Components, systems and materials › Road furniture and safety › Road markings
Road markings
What it is
Road markings are lines, symbols and words on the pavement that guide and regulate traffic.
Where it is used
All paved roads: centre lines, lane lines, edge lines, stop lines, pedestrian crossings, arrows, chevrons and parking bays.
How it works
They give continuous guidance that drivers can follow even when signs are out of view. Glass beads embedded in the marking reflect headlight back towards the driver, making markings visible at night (retroreflectivity). Profiled markings add audible and tactile warning.
Types
- Paint (water or solvent based)
- hot-applied thermoplastic
- cold plastic
- preformed tapes
- profiled and raised rib markings
Materials
Binder with pigment and fillers, glass beads for retroreflectivity, anti-skid aggregates where needed.
Marking type, width and colour follow the national code for each purpose. Durability is chosen by traffic. Performance is specified by retroreflectivity, skid resistance and colour, measured on site.
Installation and QA steps
- Clean and dry the surface.
- Set out lines.
- Apply at the specified thickness and temperature.
- Drop on glass beads immediately.
- Measure retroreflectivity and remark when below threshold.
- Low night visibility from too few beads
- early wear on busy roads
- slippery markings for two-wheelers
- confusing old markings left after realignment
Codes cited
- IRC:35 (India): Code of practice for road markings.
Cited by number only. We do not reproduce code text, tables or figures.
Related
Generic description for education. We do not name, endorse or compare manufacturers or products.
Found an error? Write to indiacongroupofengineers [at] gmail [dot] com. For corrections and feedback. We never ask for payment or personal details.