materials:

Check the weights of beads used and the actual pounds per 100 square feet (weight of beads used/100 square feet of markings applied). The spreadsheet divides the sum of pounds of beads used, by the linear feet painted, multiplied by line width in inches, divided by 12 inches, divided by 100.

Compare the actual pounds per 100 square feet applied to the requirements for Section 614.11, Class III, 642.04, 643.04, 644.04, or 646.05. Determine any deficiencies per Section 641.11.

Check the average speed of application:

Check to confirm the material temperatures and environmental conditions have been recorded:

The average material temperatures and environmental conditions over the section painted are recorded in the remaining green columns. These values are the average of all readings recorded over the section painted. There are slight differences between DLS types.

Most sprayed materials (paints, polyester, and epoxy) can be heated slightly to improve flow and spraying characteristics. ODOT does not specify minimum or maximum temperatures, but defaults to those recommended by the material manufacturer.

Thermoplastic materials have temperature requirements for both pavement and air temperatures and material temperatures. See Section 644.04 for specific requirements. These values are the average of all readings recorded over the section painted.

Kettle temperature cannot exceed 450 °F and material at point of application must be between 400 °F and 440 °F. If thermoplastic material is overheated in the kettle or applied below 400 °F, it will not perform as intended and should be considered unsatisfactory and must be replaced per Section 641.11 and 644.05.B. Thermoplastic applied when pavement and air temperatures are below those specified in Section 644.04 will not bond adequately to the pavement and applications should not be made under those conditions.

Check to confirm the weight per gallon (for liquid materials – all DLS types) and stroke information (for stroke-based DLS) has been recorded:

Weight per gallon, per batch, is entered into the DLS console during job setup for liquid materials for all DLS types and reported here as recorded data. Note the weight per gallon may vary per batch.

For stroke-based DLS only, stroke calibration is entered into the DLS console during setup and reported here as recorded data. The number of strokes is recorded during striping. This information is used by the DLS to calculate gallons used.

If You Need Further Assistance

Should it be necessary, please contact Dan Groh at Central Office Construction, (614) 387-1162 or Maria Kerestly at the Office of Material Management, (614) 275-1349 for further assistance.

Construction Inspection during Pavement Marking Installation

Before the application of marking material, pavement surface should be clean and dry by using:

1. Power broom.

2. Air jets (guns).

Approve the pre-marking for long lines and auxiliary markings to ensure proper layout placement.

Center lines shall be “T” marked to establish no-passing lines.

Figure 640.R – Example of Premarking

District shall provide center line paint logs.

As per Item 641.06, the Contractor shall establish reference points to ensure proper placement of restored markings on projects where resurfacing or other operations will result in obliteration of the existing pavement markings.

Figure 640.S – Example of Measurement of Markings

Marking lines shall be applied to the width specified, ±1/4 inch.

Pavement markings shall be free of uneven edges, overspray, and other visible defects.

Figure 640.T – Example of Uneven Edge Line Placement

Pavement marking lines shall be placed as per SCD TC-73.10 as follows:

1. Edge lines shall be applied 6 inches from the pavement edge.

2. Lane lines shall be applied 2 inches to left of joint.

3. Center lines shall be applied 2 inches from joint.

Pavement marking lines shall be straight or smoothly curved true to the alignment of the pavement.

1. If deviation is greater than 3 inches in 100 feet, it shall be corrected.

Gaps shall be filled that were not marked as a result of template use for spray-applied auxiliary markings with marking material after the template is removed.

1. For extruded thermoplastics, gaps may be left.

Figure 640.U – Example of Retroreflectivity Check

Pavement marking lines shall be sharp, well defined and uniformly retroreflective.

1. To check for retroreflectivity, put sun over shoulder.

2. If it is not sunny:

a. A well beaded line in the daylight will appear dull.

b. An unbeaded line will be shiny.

3. If possible, review lines at night for retroreflectivity.