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(logo whooshes)

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- [Narrator] Maintaining
and improving roadways

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often requires changing
the pavement markings,

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a method commonly known as restriping.

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Because markings are designed to last

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despite weather and road use,

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getting rid of the old
ones can be challenging.

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Old markings, called ghost markings,

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should be completely removed

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to accomplish effective restriping.

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Researchers at the
University of North Texas

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evaluated the use of lasers

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as one possible new alternative

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for removing the old markings.

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- We had two things that really kind

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of led us to this research.

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I'd say the first thing was ghost marking.

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So, this is a case

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in which you have pavement markings,

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that we go out there,

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and that we have to remove

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for one reason or another.

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And so, we'll go out there,

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we'll use some type of
flailing or water blasting

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to remove the existing marking,

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and what it does is

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it typically leaves a scar on the surface,

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and then sometimes it
might leave a little bit

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of that residual marking.

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The second thing, though,
is we kind of wanted

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to look at the state of the practice.

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It's been a while since there's really

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been a detailed analysis
on different methods.

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And so, one of the things
that had been proposed

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to the state was laser removal,

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and so that was one of the things we also

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had a chance to kinda look at,
laser removal in comparison

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to water blasting, flailing,

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any of a number of different techniques

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that are available to us.

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- Primary research objectives

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of the project were mainly two.

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So, the first one is to seek, basically,

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understanding on what is in use

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in the state of Texas and other states,

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what are the pros and cons?

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The second part of the project

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was to develop a laser system prototype

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to test first in a lab
and then in the field.

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We find out that the equipment works well.

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So, basically, we safely
remove the stripes

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from concrete (indistinct).

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However, if you compare this technique

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with current techniques,

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basically, the speed
of removal was limited.

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We know that there is another technology

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that can be used in place
of current technology

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that, if perfected, can reach,

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potentially, the same removal speed

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of the current technologies.

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Of course, further
research would be needed

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for improving the system
and to make it viable.

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- We were really hoping that laser

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would be a great method to go and remove

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and not cause any scarring to the surface

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and completely remove the marking.

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It didn't work out that way,

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and that's okay.

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Sometimes that's what it
is in terms of research.

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You have an idea, you
go out and you test it,

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and you find out,

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"Well, it's not the way we wanna go,"

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but I think it points us in the direction

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to the next question we need to ask.

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How do we use the existing tools

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that are available to us

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to accommodate the concerns

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over this ghost marking?

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And then can we update the documentation

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to give kind of a refresh to our staff?

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- [Narrator] For more information

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and to find the publications
for this project,

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please visit the TxDOT Research Library

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at the link shown below.