Testing, testing: a Nordic-specific road markings certification is being developed

Sweden is set to implement certification for road marking materials in 2019.
November 1, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
Geveko products are among those being tested in the Nordic countries with a view to establishing a road marking materials certification (photo courtesy Geveko; Viatherm)

The move stems from an agreement between the transport administrations in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland to establish a certification system suitable for the cold and harsh Nordic climate.

In Sweden, the certificates will be handled by NordicCert, a joint venture between engineering company Ramboll and the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (Statens väg- och transportforskningsinstitut, VTI).

Trond Cato Johansen, project manager at Ramboll and head of NordicCert, said that about 530 materials are undergoing testing in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. NordicCert is also responsible for field-checkups to ensure that companies comply with certified material use.

Ennis Flint, Kestrel, Promax, Geveko, Kelly Bros, Swarco, Veluvine, Cleanosol, 6535 Svevia and 7819 Hitex are among the manufacturers whose material has been or is being tested.

Product approval is based on monitored and documented performance measurements of material samples applied on test fields on public roads. Certification in Norway and Sweden is based on the results from a test site in Norway or in Sweden and certification in Denmark will be based on the results from a test site in Denmark. The first round of material tests in Sweden started in May 2015.

Performance parameters included the coefficient of retroreflected luminance (RL) under dry and wet conditions, the luminance coefficient under diffuse illumination (Qd), the friction, the chromaticity in daylight and the chromaticity of retroreflected light (yellow materials only).
 
The work of the certification group was published by the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute in early 2018.

Road Markings, Barriers & Workzone Protection

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • RetroTek-M certified to EN1436 standard
    July 5, 2016
    Reflective Measurement Systems says that its RetroTek-M is the first dual-line mobile retroreflectometer to be certified to EN1436 standard The RetroTek-M is a mobile pavement retroreflectometer for measuring the coefficient of retroreflected luminance (RL) of road markings. “With its ability to simultaneously measure the lines on both sides of a lane to EN1436, the RetroTek-M is the most efficient and versatile mobile retroreflectometer system on the market,” said Joe Turley, chief executive of RMS.
    Read More
  • New software makes road marking applications easier
    February 17, 2012
    Equipment, materials and testing combine to offer motorists better road markings as Patrick Smith reports Drivers realise that clear road markings, particularly in darkness and during the wet, are life-savers, offering guidance and direction. Manufacturers of marking materials, in-road studs, and testing and laying equipment have spent years perfecting solutions to make such markings easier to place; easier to see through the use of a variety of materials, and longer lasting. Sophisticated testing equip
    Read More
  • Via Nordica turns international
    July 31, 2012
    Via Nordica, the road technology conference of the five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) has changed from the traditional Nordic event to become more international The conference, held every four years, rotates between the five countries, and the 2008 event, held in Helsinki, the Finnish capital, was a clear demonstration of the international trend. An accompanying exhibition attracted more than 70 companies and organisations from 14 countries. Pär-Håkan Appel, the secretary g
    Read More
  • Quality road markings deliver greater road safety
    February 24, 2012
    Special high quality glass beads provide a vital part of the solution with road markings, particularly in the dark. In the European Union alone, roughly one-third of traffic accidents involving injuries happen at night, although only 20% of all traffic flows after dark.
    Read More

Highlighted Content