WO2000024970A1

WO2000024970A1 - Transportation surface marker construction and method using a self-supporting primer layer

Info

Publication number: WO2000024970A1
Application number: PCT/US1999/004082
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael P. Daniels; Thanh-Huong Nguyen
Original assignee: Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company
Priority date: 1998-10-23
Filing date: 1999-02-25
Publication date: 2000-05-04
Also published as: AU2974099A

Abstract

A kit for applying markers to transportation surfaces, the kit containing a substantially self-supporting primer layer (12), a marker (20), and an adhesive layer (18), the primer layer capable of substantially conforming and adhering to a transportation surface (10) when the primer layer is placed in contact with the transportation surface and pressure is applied. Also, a market transportation surface having a substantially self-supporting primer layer and a method for applying a market to a transportation surface primed with a substantially self-supporting primer layer.

Description

TRANSPORTATION SURFACE MARKER CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD USING A SELF-SUPPORTING PRIMER LAYER

Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to marked transportation surfaces and methods of marking transportation surfaces using primers and adhesive layers.

Background of the Invention

Affixing rigid bodies such as pavement markers to transportation surfaces poses inherent challenges. One significant challenge relates to the rough and varied profiles often encountered on transportation surfaces. While the exact features will vary from surface to surface, transportation surfaces typically include peaks and valleys due to the presence of aggregate, cracks, pits, pores, and other features. Average height differences between peaks and valleys can range from tenths of millimeters to several or even tens of millimeters. Applying a primer to a transportation surface can be a precursor step to applying an adhesive-backed marker. Priming the surface generally involves applying a liquid solvent- based primer and waiting for the primer to dry. Various liquid primer and marker combinations have been described. U.S. Patent No. 3,902,939 describes a method of securing a traffic-regulating indicium on a road surface whereby a liquid primer is applied to the road surface, and a marking strip having a non-tacky compound on its lower surface is applied to the primer layer. The primer material and compound of the lower surface of the marking strip are chosen so that a thermal, physical, or chemical action occurs between the two to facilitate bonding. This method allows bonding without using an adhesive layer. Another method, disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,082,587. involves applying a bituminous primer material at an elevated temperature. The bituminous primer material and the application temperature are chosen to affect the viscosity of the primer during application to allow the primer to better penetrate the pores of the pavement. U.S. Patent No. 5,468,795 discloses a method for priming road surfaces using a liquid priming composition containing a water-miscible solvent. The water-miscible solvent is present in the priming composition in an amount sufficient to allow primer application to either wet or dry roadways and still render the roadway amenable to adhesion of articles having a pressure sensitive adhesive material.

Methods for bonding markers to pavement surfaces without using a primer layer have also been employed. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,391,015 discloses bonding a raised pavement marker to a roadway surface using a pressure-sensitive adhesive laminate system. The laminate has a layer of deformable material interposed between two pressure sensitive adhesive layers. While the marker itself is rigid, the relatively thick and deformable laminate allows the adhesive layer contacting the pavement to better accommodate the pavement surface, thereby promoting adhesion.

Summary of the Invention In a first embodiment, the present invention provides a kit for applying markers to transportation surfaces. A kit of the present invention includes a substantially self- supporting primer layer, a marker, and an adhesive layer contained within a package. The substantially self-supporting primer layer can optionally be provided with a release liner. The primer layer is capable of substantially conforming to a transportation surface, preferably by placing the layer in contact with a transportation surface and applying pressure. The adhesive layer is capable of adhering to the lower surface of the marker, and optionally is adhered to the lower surface of the marker in the package. The adhesive layer is also capable of adhering to the primer layer.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a marked transportation surface that includes a primed transportation surface having a substantially self-supporting primer layer substantially conformed to the transportation surface. The marked roadway also includes a marker applied to the primed transportation surface using a layer of adhesive contacting the lower surface of the marker and the primed transportation surface. The main body of the marker preferably includes a surface having features useful on pavement marking indicia. In still another embodiment, the present invention provides a method of applying a marker to a transportation surface including the steps of conforming a substantially self- supporting primer layer to a transportation surface and bonding an adhesive layer attached to a marker to the primer layer on the transportation surface. By utilizing two separate layers, namely a primer layer conformed to a transportation surface and an adhesive layer attached to a marker, the method and article of the present invention provide an unexpectedly high adhesion strength between the marker and the transportation surface. In particular, the method and article of the present invention provide a much higher adhesion strength than constructions using a single adhesive layer either solely on the marker or solely on the transportation surface, or those using multiple or thicker adhesive layers either solely on the marker or solely on the transportation surface.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figs. 1(a) through (e) are cross-sectional views schematically representing steps in a preferred embodiment of a method of the present invention.

