Specifications

A Guide to IS EN 1436 European Standard for Road Markings

IS EN 1436 - Road Marking performance for road-users replaces BS 3262. IS EN 1436 is an end performance specification concentrating on the needs of the driver. The standard specifies the various levels of performance that are approved for use in a contract specification, which will govern the required quality of the road marking. It also describes the methods of measuring the various performance characteristics. This is the one fundamental difference between the new IS EN standards and the superseded BS 3262, where there was just one level of quality specified for all road situations. With the new IS EN standards there are a number of levels of quality specified for several road marking characteristics.


The standard specifies the performance for the road user of white and yellow road markings based on luminance (colour), day-time visibility, night-time visibility and skid resistance combined with durability. The new specification also introduces the importance of wet-night visibility road markings. IS EN 1436 allows the Client to specify the performance needs of their road markings.

The road marking characteristics are as follows;

1) Reflection in daylight or under road lighting, 3 classes of performance

2) Retroreflection under vehicle headlamp illumination

• Classes for dry road markings, 4 classes of performance
• Classes for road markings in conditions of wetness, 4 classes of performance

3) Colour

• Luminance, 5 classes of performance
• Chromaticity, co-ordinates to fall within a defined square on the chromaticity diagram

4) Skid Resistance

• Classes of skid resistance, 6 classes of performance

When using the new IS EN 1436, it is possible to over specify, for example it is difficult to obtain high retro-reflectivity and skid resistance together, as a gain in one property is often achieved at the expense of the other. The more drop-on glass beads applied the greater the retro reflectivity and the lower the skid resistance. Classes of high performance cannot always be achieved simultaneously.

The tables in the specification allow the Client to choose the performance required from road markings, leaving the onus on the contractor to produce a marking to meet their needs.

Table 1 Specifying Criteria for White Road Markings - IS EN 1436

Table 2 Specifying Criteria for Yellow Road Markings - IS EN 1436

Related European Standards (EN) include the following:

• IS EN 1436 Road Marking materials - Performance for road users
• IS EN 1423 Road Marking materials - Drop on materials - Glass beads, anti-skid aggregates and mixtures of the two
• IS EN 1424 Road Marking materials - Premix glass beads
• IS EN 1463-1 Road Marking materials - Retro-reflecting road studs - Part 1:Initial performance requirements
• IS EN 1463-2 Road Marking materials - Retro-reflecting road studs - Part 2:Road tests performance requirements
• IS EN 1871 Road Marking materials - Physical properties
• IS EN 1790 Road Marking materials - Pre-formed Road Markings
• IS EN 1824 Road Marking materials - Road trials

Definitions

Functional Life & Durability

This refers to the retention of the integrity of the material in the marking. Functional life of a road marking is defined as the period during which the road marking fulfils all the requirements initially specified. The functional life of a marking should be defined in the contract.

Retro-reflectivity

Retro-reflectivity is the ability of a road marking to reflect light from a vehicle's headlights back to the driving position of a vehicle. Initially it will be determined by the amount of glass beads spread on the line. The continuing performance of the line is determined by the amount and quality of glass beads included in the body of the road marking. Retro-reflectivity is measured using a piece of equipment known as a Retrometer. In Ireland, the classes of Retro-reflectivity for "dry" white and yellow permanent road markings on public roads should be:

• White Class R2     R_L ³ 100 mcd/m²/lux
• Yellow Class R1    R_L ³ 80 mcd/m²/lux
• where RL = retro-reflected luminance

Luminance

Luminance is the property of the marking which describes the brightness of its colour. Luminance poses difficulties of compliance where the Texture Depth of the road surface is above 2mm. Where the surface is very coarse; e.g.. freshly surface dressed roads with a texture depth of 4.5 mm it may prove extremely difficulty to achieve a luminance value, hence Class B0 may have to be specified. In Ireland, the classes of luminance for White and Yellow road markings should be:

• Texture Depth < 2mm - White Material Class B4 = min. value of 50
• Texture Depth > 2mm - White Material Class B3 = min. value of 40
• Yellow Material Class B2 = min. value of 30

Chromaticity

Chromaticity is the definition of the colour of the line by reference to the CIE chromaticity diagram

Skid Resistance

Skid resistance measurement on road markings is carried out using the standard British pendulum apparatus. The units of measurement quoted in IS EN 1436 are followed by the abbreviation SRT. IS EN 1436 has a range of Skid Resistance Classes ranging from S0 to S5. The Skid Resistance Class specified for white and yellow road markings on public roads in Ireland should be Class S2 SRT ≥ 50. The skid resistance of freshly applied road markings tends to increase in value due to the effects of trafficking and weathering. For items such as transverse yellow bar markings at roundabouts, a higher Class of skid resistance should be specified.