Traffic guidance effect through zebra crossing design
To keep traffic flowing along smoothly at intersections, road planners tend to rely on the construction of roundabouts as an alternative to traffic light systems. To increase the effect of traffic guidance, planners frequently use color accents. A roundabout with an exceptionally appealing design has now been constructed as part of a development project in the Southern Palatinate municipality of Bellheim.
Andreas Mangold from Ludwigshafen-based planning office Piske GbR, which was in charge of planning the new housing estate, explains the measure: “As the housing estate is directly connected to a state road via the roundabout, increased attention is required in this traffic zone. We were therefore directed by the Federal State Office for Mobility Speyer (Landesbetrieb Mobilität Speyer) to provide both the roundabout and its four accessible pedestrian crossing islands with a specific traffic guidance effect. For this reason, we opted for the alternating conventional installation of gray and white flat curbs produced by Wallmerod-based concrete block manufacturer Meudt. Two flat curbstones each measuring 30 x 25 x 50 cm in size – light-colored and dark-colored, respectively – were placed next to each other to form the boundary of the roundabout on the inside.
A special feature: the white blocks have been provided with a special reflective coating. According to the manufacturer, this effect is achieved by applying a white retroreflective epoxy resin at the factory in several work steps. The evenly applied so-called Reflexin coating and subsequent uniform hardening ensure a durable product with a reflective effect. At the same time, the concrete element is protected against surface scaling. Inspecial cases and in appropriate weather conditions, the coating can also be applied on site.
Increased night visibility under wet conditions
Products coated with Reflexin meet the requirements of a type II marking (markings with increased night visibility under wet conditions) according to DIN EN 1436 with the following parameters:
for day visibility: class Q 4,
for night visibility, dry: class R 4,
for night visibility, moist: class RW 3.
Please visit www.meudt-betonsteinwerk.de for further information.
