Pavement Marking Performance Measures
Pavement markings are an essential element of the transportation infrastructure with critical impacts on safety and mobility. To assure pavement markings maintain an acceptable retroreflectivity level set by UDOT and FHWA, the Department has established performance measures. These help personnel make informed decision and allocate program funding.
Striping Performance is broken up into two categories based on the striping material – Durable and Waterbourne Striping. For more information about material please check out the Pavement Marking Materials webpage.
Durable Striping
Durable striping is material with an expected life cycle of equal to or grater than three years. This measurement is based on retroreflectivity scores obtained each spring and fall. Tape, epoxy, and thermoplastics are examples of durable striping materials.
Retroreflectivity is when light from glass beads is returned back to the driver. This is measured on durable striping through mobile collection efforts mentioned on the Pavement Marking Projects and Studies webpage. The unit of measurement for retroreflectivity is millicandelas per square meter per lux (mcd/m2/lux). The numbers in the graphic are UDOT and FHWA’s acceptable measurements. Any striping that measures “Poor” will be replaced.
Waterborne Striping
Waterborne striping has a life cycle less than three years and is measured according to its time of installation.
Waterborne paint performance measures are time/schedule based and refreshed every 1 to 2 years based on Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) and snowplow frequency.
For more information about UDOT’s efforts to maintain and improve pavement markings please check out the following pages: