END SEM SEMINAR PRESENTATION ON

STUDY OF RETRO-REFLECTIVITY OF TRAFFIC CONTROL

DEVICES

Supervising Teacher
Prepared by Dr. Manivel M.
Prince Thakor &
(21MCT012) Dr. A Mohan Rao

M.TECH CIVIL TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING SECTION

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY, PDEU
1
 OUTLINE
• INTRODUCTION
1
• OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
2
• HOW TO MEASURE RETRO-REFLECTIVITY ?
3
• STANDARDS OF RETRO REFLECTIVITY
4
• STUDY AREA
5
• DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS
6
• CONCLUSION
7

2
 INTRODUCTION
Retro-reflection means the reflection of light which is returned in directions close to the direction
from which it came, and this property being maintained even over wide variations of the direction
of the incident radiation.

The entrance angle is the angle formed

between a light beam striking the surface of a
sign and a line coming out perpendicular
from the surface.

The observation angle is the angle between

the incoming light beam and the reflected
light beam and is a function of the height of
Figure 1 Image based retro- reflective measurement of traffic sign
the driver's eye with respect to the vehicle
headlamps.
3
 OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of this study are:
1. To identify the different weather conditions affecting retro reflectivity of
signals.
2. To determine the life span of signal using retro reflective meter.

4
HOW TO MEASURE RETRO-REFLECTIVITY
USING A RETRO-REFLECTIVE SPEED GUN

 The first step is the calibration of the device using a calibration standard that is
mounted on calibration side.
 The second stage is direct measurement when the instrument is planted on the surface
of the traffic sign and the trigger is pulled.

5
Figure 2 visual representation of retro reflectometer
COEFFICIENT OF RETROREFLECTION
Coeffıcient of retroreflection,
RA—of a plane retroreflecting surface,
The ratio of the coefficient of luminous intensity (RI)
to the area (A),
Expressed in candelas per lux per square metre (cd·lx−1 ·m−2 ). RA = RI /A.

PM10
PM10 is composed of inhalable particles with an diameter less than 10 μm. Its
multiple sources include natural dust, industrial emissions and traffic gasses.

6
 STANDARDS OF RETRO REFLECTIVITY
Minimum performance requirements for each type of retroreflective sheeting with observation angles, entrance

angles and color is given below in the following tables. Values provided in the table are the minimum Coefficient

of Retroreflection (RA) cd/fc/ft2 (cd·lx−1·m−2).

Retroreflective sheeting referred to as engineering grade that is typically an enclosed lens

Type I glass-bead sheeting. Applications for this material include permanent highway signing,
construction zone devices, and delineators.

Retroreflective sheeting referred to as ―super engineer grade ‖ that is typically an enclosed

Type II lens glass-bead sheeting. Applications for this material include permanent highway
signing, construction zone devices, and delineators.

Retroreflective sheeting referred to as―high-intensity that is typically manufactured as an

encapsulated glass-bead retroreflective material or as an unmetalized microprismatic
Type III
retroreflective element material. Applications for this material include permanent highway
signing, construction zone devices, and delineators. 7
 Retroreflective sheeting referred to as ―high-intensity ‖ that is typically an unmetalized
Type IV microprismatic retroreflective element material. Applications for this material include
permanent highway signing, construction zone devices, and delineators.

Retroreflective sheeting referred to as ―super high-intensity ‖ that is typically a metalized

Type V microprismatic retroreflective element material. This sheeting is typically used for
delineators.

