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Illuminate the Road to Safety: Unveiling the Importance and Technological Advancements of road studs.
When we usually drive on city streets or highways, as long as we pay a little attention, we can often see or feel small devices that are slightly raised on the road. Especially when driving at night, these small devices will also emit yellow, Red, blue and white lights – these devices are road studs; the light they emit is very effective in reminding vehicles where the center of the road is and where the edge is when visibility is poor. It is these inconspicuous small reflective devices that greatly improve road safety.
What is road studs？
Road studs, also known as Raised Pavement Marker (RPM), in short, road studs are devices that are usually installed in the middle of road markings, double yellow lines, or road sections that require special warnings to provide guidance and improve visibility for drivers. It is usually made of high-strength plastic or metal materials, with good pressure and wear resistance, and coated with retro-reflective material on its surface, so that it can reflect vehicle lights at night or under low-light conditions, clearly indicating lane boundaries, fork locations, turning radii and other important information.
How do road studs work?
Road studs generally consist of a protective shell, a reflective element, a safety base, fasteners (adhesive, epoxy or mechanical anchors) and a number of other functional components;
Road studs for highways are available in a variety of sizes, with common dimensions of approximately 100mm100mm20mm and a height of no more than 25mm. depending on the material, road studs can be classified into the categories of cast aluminum studs, plastic studs, ceramic studs, glass ball studs and reflective bead studs. Among them, the reflective bead road studs can be divided into 21 beads and 43 beads and other specifications according to the different number of reflective beads, and some road studs even have a built-in LED light source, which is able to actively light up at night and enhance the warning effect.
What colors do road studs come in?
Color coding may vary depending on the regulations or standards of each country, here are the common associations of the different colors of road studs:
WHITE: White road studs are commonly used to mark lane dividers on roads. This color road studs are usually used to mark the center of the lane
Yellow: Yellow road studs are usually used to indicate caution or to warn drivers of potential hazards ahead. Yellow road studs are aligned on the right side of the lane, and they are also used to indicate no passing zones, such as school zones or areas where pedestrians are present.
RED: Red road studs are often used to mark the edge of the road or to indicate areas where vehicles should not enter, such as marking the edge of the left-hand travel lane, fire lanes, no-entry zones, or restricted-access zones. They serve as a visual cue to remind drivers to stay within the designated lane or boundary and avoid trespassing into restricted areas.
BLUE: Blue road studs can be used to indicate the presence of emergency facilities or services, such as fire hydrants, emergency call boxes, or hospital entrances. They can help drivers quickly identify the location of emergency resources and facilities in the event of an emergency.
GREEN: Green road studs are typically used to mark areas where traffic is flowing in a specific direction, such as the entrance or exit ramps of a freeway or toll booth. They can also be used to designate bike lanes or pedestrian crossings, helping to improve safety and traffic flow for non-motorized users.
Different types and benefits of road studs
Take a closer look at the different types of cat eye road studs.Each type has its own unique features that set it apart from the others. Let’s look deeper to better understand these studs
Plastic reflective road studs: made of plastic material (such as ABS), filled with quartz sand or other weighted material for added stability, and covered with a reflective film for reflecting vehicle lights at night for road marking and warning purposes.
But with advances in technology, this raised road stud is made by mixing our photoluminescent powder with resin and pouring it into an ABS housing. It absorbs natural light during the day and glows in the dark, exhibiting high luminosity and long afterglow times. It also has excellent weather resistance and reflective brightness.
These road studs are usually made of metal materials with high hardness and abrasion resistance, suitable for withstanding the pressure of heavy traffic.
Similarly, we have innovatively combined the photoluminescent function in our process, making it a truly energy-saving and environmentally friendly product. It absorbs sunlight during the day and glows for more than 12 hours in the darkness, featuring high brightness and long luminous time.
Ultra-thin structure with strong pressure resistance. It can be installed at the edge of the road, the end of pedestrian crossing, isolation zone, turning place, providing safety guidance for pedestrians, non-motorized drivers and motorists. The road studs are easy to install and maintain and the aluminum poles ensure safe installation into the roadway.
Combining modern technology with the ability to automatically light up at night or in low light conditions, they rely on a built-in solar panel to collect sunlight and light up the LEDs when needed.
Longlow’s LED road studs are not only solar powered but also reflective, making them an unprecedented innovation. It offers better visibility and longer working hours. In addition to the LED light, it can also alert oncoming traffic by reflecting light. Suitable for all levels of roads, easy to install, high luminosity and excellent pressure resistance.
4.Traditional raised road markings:
These may be early, purely mechanical structures that serve only as physical barriers or tactile cues to alert drivers to road boundaries or special areas.
