The European standard "EN 1436 Road marking materials - Road marking performance and test methods for road users" describes the performance of white and yellow road markings for road users in terms of their reflection in daylight or under road lighting, their retroreflection in vehicle headlight illumination, their colour and their resistance to slipping. This standard also includes test methods and conditions.
For the purposes of this standard, the terms and definitions given in the “IEC 60050-845 International Electrotechnical Vocabulary (IEV) - Part 845: Lighting” standard as well as the following definitions apply:
The requirements specified in this standard concern the performance of road signs throughout their operational life. The requirements are expressed in terms of various parameters representing different aspects of the performance of road signs and, for some of them, increasing performance classes.
The length of functional life depends on whether the road marking is short- or long-lasting, whether there is traffic on the road marking (e.g. symbols on the carriageway compared to continuous edge lines), traffic density, road surface roughness and local conditions such as the use of studded tyres in some countries.
The classes allow different priorities to be given to different aspects of the performance of road markings depending on the specific conditions. High performance classes cannot always be achieved simultaneously for two or more of these parameters. For example, a road marking may have glass beads or anti-slip aggregates on it, aiming for high retroreflection or skid resistance classes. In general, high retroreflection and skid resistance classes cannot be achieved together. Furthermore, the choice of performance classes means a compromise between the needs of drivers and the cost of providing performance.
For skid resistance, emphasis is sometimes placed on road markings that cover a large percentage of the area open to traffic, such as zebra crossings, arrows, cross markings, text and symbols. Therefore, the choice of performance classes should be determined in national tender specifications or other national provisions after due consideration of all aspects. In some countries, performance classes cannot be maintained during a limited period of the year when road markings are likely to perform poorly due to water, dust, mud etc.
Reflectance in daylight or under streetlight is measured either by the illumination coefficient under diffuse lighting, measured in the direction of traffic according to this standard, or by the illumination factor. Both of these parameters measure the brightness of a road sign as seen in typical or average daylight or under streetlight. The fundamental difference lies in the viewing directions . The illumination coefficient under diffuse lighting corresponds to a fairly long viewing distance, while the illumination factor corresponds to viewing from a close distance. Measuring the illumination coefficient under diffuse lighting is considered more appropriate for evaluating the visibility of such road signs in daylight or under streetlight.
Our organization, which has been trying to support businesses from every sector with its testing, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies carried out in a wide range for years, has a strong staff that closely follows the developments in the world in the field of science and technology and constantly improves itself. In this context, testing services in accordance with the "EN 1436 Road marking materials - Road marking performance and test methods for road users" standard are also provided to businesses.
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