VOC Compliance

After a decade of hearing about it, it’s finally here. As of September of 1999, the EPA has redefined traffic paint into two categories, traffic marking coatings and zone marking coatings.

Zone marking coatings are defined as those used on sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, curbs and airport runways and packaged in containers of five gallons or less, with VOCs limited to 450 grams/liter or less. This allows parking lot contractors to buy and use traditional oil-based traffic paint, packaged in five-gallon quantities.

Traffic marking coatings are defined as those used for streets, highways and traffic areas as well as the purposes outlined for zone markings. The VOC limit set for traffic markings is 150 grams/liter. This means that traffic marking contractors must use low-VOC traffic paint when marking roadways, which in most cases will mean using latex traffic paint or paying the required exceedance fees.

The critical change when moving to latex traffic paint is ensuring that equipment is waterbase compatible, in order to avoid application and maintenance problems. This means stainless steel on critical wetted parts, with plated components being adequate in very few areas.

Stripers must also learn to paint with latex paint, which demands different techniques than oil-based paint. Paint handling and striper maintenance must be re-learned, and new application procedures will apply. This is especially true for low-VOC alkyd paints which contain acetone, a product with a low flash point, therefore raising additional safety concerns. For assistance in making the transition, call EZ-Liner® Industries at 800-373-4016.

Retroreflectivity Levels

The federal government has established guidelines for minimum levels of retroreflectivity, which measures marking visibility in low-light conditions. These guidelines may or may not become federal law, but they are currently being acted on by state DOTs across the country.

In general, highway markings are being recommended to meet higher levels of retroreflectivity, both initially and over the lifetime of the marking.

Higher retroreflectivity levels are only possible by carefully matching a quality paint with the appropriate glass beads, and applying these materials in the right ratio. In fact, some states are now letting material contracts to the best system of paint and beads, rather than buying paint and beads separately.

The third key component in meeting this requirement is the right equipment. Now more than ever, reliable equipment will pay for itself. Striping equipment should be calibrated often, and application-monitoring systems offer the only sure way to ensure that the right amounts of paint and beads are applied at all times.

Warranty and Performance Contracts

In the face of the new push for higher-quality markings, many state DOTs are moving to, or at least experimenting with, either warranty or performance contracts as a way to get what they are paying for and also to hold contractors accountable. These contracts impose penalties for work that doesn’t meet the performance requirements outlined in the contract.

The catch for contractors is that often they are required to use state-specification paint and beads in specified proportions. In some cases, this may or may not result in the performance levels specified.

In order to protect themselves, contractors are increasingly investing in application monitoring and data acquisition systems such as EZ-Liner® Industries’ Gateway Data Acquisition Systems. These systems allow the contractor to monitor, on the fly, the amount of paint going down as measured in gallons per mile, and the amount of beads being applied as measured in pounds per gallon of paint. Additionally, printouts are available as documentation of work done.

For more information on performance contracts or data acquisition systems, contact EZ-Liner® Industries at 800-373-4016.