In low-visibility scenarios such as at night, in rainy or foggy days, reflective road studs act as "invisible safety officers" to guide vehicle travel and avoid road risks. However, many construction teams have caused the road studs to fall off and the reflective effect to fail due to non-standard installation procedures, which has instead created potential safety hazards. This article will guide you step by step from basic understanding to practical details to complete the installation of reflective road studs, and at the same time analyze their safety value and key points to avoid pitfalls.
Reflective road studs are not merely "road surface markers", but safety devices that enhance road visibility through the principle of optical reflection. Their core value lies in addressing the pain point of "difficulty in lane identification under low visibility".
Reflective road studs (also known as reflective road studs or road reflectors) are passive reflective devices installed on the road surface. Through the built-in high refractive index reflective mirror plates, they reflect the light from the vehicle's headlights back into the driver's field of vision, making information such as lane boundaries and turning arcs clearly visible.
Compared with traditional road markings, it is not affected by rain erosion or road surface wear, and its reflective distance at night can reach over 100 meters, making it a "safety supplement" in bad weather.
"A workman who wants to do his job well must first sharpen his tools." Before installing reflective track studs, it is necessary to prepare all the tools and materials in advance. Special attention should be paid to the selection of adhesives and protective equipment to avoid rework due to inconsistent materials.
|
Category |
Specific Item |
Usage Description |
Precautions |
|
Core Material |
Reflective road stud base device |
Selected according to the road surface, with or without handle; should have ≥10-ton compressive strength and ≥300 cd/lx reflectivity |
Prioritize high-strength, high-reflectivity products suitable for long-term outdoor use |
|
Adhesive Material |
Epoxy resin adhesive |
Used to fix road studs firmly to the pavement, preventing detachment over time |
Choose a formula designed for road surfaces, resistant to high and low temperatures (-30℃ to 70℃) |
|
Tool Equipment |
Industrial electric drill + carbide drill bit with handle |
Used to drill holes for road stud installation on concrete/asphalt surfaces |
Ensure the drill bit diameter matches the road stud handle (commonly 8mm or 10mm) |
|
Positioning & Marking |
50-meter tape measure and powder line |
Used to mark installation points and ensure even spacing |
Use waterproof powder lines to prevent marks from washing away in rain |
|
Cleaning Tools |
High-pressure blower and wire brush |
Used to clean dust, oil stains, and gravel before installation |
Use solvents for stubborn oil stains to ensure clean bonding surfaces |
|
Safety Protection |
Traffic cones and construction warning signs |
Used to isolate the construction area and alert passing vehicles |
Place traffic cones ≤5m apart; position warning signs 50m before the construction zone |
|
Personal Protective Equipment |
Safety vest, anti-slip gloves, goggles, puncture-resistant shoes |
Protects construction workers during installation |
Ensure all personnel wear proper PPE throughout the operation |
The installation of reflective road studs may seem simple, but each step has strict standards, especially the three links of spacing setting, adhesive mixing, and testing and acceptance, which directly affect the service life and safety effect of the road studs.
The road surface treatment and environmental selection before installation are the key prerequisites for determining whether the road studs are firm. This step cannot be skipped!
After rain, the road surface needs to be exposed to the sun for at least 24 hours. If there is water accumulation or dampness on the road surface, it will cause the viscosity of the adhesive to drop by more than 50%. If there are oil stains on the road surface (such as oil leakage marks from trucks), they should be wiped clean with industrial alcohol or degreaser, and then dried with a hair dryer.
It is recommended that urban roads be constructed between 2 and 5 a.m. For expressways, traffic control should be applied for in advance to ensure that no vehicles pass during the construction period, which not only avoids congestion but also guarantees the safety of workers.
The spacing of road studs is not "set arbitrarily" and needs to be adjusted according to the vehicle's speed: the faster the vehicle speed, the larger the spacing to ensure that the driver has sufficient reaction time. The slower the vehicle speed and the smaller the spacing, the stronger the guiding effect.
|
Road Type |
Suggested Spacing (meters) |
Suggested Spacing (feet) |
Core Purpose |
|
Expressways |
6–9 |
20–30 |
Prevent driver visual fatigue and clearly separate lanes |
|
Main Urban Roads |
3–6 |
10–20 |
Suitable for frequent lane changes and marking lane boundaries |
|
Secondary Urban Roads / Residential Areas |
2–3 |
6–10 |
Coordinate with pedestrian traffic and remind drivers to slow down |
|
Intersections / Turning Zones |
< 1 |
< 3 |
Enhance turning arcs and prevent lane crossing |
Marking Note: Use a tape measure to accurately measure the distance, then draw a straight line with pink thread to ensure all road studs in the same lane are aligned, with deviation ≤5cm.
If road studs with metal handles (mostly used on concrete pavements) are selected, holes need to be drilled first before installation. The handless road studs (mostly used on asphalt roads) can be directly fixed with glue without the need for drilling.
The drilling depth should be 5mm longer than the handle of the road stud (for example, if the handle is 20mm long, the drilling depth is 25mm) to prevent the handle from not being fully inserted. When drilling, the electric drill should be perpendicular to the road surface to prevent the road studs from tilting after installation, which may affect the reflective Angle.
After drilling, use a high-pressure blower to blow air into the hole to clean up the crushed stones and dust. If impurities remain, it will cause the handle of the road stud to fail to adhere to the hole wall, reducing the firmness.
The special adhesives for reflective road studs are mostly two-component epoxy resins, which have a fast curing speed (curing begins in about 30 minutes at 25℃). They need to be mixed in proportion and not too much at one time.
