Presented herein are a system and method (i.e., utilities) for monitoring the flow of materials used to mark road surfaces and other surfaces. The utilities utilize one or more flow meters to monitor individual flow rates of individual spray guns and may also utilize one or more pressure sensors to monitor and control individual flow rates.

A pavement marker dispenser for a pavement marking system dispenses retroreflective markers for a roadway with more accurate marker spacing. The dispenser includes an elongated feed tube that houses a generally vertical curvilinear stack of pavement markers. The feed tube has top and bottom openings to respectively receive and dispense the markers in a downwardly vertical direction. The feed tube has a nonlinear curvature along its length to produce the curvilinear stack of markers so that a downwardly vertical stacking force imposed on a bottommost marker to be dispensed is reduced. The feed tube has first and second curved portions so that the nonlinear curvature is generally serpentine in shape. A disc actuator having a pushing arm extends perpendicular to the feed tube to push the bottommost marker in a rearward and downward direction into the delivery chute, which dispenses the markers.

A hot applied thermoplastic pavement composition, comprises; a modified polyamide resin in the range of between 3 and 10 percent by weight, wherein the composition contains rosin-modified esters, a copolymer, 30-70 percent by weight of a glass bead intermix, a range of between 1 and 15 percent by weight of either white or yellow pigment, the balance of the composition being selected from the group consisting of; one or more plasticizers, inorganic fillers, waxes, antioxidants and light stabilizers. A method of applying the composition to a roadway includes heating the composition and/or the roadway.

A method for forming and applying retroreflective pavement markings comprising the steps of a) spraying the area with a hot epoxy binder, b) depositing particles of a microcrystalline ceramic element having a high refractive index onto the fresh epoxy binder, c) depositing relatively large spherical glass beads onto the fresh epoxy binder, and d) depositing relatively small spherical glass beads onto the fresh epoxy binder. The small beads provide high reflectivity in daytime and at night on dry pavement. The large beads provide superior reflectivity at night on damp pavement. The ceramic element particles provide high reflectivity when wet and during heavy rain. Where the pavement is subject to snowplowing, the marking may be inlaid in a recessed area in the pavement, the recess being about 100 mils deep, and the wet epoxy layer being about 20 mils thick.

Trafficked pavement substrates utilize markings to segregate traffic (e.g., divide lanes traveling in the same direction, divide sides of the road traveling in opposite directions). A dry polymer modified cement mixture may be used to provide the markings. The dry polymer modified cement mixture is prepared by mixing a dry polymer modified cement blend (ordinary Portland cement, aggregate and polymer powders) with water. The location of the lines is identified, and the dry polymer modified cement mixture is applied onto the identified areas as a thin layer. The dry polymer modified cement blend may include polymers to provide colored markings. Glass beads may be embedded into the dry polymer modified mixture before it cures to retroreflect light shined thereon. The trafficked pavement substrate may have troughs formed therein and the dry polymer modified cement markings may be formed therewithin so that the markings are flush.