Good friction
The first-place winner in the 2014 ATSSA Innovation Awards, the Sher-Friction High Friction Surface (HFS) treatment from Sherwin-Williams, can help reduce accidents by up to 70%. Sher-Friction consists of two parts: a liquid resin film applied to the pavement surface, followed by an epoxy or MMA base coat containing bauxite. The imperfections in the rough aggregate increase control along sharp corners or other hazardous sections of roadway.
Curbing danger
Second place in the Innovation Awards went to Median Alert, a new safety device from Professional Pavement Products. The flexible, elongated device allows full-radius delineation of curbs and medians, utilizing color contrast in daytime conditions and high retroreflectivity at night. Made from 50% post-industrial waste, Median Alert is highly durable, able to rebound from multiple vehicular impacts and can withstand a wide temperature range. A flanged, D-shaped design ensures secure anchoring and effective visibility.
Automated channelizer
Royal Truck & Equipment Inc. won third place in the Innovation Awards with its new Sidewinder TMA truck-automated channelizer. The unit allows rapid deployment of cones, barrels and other channelizing devices over a large area, cementing closures up to 5 miles in just 15 minutes. Best of all, the automated process keeps workers out of harm’s way.
Sun-powered watchtower
The SPTT-3000 solar-powered portable tower trailer from Solar Technology can be outfitted with lights, cameras, radar, antennas and other communication devices as needed. The light-tower configuration comes with four, six or eight lights; Solar Technology also offers a camera-tower configuration. The three-stage, telescoping and rotating mast can extend up to 30 ft in height and can easily be transported between jobsites. Users can upgrade the batteries—up to 16 total—to flooded, gel-cell or AGM maintenance-free models.
Get the message
Solar Technology has added new features to its line of message boards, focusing on the themes of “get connected” and “stay protected.” The new SolarCom modem allows users to change messages remotely and monitor equipment status, such as location and condition of the batteries. It can even be set to send out alerts via smart phone when there’s a problem with the equipment. A five-year warranty covers the SolarCom modem, along with all other SolarTech equipment, at no extra cost.
Automated caution flag
Safety Technologies’ AF-54 AutoFlagger is an automated-flagger-assistance device (AFAD) that facilitates control of work zones without putting human flaggers in harm’s way. Each unit is remote-controlled, allowing the human operator to stay in the middle of the work zone, where they are generally safer. Red and yellow strobes tell vehicles whether to stop or slow down; a 125-dB warning horn alerts drivers and workers if there is immediate danger. The AF-54 is narrower than its predecessor to allow operation on shoulders and other small work zones. Safety Technologies also simplified the processes for transporting the unit as well as raising and lowering it.
Out of harm’s way
Keeping workers safe while deploying rumble strips is easier with the SafeDeploy rumble-strip deployment cart from Plastic Safety Systems. The folding cart is 4 ft long folded and 10 ft long when fully extended. Once the rumble strip is on the cart, simply drive it out to the centerline (while workers stay behind), tip the cart and place the rumble strip while simultaneously moving the cart back to safety. Gripping the strip from the edgeline makes for easy removal.
Stripes be gone
The FS390 heavy-duty shaver/planer/scarifier attachment from Smith Manufacturing allows contractors to remove striping from pavement without damaging the roadway. Rotary erasing is the key: The process breaks up striping material while leaving a smooth, beveled-edge finish; this is in contrast with waterblasting (which leaves the potential for rutting) and scarification (which leaves sharp groove edges in the pavement). The FS390 attachment is designed to work with skid-steer loaders.
Folding rumble strip
The RoadQuake 2F temporary portable rumble strip is the successor to Plastic Safety Systems’ RoadQuake 2 model, alerting drivers to a work zone via vibration and an auditory sound. Like its predecessor, the 2F is one piece, but it unfolds to 11 ft long—enough to cover an entire lane. The folded unit is 66 in. long and weighs 110 lb. No glue, nails, adhesives or knives are required for installation; the unit simply lies on the road.
Controlled crack routing
By mounting Safety Technologies’ RapidRouter crack router on a skid-steer loader, operators are better able to keep the attachment and process under control at all times. Allowing the operator to work the attachment from inside the cab also keeps them out of the way of the debris stream during routing.
Quick stop
Get to work quickly with the one-piece LaneGard 3 Type-III barrier from Plastic Safety Systems, which one person can set up in seconds. The folding barricade is lightweight and measures just 2.5 in. when folded, making it easier to transport and taking up less space than conventional barricades.
Keep on trucking
Fans of methyl methacrylate (MMA) pavement-marking materials now have more options for striper trucks courtesy of Road Services International Ltd. The 1:1 cold-spray unit is all PLC-controlled with two hydraulic material pumps and a plural spray gun with quick disconnect for stenciling use. The SpotFlex and Pathfinder striper trucks employ a roll-tank design and can apply materials at temperatures as low as 25°F.
See the rainbow
Ruby Lake Glass offers 24 different colors of 100%-recycled glass aggregate for roadway demarcation. The aggregate is pulverized early in the manufacturing process, which removes sharp edges and ensures greater friction for a safe, skid-resistant ride. The company’s colorizing process bonds pigments with the glass at a cellular level, preventing the colors from fading over time. Protected bike lanes using Ruby Lake Glass color-coated glass aggregate can see accidents reduced by up to 90%.