Detailed Description

When describing the various aspects of the present invention, it is useful to employ the following terms which should be understood according to the meanings ascribed below.

The term "substantially self-supporting primer layer^" refers to an article having sufficient physical integrity to hold together without external support which is formed into a film, a layer, or a multiple-layer structure, the primer layer being capable of rendering a surface more amenable to adhesion and capable of at least partially conforming to the peaks and valleys of rough surfaces.

The term "pressure sensitive adhesive" refers to a permanently tacky material capable of adhering to surfaces upon applying at least a slight amount of manual pressure. The term "transportation surface" refers to roadways, parking lots, driveways, bike paths, sidewalks, curbs, traffic barriers, and other such surfaces designed to aid general transportation, as well as surfaces made from materials generally used for transportation surfaces such as asphalt, concrete, brick, stone, mortar, or other like materials.

When referring to transportation surfaces, the term "rough" will be used to denote surfaces that have a bumpy texture to the touch. "Smooth" surfaces are those that are relatively smooth to the touch, although they may have an occasional bump or dimple.

Fig. 1(a) depicts a generalized profile of a transportation surface 10 having a random distribution of peaks and valleys that result from aggregate, pits, pores, cracks, and other such features. Fig. 1(a) also shows substantially self-supporting primer layer 12 on optional liner 14. Primer layer 12 is formed into a film from material capable of conforming at least somewhat to the profile of transportation surface 10 and of adhering thereto. Preferably, primer layer 12 is substantially free of solvents when applied to transportation surface 10, thus requiring little or no drying time.

Primer layer 12 is capable of conforming and adhering to transportation surface 10 at the application temperature and preferably contains an adhesive material which may be a pressure sensitive adhesive, a hot-melt adhesive, a rubber-based adhesive, or another suitable adhesive. The primer layer can also include more than one material, the materials being similar or dissimilar, at least one of which is preferably an adhesive material. Optionally, primer layer 12 can also include a scrim material or other flexible layer (not shown) for purposes such as enhancing mechanical properties or providing a distinct surface for adhering a marker. By adjusting the material or materials of the primer layer, the primer layer can have tacky or non-tacky surfaces, or have both a tacky surface and an opposing non-tacky surface. For example, it can be advantageous to have a primer layer including two layers, a tacky pressure sensitive adhesive layer for contacting the transportation surface and a non-tacky flexible layer (such as a thermoplastic film, woven, or nonwoven layer, or a cured rubber-based adhesive layer), the non-tacky layer having a bonding affinity for the adhesive layer of the marker.

Examples of suitable primer layer adhesive materials include acrylate-based pressure sensitive adhesives, acrylate-based hot-melt adhesives, and rubber-based adhesives, specific examples of which are disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. Re24,906; 3,551,391; 3,239,478; 3,897,295; 4,181,752; 4,223.067; 4,629.663; and 4,833,179.