Table: Type I sheeting

Observation Entrance
White Yellow Orange Green Red Blue Brown
Angle Angle

0.2° −4° 70 50 25 9 14 4 1

0.2° + 30° 30 22 7 3.5 6 1.7 0.3

0.5° − 4° 30 25 13 4.5 7.5 2 0.3

0.5° + 30° 15 13 4 2.2 3 0.8 0.2

8
 Table: Type II sheeting

Observation Entrance
White Yellow Orange Green Red Blue Brown
Angle Angle

0.2° −4° 140 100 60 30 30 10 5

0.2° + 30° 60 36 22 10 12 4 2

0.5° – 4° 50 33 20 9 10 3 2

0.5° + 30° 28 20 12 6 6 2 1

Table: Type III sheeting

Observation Entrance
White Yellow Orange Green Red Blue Brown
Angle Angle
0.1°B −4° 300 200 120 54 54 24 14
0.1°B + 30° 180 120 72 32 32 14 10
0.2° − 4° 250 170 100 45 45 20 12
0.2° + 30° 150 100 60 25 25 11 8.5
0.5° −4° 95 62 30 15 15 7.5 5
0.5° + 30° 65 45 25 10 10 5 3.5 9
 Table: Type IV Sheeting
Fluore
Obser Entr Fluore Fluore
W hit Ora Gr Bl scent
vation ance Yel low Red Pur ple Bro wn scent scent
e nge een ue Yello
Angle Angl e Yello w Orang e
wGreen
50
0.10°B −4° 380 200 70 90 42 20 25 400 300 150
0
24
0.10°B + 30° 175 94 32 42 20 10 12 185 140 70
0
36
0.20° – 4° 270 145 50 65 30 14 18 290 220 105
0
17
0.20° + 30° 135 68 25 30 14 6.8 8.5 135 100 50
0
15
0.50° −4° 110 60 21 27 13 6 7.5 120 90 45
0
0.50° + 30° 72 54 28 10 13 6 2.9 3.5 55 40 22

Table: Type V Sheeting

Observation Angle Entrance Angle White Yellow Orange Green Red Blue Purple
0.10°B −4° 2000 1300 800 360 360 160 80
0.10°B + 30° 1100 740 440 200 200 88 45
0.20° – 4° 700 470 280 120 120 56 28
0.20° + 30° 400 270 160 72 72 32 16
0.50° −4° 160 110 64 28 28 13 6.4
0.50° + 30° 75 51 30 13 13 6 3
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 STUDY AREA
 CSIR-CRRI was chosen as the study area as there are a lot of traffic signs on and
around the campus which could be used to study the effect of age, dust and signpost
height.
 23 sign boards present around the campus which included informatory signs, regulatory
signs and warning signs were measured for the values of Retro Reflectivity.
 The signs were commissioned in 2014 and haven‘t been replaced since then.
 Their Retro Reflectivity was measured in 2014 when they were clean and since then
haven‘t been re-evaluated which is another reason why CRRI was selected as the study
area.

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DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS Table: For Clean and Without Clean

Min of Percentage Max of Percentage

Row Average of Average Average of Average
Decrease/Increase for Decrease/Increase for
Labels without clean with clean
Dust Dust

Blue -48.54196302 -1.454545455 21.87745763 26.4979661

0.2° -48.54196302 -4.899497487 33.66460317 40.72730159
30° -48.54196302 -4.899497487 19.729 24.69066667
4° -26.85421995 -8.616904501 46.33333333 55.30606061
0.5° -38.54679803 -1.454545455 24.61733333 29.9185
30° -38.54679803 -1.454545455 8.986666667 11.35962963
4° -28.20512821 -5.293276109 37.40606061 45.1030303
1° -39.08256881 -2.8453419 5.081481481 6.096481481
30° -39.08256881 -5.720122574 3.065925926 3.761111111
4° -31.90368698 -2.8453419 7.097037037 8.431851852

Red -75.89974293 -1.610305958 38.83505556 47.80894444

0.2° -75.89974293 -7.722222222 59.45378788 73.51060606
30° -75.89974293 -9.237228831 33.97361111 43.37777778
4° -34.93975904 -7.722222222 90.03 109.67
0.5° -56.74074074 -3.998025666 42 51.73508772
30° -56.74074074 -9.183673469 16.54074074 21.75925926
4° -37.38404453 -3.998025666 64.91333333 78.71333333
1° -50.27173913 -1.610305958 11.79578947 14.12298246
12
30° -50.27173913 -6.370126304 5.673333333 7.04625
White -81.20734908 -1.287553648 159.3646341 193.7642683
0.2° -81.20734908 -2.445652174 239.5488095 296.022619
30° -81.20734908 -2.445652174 135.6214286 174.0690476
4° -45.11041009 -8.711566618 343.4761905 417.9761905
0.5° -67.95518207 -2.368951613 187.2214286 223.4191667
30° -67.95518207 -2.368951613 67.55384615 88.00538462
4° -59.62343096 -2.853598015 290.9333333 340.7777778
1° -42.54237288 -1.287553648 43.01282051 51.70384615
30° -37.45791246 -1.481481481 21.55128205 27.55128205
4° -42.54237288 -1.287553648 64.47435897 75.85641026

