The South Australian Department of Road Transport has undertaken a major program to improve safety levels at traffic signal controlled intersections. In this State, conventional road marking paints and thermoplastics were used for all intersection markings prior to 1989. When road marking materials are applied to the pavement, frequently a localised reduction in skid resistance occurs. Some marking materials may even represent a safety hazard when covering larger areas. A new road marking paint system has been developed and adopted by the Department. It provides an anti-skid surface which both enhances safety and is also more economical as a result of significantly improved marking durability. It is anticipated that this paint/quartz system will replace conventional road marking paint at all signal controlled intersections by the end of 1990. Results of further field and laboratory trials carried out to assess the magnitude of the improvement in skid resistance and durability of the paint/quartz marking system are presented. This paper also discusses the development of, and design criteria for the spraying equipment. Operational procedures adopted for the application of the system are included (A).
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