The proportion of epoxy resin varies among different brands (commonly 1:1 or 2:1), and it is necessary to use an electronic scale for precise weighing to avoid a decrease in the adhesive's viscosity due to an imbalance in the proportion. When mixing, stir evenly with a scraper until there are no streaks or particles.
Epoxy resin is irritating to the skin. Anti-slip gloves should be worn when stirring. If it accidentally comes into contact with the skin, rinse immediately with clean water and then apply hand cream to relieve the irritation.
This step is the core. It is necessary to ensure that the position of the road studs is accurate and the orientation of the reflective surface is correct.
Apply a circle of adhesive on the marking point, with a diameter approximately 1.2 times that of the bottom of the road stud and a thickness of 5 to 8mm. Then place the road stud in the center of the adhesive layer, ensuring that the edge of the stud aligns with the pink line and the reflective side faces the direction of oncoming vehicles (it must not be reversed, otherwise it will not reflect light).
Handless rail studs: Gently press with your palm for 10 seconds to evenly distribute the adhesive layer.
With handle studs: After inserting the stud handle into the hole, gently tap the top of the stud with a rubber hammer until the bottom of the stud adheres to the road surface and a small amount of adhesive overflows from the edge (the amount of adhesive that overflows should not cover the reflective surface).
The curing speed of epoxy resin is greatly affected by temperature. The waiting time should be adjusted according to the ambient temperature to ensure complete curing before opening to traffic.
25-30℃ : It can be initially cured in 1 hour and can withstand slight pressure.
15-25℃ : Requires 2 hours for initial curing;
< 15℃ : A heating lamp is required to assist in raising the temperature; otherwise, the curing time will be extended to more than 4 hours.
During the curing period, the construction area should be surrounded by traffic cones, and it is strictly prohibited for vehicles and pedestrians to step on them. If force is applied before complete curing, it will cause the road studs to shift and the adhesive layer to crack.
After installation is completed, the road cannot be directly opened to traffic. It is necessary to pass the "load test" and "night reflection test" to check for unqualified road studs.
When driving a truck with a load capacity of over 5 tons (such as a water sprinkler truck or an engineering vehicle), slowly roll over the road studs at a speed of 20km/h. After rolling three times in a row, check if the road studs are loose or tilted. If they fall off or shift, they should be replaced immediately.
In the evening, drive a private car (with low beam mode) and observe the road studs 100 meters away. Qualified road studs should show a bright white or yellow light spot. If the light spot is dim and there is no reflection, check whether the reflective surface is contaminated by glue or whether the road studs are reversed.
Although reflective road studs require "low maintenance", regular inspections can prevent safety hazards caused by damage. The key points of maintenance are as follows:
In coordination with road cleaning, use a high-pressure water gun to rinse the surface of the road studs to remove dust and sand (avoid scratching the reflective surface with hard objects to prevent scratches).
Pay special attention to checking whether the road studs are loose and whether the reflective surface is damaged. If the road studs are found to be tilted (deviation > 10°) or the reflective surface is cracked, they should be replaced immediately.
After rainy or snowy weather, the road studs may be covered with mud and sand or cracked due to freezing. They need to be cleared in time and their firmness checked to ensure the reflective effect in bad weather.
Many people think that "road studs are just auxiliary", but in fact, they can directly reduce the accident rate in many scenarios. Their safety value is mainly reflected in four aspects:
On rural roads or emergency lanes of expressways without street lamps, drivers are prone to crossing the line due to unclear visibility of the edge, which may cause collisions with oncoming vehicles. Reflective road studs can clearly outline the road boundaries. Even in heavy rain, they can help drivers clearly understand the "lane range", reducing the rate of line-crossing accidents by more than 60%.
On mountainous roads and sections with continuous turns, road studs will be arranged along the turning arc to form an "arc-shaped reflective band". Drivers can determine the turning direction through the reflective light spots from 100 meters away, slow down in advance, and avoid overturning due to sharp turns.
In dangerous areas such as construction zones, pedestrian crossings, and school gates, road studs are installed more densely (with intervals less than 1 meter) to form a "dense reflective area", alerting drivers that "there is a risk ahead and they need to slow down and observe". Especially at night, this makes it easier for drivers to spot pedestrians and construction workers.
Near residential areas and school campuses, dense road studs form "visual speed bumps" - when drivers see continuous reflective light spots, they will subconsciously reduce their speed (the average speed can be reduced by 15 to 20km/h), which is quieter than traditional speed bumps and will not damage the vehicle chassis.
Even if the process is mastered, if the following details are ignored, it will still lead to installation failure and even cause safety accidents.
Check the weather forecast before installation and choose a period when there will be no rain for three consecutive days and the temperature is ≥10℃.
A special drill bit for concrete was used on the asphalt pavement, resulting in the edge of the drill hole cracking and the road studs being unable to be fixed.
If you touch the reflective surface with your hand during installation, the grease on your hand will adhere to the lens, causing the reflectivity to drop by 30%. If the glue sticks to the reflective surface, it will directly block the light and make the road studs "ineffective".
When holding the road stud, only hold the bottom. If the reflective surface gets stained with glue, immediately wipe it clean with an alcohol swab.
When construction is carried out on open roads, if there is no isolation, accidents where vehicles hit construction workers are likely to occur.
Place a "Construction Ahead" warning sign 50 meters upstream of the construction site. Enclose a 2-meter-wide construction area with traffic cones in the middle. Construction workers should wear fluorescent safety vests, and at least one person should be assigned to observe the traffic conditions.
The installation of reflective road studs may seem simple, but in actual operation, various unexpected situations may occur: such as temporary rework in rainy days, cracking of asphalt road surface holes, and contamination of the reflective surface of the road studs, etc.
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