Yellow -81.25211506 -21.09792285 111.8636364 174.8212121

0.2° -81.25211506 -21.09792285 140.025 228.875
30° -81.25211506 -21.09792285 53.55 105.4166667
4° -45.54030875 -23.62869198 226.5 352.3333333
0.5° -38.99297424 -31.70995671 130.4416667 198.3
30° -38.99297424 -35.58776167 52.71666667 84.1
4° -35.01577287 -31.70995671 208.1666667 312.5
1° -36.97223279 -21.93475816 49.54444444 71.44444444
30° -21.93475816 -21.93475816 23.13333333 29.63333333
4° -36.97223279 -27.60989011 62.75 92.35
Grand
-81.25211506 -1.287553648 84.52487421 104.9227358
Total
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 Table: For Full dust
Row Min of Percentage Max of Percentage Average of
Labels Decrease/Increase for Full Dust Decrease/Increase for Full Dust Average full dust
Blue -83.84203481 -24.73572939 9.674166667
0.2° -83.84203481 -51.2633352 13.10833333
30° -83.84203481 -64.66916355 6.888888889
4° -75.15984655 -51.2633352 19.32777778
0.5° -69.91995074 -53.06262904 10.48055556
30° -69.91995074 -60.46376812 3.666666667
4° -65.38327526 -53.06262904 17.29444444
1° -47.43083004 -24.73572939 3.313333333
30° -47.43083004 -24.73572939 2.073333333
4° -40.15603488 -35.55956679 4.553333333

Red -76.97300991 -26.16179002 22.98714286

0.2° -76.97300991 -28.1043956 33.96466667
30° -73.37359098 -31.78851175 20.04111111
4° -76.97300991 -28.1043956 54.85
0.5° -74.23494571 -33.61274099 23.61
30° -70.63356164 -34.43526171 10.79166667
4° -74.23494571 -33.61274099 32.15555556
1° -63.32631579 -26.16179002 8.486666667
30° -29.9580028 -29.9580028 5.003333333
4° -63.32631579 -26.16179002 9.647777778
14
White -92.91032609 -32.60456274 85.0697619
0.2° -92.91032609 -37.86739576 127.306
30° -92.91032609 -46.86340641 56.865
4° -85.69105691 -37.86739576 174.2666667
0.5° -90.64985994 -32.60456274 96.806
30° -90.64985994 -45.4401895 25.815
4° -75.74783684 -32.60456274 144.1333333
1° -84.22865014 -42.45076586 17.60416667
30° -84.22865014 -46.54002714 8.475
4° -74.58563536 -42.45076586 26.73333333
Grand
-92.91032609 -24.73572939 37.89962121
Total

15
 CONCLUSION

 The study dealt with the effect of factors like dust, age and sign post height on the retro
reflectivity factor.
 It was seen that the values of retro reflectivity were negatively impacted due to dust
present on the sign board.
 Out of the 23 sign boards that were surveyed, 16 sign boards failed to meet the minimum
retro reflectivity criteria and hence require replacements or maintenance. In regards to full
dust, Data from 6 signboards were tallied in which they failed to meet even the minimum
standard values.
 The research lacked data of Age, Sign Height along with various other factors that might
have had more effect on the retro reflectivity values.

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 REFERENCES
1. https://dspace.emu.ee/xmlui/handle/10492/4844

2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/27235121_Sign_RetroReflectivity_Study
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2046043016300120
https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/night_visib/policy_guide/fhwahrt08026/
https://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-947X(2009)135:3(94) https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/07042/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3141/1650-03 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1087724x09350226
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/night_visib/sign_visib/sheetguide/
3. https://resources.vtrans.vermont.gov/documents/archivedresearch/2009%20-
4. %2008%20Evaluation%20of%20Measuring%20Methods%20for%20Traffic%20Sig n%20RetroReflectivity.pdf https://trid.trb.org/view/365879
5. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/03082/app.cfm
https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/315459O/astm-d4956-04-standardspecification.pdf
6. https://hmr.araiindia.com/api/AISFiles/AIS_159_F_e60d8197-a77a-401a-8597-
7. 3558d3b48ab4.pdf

8. https://www.iso.org/standard/14380.html https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3141/2258-11
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.3141/2337-11 https://www.roadvista.com/retroreflection/
9. https://law.resource.org/pub/in/bis/irc/irc.gov.in.067.2012.pdf
10.https://law.resource.org/pub/in/bis/irc/irc.gov.in.035.2015.pdf
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 THANKS

ANY QUESTIONS?

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