Teaching Road Safety with Thermoplastic Markings
Road markings with a learning effect –
SWARCO supports bicycle training courses for children.
Road safety is learned in childhood – and therefore starts with good road safety education. This was the driving idea behind a unique project at Herten-Mitte Primary School (Germany), in which SWARCO Road Marking Systems took a leading role.
Together with the project office ‘Neustart Innenstadt’ (New Start for the City Centre), a colourful, kid-friendly bike course was created for teaching road safety. It took dedicated colleagues, a lot of passion and (preformed) thermoplastic to get the project on the ground.
Application of Preformed Thermoplastics.
Improved safety in the schoolyard
SWARCO Road Marking Systems was immediately enthusiastic when the idea of building a bicycle course was presented. Working closely with the project partners, the marking professionals quickly developed a concept and detailed plan for implementation in the schoolyard. In addition to a cycling lane, the concept also included creative elements such as a roundabout with the school logo, a hopscotch area and parking spaces for school bags. For this purpose, the team also designed special pictograms.
Planning the track is team work.
Applying Thermoplastic Marking Materials with heavy equipment by Straat1.
INFO: SWARCO PREFORMED is easy to apply on smooth surfaces – for tricky grounds, expert support is recommended.
INFO: SWARCO PREFORMED is easy to apply on smooth surfaces – for tricky grounds, expert support is recommended.
INFO: SWARCO PREFORMED is easy to apply on smooth surfaces – for tricky grounds, expert support is recommended.
Safety zone in front of the entrance.
A collaborative project with a long-lasting impact
Then it was time to get started: SWARCO Road Marking Systems not only took care of the design and materials, but also had four employees volunteer their time and skills to help make the project a reality at the school in Herten. This is a great example of how corporate social responsibility (CSR) is brought to life at SWARCO. The project was financially supported by the Neustart Innenstadt project office with a contribution of 4,000 euros. All other costs for materials, technical equipment and labour were covered entirely by SWARCO Road Marking Systems.
SWARCO employees also established contact with the marking company straat1. They were just as enthusiastic about the project and sent an employee with an application machine to help out. Together with the SWARCO team, the course was finally applied in August 2024 in extreme heat. Heat – of a completely different kind – was also necessary for the material used: Thermoplastic Systems and SWARCO PREFORMED.
Hot stuff: Thermoplastics
Thermoplastic materials have been used for road markings since the 1950s. Thanks to continuous development, this kind of material is used today all over the world as durable and economical markings. Their durability also makes them the ideal choice for the school playground in Herten. The hot plastic, heated to almost 200 degrees and containing reflective glass beads, was applied to the school playground using the marking machine that normally does its job on Germany's roads. It took some skill and expertise to mark the roundabout properly with the heavy equipment at the narrow site.
Colourful markings – quick and easy
Once the white lines had been cured, the cycling course was further enhanced with a pedestrian crossing, traffic signs and other colourful pictograms and playing areas. These markings were applied using preformed thermoplastic. These prefabricated elements from SWARCO PREFORMED offer an outstanding advantage: they can be applied easily, quickly and cleanly. No special machines, time-consuming adhesive tape work or bulky stencils are required! All you need is a broom for cleaning, chalk for pre-marking and a gas burner for heating the material.
Important
When using preformed thermoplastic, a plain surface is essential to ensure good adhesion. The uneven paving in the school playground therefore presented a particular challenge. Thanks to their expertise and high-quality materials, the volunteers were able to tackle this issue with ease.
Markus Bretscher
coordinated this project for SWARCO Road Marking Systems
“SWARCO PREFORMED is not only suitable for use in schoolyards like the one in Herten. The preformed material can be used for so many things – from single-colour pictograms and multi-coloured traffic signs to creative, colourful play areas or completely customised designs such as company logos. Thanks to its ease of use, the elements can be installed effortlessly on roads, playgrounds, car parks, bike lanes and company premises.”
An initiative leading the way
The cycle route at Herten-Mitte Primary School (Germany) was enthusiastically received by the schoolchildren and children from the neighbourhood. As soon as the markings were in place, the schoolyard came to life with excitement! Since then, the colourful cycling course has been a fun and regular part of road safety lessons throughout the school year.
Markus Bretscher
coordinated this project for SWARCO Road Marking Systems
"The initiative was an excellent idea. Despite the intense summer heat, the construction work last year was a lot of fun. Even more reason for me and my colleagues to be delighted to see the children cycling on the course and benefiting from the road safety lessons."