5.Double-sided plastic sand-filled solid road studs:
This kind of road stud adopts double-sided reflective design, one-piece molding, not only has good reflective properties, but also due to the internal filling of sand and gravel and other substances, can resist greater impact and not easy to damage.
How to install road studs
Installing a road stud is not a difficult job in itself, but installing it means taking responsibility for road safety; so we need to plan and execute it carefully to ensure proper alignment, stability and durability.
Below are the general steps for installing a road stud :
Site Preparation:
Determine the location of the spike installation, taking into account factors such as roadway geometry, traffic flow, and visibility requirements.
Thoroughly clean the installation area to remove any debris, dirt, or loose pavement that may affect adhesion or stability.
Tool Preparation:
Tools you may use: rulers, marking tools, drills, mixers, batch knives, special glues (A and B glues and fillers), dowels, cleaning tools, etc.
How to install road studs
Marking and layout:
According to the road design drawings, clarify the installation position, spacing and arrangement of road nails.
Use markers or chalk to outline the desired location of roadway spikes on the roadway to ensure proper spacing and alignment.
Measure and mark the location of each road stud according to project specifications and standards.
Safety Barriers:
Provide safety barriers in roadways to ensure safety of construction personnel, especially when working on roads already open to traffic, with adequate safety personnel.
Drilling or Cutting:
Depending on the type of studs and pavement material, you may need to drill or cut slots to accommodate the studs.
Use the proper tools and equipment to create precise openings in the pavement to ensure studs are properly installed and aligned.
Adhesive Application:
If the adhesive is solid, so you will need to melt the adhesive first, then apply the appropriate adhesive or epoxy to the bottom of each dowel according to the manufacturer’s instructions and recommendations.
If the adhesive is liquid, mix the adhesive in the specified ratio (e.g., 1:0.7 of adhesive A to adhesive B with 15-30% cement as filler) and stir well until the color is consistent.
Apply an appropriate amount of glue evenly on the back of the dowel, the general dosage is about 40-50 grams per dowel;
Ensure that the substrate and surrounding areas are thoroughly covered to achieve firm adhesion and prevent water penetration.
Insertion and Placement:
Carefully insert each dowel into the designated opening while correcting orientation, pressing firmly to ensure complete contact with the adhesive.
Use a level or measuring device to verify that each dowel is installed to the correct depth and aligned relative to the pavement.
And remove any spilled adhesive around the dowel to keep the pavement tidy.
Installed roadway spikes need to sit for about 6 hours to prevent the spikes from being disturbed or shifted, which may require temporary traffic control measures.
After standing, check for stability and re-glue if the glue comes off.
Insertion and Placement:
Carefully insert each dowel into the designated opening while correcting orientation, pressing firmly to ensure complete contact with the adhesive.
Use a level or measuring device to verify that each dowel is installed to the correct depth and aligned relative to the pavement.
And remove any spilled adhesive around the dowel to keep the pavement tidy.
Installed roadway spikes need to sit for about 6 hours to prevent the spikes from being disturbed or shifted, which may require temporary traffic control measures.
After standing, check for stability and re-glue if the glue comes off.
Special Note: For special types of road stud, such as cast aluminum road stud with feet with hole requirements, it is necessary to pre-drill holes of the appropriate depth and diameter in the road surface and ensure that the depth of the holes is greater than the depth of the foot of the nails by 1cm, and the diameter of the holes is greater than the diameter of the foot of the nails by 2mm.
Road studs maintenance:
1.road studs maintenance:
- Regularly inspect road marking facilities to check that the road stud is in good condition and is not loose, missing or failing.
- Check the reflective performance of the road stud and replace it in a timely manner if it is worn, faded or cracked to affect the reflective effect.
2.Cleaning and maintenance:
- Clean the surface of the road studs of dust, mud and other adherents to ensure that they are clearly visible, especially the reflective part should be kept clean, which can be treated with a high-pressure water gun rinse or a special cleaner.
- For road studs that are held in place with adhesive, it is important to keep an eye on the bonding status and if the adhesive is found to be deteriorating or peeling, it needs to be re-cemented or replaced.
3.Repair and replace:
- When road studs are found to be damaged or functionally ineffective, they should be replaced with new ones in a timely manner to ensure the effectiveness of traffic safety facilities.
- During the replacement process, the operation should be carried out in accordance with the original design standards and technical specifications to ensure that the newly installed road nails are tightly and stably integrated with the original pavement.
4.Records archiving:
- Detailed records of each maintenance, inspection and replacement process are kept to form a maintenance file to facilitate tracking of equipment condition and scheduling of subsequent maintenance programs.
5.Specialized conservation:
- Preventive maintenance should be carried out during seasonal changes, especially in winter, to prevent corrosion that may be caused by snow and ice melting agents.
- After natural disasters (e.g., floods, earthquakes, etc.), road studded facilities should be evaluated and repaired in a timely manner.
