Preformed polymer tape Road surface marking

preformed polymer tapes used crosswalk markings in street of new york city. notice tape failure on left stripe.

commonly referred tape or cold plastic, product heavy-grade material reflective beads embedded in plastic. commonly used mark crosswalks, stop bars, , traffic guidance such turn lanes, hov lanes, train crossings, pedestrian crossings, taxi lanes, bus lanes, , bike lanes. there 2 ways apply tape:

overlay—the application being laid on surface of pavement. using industrial-grade rubber cement, once tape combined pavement, should last 3 years. major obstacles estimated life snow-plows, salt, , mis-application.
inlay—the tape physically becomes part of asphalt. using heat generated in paving process, road workers lay special tape on asphalt in hardening process, , rollers compress 2 together.

the life of preformed polymer tapes can vary based on applications. if applied correctly, can last between 4 , 8 years. however, there have been cases tape failures start after installation. conditions may contribute tapes peel off time of year of installation close winter, surface preparation, , workmanship. technique can used minimize tape getting scraped off snowplows sandblasting groove surface , fixing tape onto groove. technique diminishes advantage of low labor cost of tapes.

the preformed polymer tape markings slippery when wet, in large sections such crosswalks, , caution should used due poor wet traction.