Summary
In cooperation with SWARCO Road Marking Systems, a kid-friendly cycling course for road safety education was created at the Herten-Mitte Primary School in Germany. Working with the road marking company straat1, four SWARCO volunteers applied a cycling lane with a large roundabout, colourful traffic signs and parking spaces for school bags. Thermoplastic and SWARCO PREFORMED were used as marking materials. The children enjoy using the new cycle track, which is also used for regular road safety classes.
FAQs
Thermoplastic road marking materials consist of a heat-sensitive plastic mixture. This kind of material is heated to around 180 to 200 °C and applied to the road using special machines. Upon cooling, it forms a solid, hard-wearing layer that bonds permanently to the substrate. Reflective glass beads (premix beads) contained in the marking material play an important role in the durability of thermoplastic markings.
Thermoplastic road marking systems are easy to process. Thanks to short curing times, they can also be driven over quickly, thus minimising traffic disruptions. Adjustable layer thicknesses ensure the best possible performance, which can be supported by integrated premix reflective glass beads for long-term performance.
Thermoplastics are extremely versatile: depending on the system selected, thermoplastic materials can be applied using a dispensing shoe (mechanically or manually), an extruder or hot spray machines. Depending on the material used, flat lines as well as structured markings, agglomerates or profiled markings can be installed.
Thermoplastics usually have a layer thickness of 2–3 mm. However, layer thicknesses of 5–10 mm can also be achieved for markings laid into the road surface. Thermospray is usually applied with a layer thickness of 0.6–1.5 mm.
No, thermoplastics can be coloured by adding coloured granules or flakes during melting. Thanks to SWARCO Road Marking Systems' experience, almost any colour can be produced.
Thermoplastics from SWARCO Road Marking Systems are usually packaged in PE bags. These are part of the formula and are melted in the thermo cooker together with the marking material. This means that no packaging waste needs to be disposed of, saving time and resources.
SWARCO PREFORMED are prefabricated lane markings based on thermoplastics. These markings can be customised and cut to size and shape at the factory. Application is quick and easy: after a short preparation time, the material simply needs to be heated.
SWARCO PREFORMED is suitable for a wide range of applications on roads, schoolyards, playgrounds, car parks, bike lanes, cycle paths and company premises. These prefabricated lane markings are ideal for creating traffic signs, creative playgrounds or completely individual designs.
There are currently five SWARCO PREFORMED ranges, each offering different options: SWARCO PREFORMED Symbols can be used to create different lines, arrows, letters, numbers and traffic signs of all kinds. SWARCO PREFORMED Bespoke is for special symbols and custom designs such as company logos. SWARCO PREFORMED Playground offers colourful markings for schoolyards and playgrounds. With SWARCO PREFORMED ECO Rolls, lines are easy to apply and small areas can be patched up just as easily. SWARCO PREFORMED ECO Sheets are designed for marking larger areas.
First, the outline of the marking is drawn with chalk on the cleaned surface. If the surface is wet or cold, it must be dried and preheated. A primer is applied for better adhesion. The SWARCO PREFORMED marking is then applied and heated with a gas burner. Optionally, reflective glass beads and grip agents can be dropped-on afterwards. After successful adhesion testing, the marking is cleaned with a broom to remove any loose material.
To apply SWARCO PREFORMED, all you need is a regular gas burner, a broom, chalk and, if necessary, drop-on material. A primer can be used for enhanced adhesion to the surface.
SWARCO PREFORMED markings can be applied all year round. Application is even possible at temperatures below 5 °C – however, for optimum adhesion, wet and cold surfaces should be dried and preheated.
SWARCO PREFORMED elements are prefabricated in the production plant and are therefore ready for immediate use. This reduces preparation time, as no stencils or adhesive tape works are required. It saves time and minimises errors. Application is simple, clean and quick. In addition, the consistently high quality of the preferabricated symbols ensures a uniform, professional appearance. Further advantages include year-round usability, customisation options and suitability for various surfaces.
SWARCO PREFORMED lane markings are extremely resistant to frost, snow, ice, salt and oil. This increases their durability and reduces maintenance costs.
SWARCO PREFORMED elements are available in a wide range of colours – even in your favourite colour on request.
With SWARCO PREFORMED Playground, there are no limits to your creativity – from letter mazes to number snakes and from giant compasses to moon rockets, there are many possibilities. The SWARCO portfolio includes numerous animals, play and obstacle course markings – and even your own game ideas can be implemented on request.
Yes, preformed thermoplastics can be combined very well with surface markings made of cold plastics (e.g. textured materials and roll plastics). They can be easily burned onto the marking.
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About SWARCO Road Marking Systems
Quality products and services from SWARCO Road Marking Systems guide traffic safely from A to B by day and, above all, by night. On all types of roads. Whatever the weather. From a single source. Over 5,000 customers in more than 80 countries place their trust in them.