Preferred types of primer layer adhesive materials include copolymers of isooctyl acrylate and acrylic acid, copolymers of isooctyl acrylate and n,n-dimethyl acrylamide, tackified acrylates, and other adhesives including natural or synthetic rubber resin adhesives such as butadiene or acrylonitrile-butadiene, silicone-based adhesives such as polysiloxanes, or those containing polyolefins, polyesters, polyamides, or polyurethanes. As shown in Fig. 1(a), primer layer 12 may be provided on optional liner 14. It is convenient to include liner 14 for easy handling and to keep contaminants from adversely affecting the surface properties of primer layer 12, especially when primer layer 12 has a tacky surface. Optional liner 14 preferably remains with the primer layer when primer layer 12 is pressed against transportation surface 10 as shown in Fig. 1(b). Liner 14 can thus provide a surface upon which pressure may be applied as from a roller 8 to conform primer layer 12 to transportation surface 10 without damaging the primer layer. Optional liner 14 is flexible enough to allow primer layer 12 to conform to transportation surface 10 during the application of pressure. Indeed, as the stiffness of the release liner increases, the liner may inhibit the ability of the primer layer to conform to rough transportation surfaces. Thicker primer layers may provide good conformance to rough surfaces even when relatively stiff release liners are used. Preferably, the liner has a stiffness on the order of or less than 10^" kg-m when measured using the method described in the Examples section below. More preferably, the liner has a stiffness on the order of or less than 10^" kg-m . Finally, optional liner 14 preferably has at least one low adhesion surface 15 allowing facile removal of the primer layer 12 after the primer layer is conformed to transportation surface 10.

Primer layer 12 is at least somewhat conformable, and preferably at least a portion of the primer layer is flowable, upon the application of pressure. Thus, when primer layer 12 is applied to transportation surface 10, as in Fig. 1(b), and some amount of pressure is applied, primer layer 12 at least somewhat conforms to the profile of transportation surface

10. Conforming the primer layer to the transportation surface may result in a redistribution of the primer layer material from higher areas to lower areas of the transportation surface in a manner like that shown in Fig. 1(b). Fig. 1(c) shows primed transportation surface 16 which results when primer layer 12 has been sufficiently conformed and adhered to transportation surface 10 and liner 14, if present, is removed.

Primed transportation surface 16 exhibits a generally smoother profile than the original transportation surface 10. While primer layer 12 is substantially conformed to transportation surface 10, the primer layer need not contact all areas of the transportation surface, and indeed gaps may be present as represented by 17a through 17d. Once primed, the transportation surface is available for application of a marker. Fig. 1 (d) shows marker 20 having a main body 22 with reflective elements 24 and a lower surface 26. Adhesive layer 18 is bonded to lower surface 26 before marker 20 is applied to primed transportation surface 16. Adhesive layer 18 is preferably chosen for its ability to bond to primer layer 12 of primed transportation surface 16. Adhesive layer 18 may be a hot-melt adhesive, a pressure sensitive adhesive, a non-tacky adhesive, or a number of other adhesives capable of bonding to marker 20 and primer layer 12.

Examples of suitable adhesive layer materials include rubber resin adhesives and tackified or non-tackified acrylate adhesives such as copolymers of isooctyl acrylate and acrylic acid. A preferred tackified acrylate pressure sensitive adhesive is one containing about 97% by weight isooctyl acrylate and 3% by weight acrylic acid, and then subsequently blended with 38% by weight of a glycerin rosin ester tackifier. Another preferred material is a copolymer of isooctyl acrylate and n,n-dimethyl acrylamide, such as one containing 90% by weight isooctyl acrylate and 10% by weight n,n-dimethyl acrylamide.

Preferably, marker 20 is provided with adhesive layer 18 already bonded to lower surface 26. In such a configuration, the exposed surface of the adhesive layer may be covered with an optional release liner (not shown) to protect adhesive layer 18 from contaminants and parti culates. If the marker is not already provided with the adhesive layer, adhesive layer 18 should be adhered to the bottom surface of marker 20 before marker 20 is applied to the primed transportation surface.

After any release liner on adhesive layer 18 is removed, marker 20 can be positioned with adhesive layer 18 contacting the primed portion of the transportation surface as shown in Fig. 1(e). Some pressure can then be applied so that adhesive layer 18 bonds to a substantial proportion of primer layer 12 on transportation surface 10. As shown in Fig. 1(e), a seam 32 may exist at the boundary between adhesive layer 18 and primer layer 12. However, the bond area between the two layers may instead be seamless with no noticeable boundary line, especially if the material of the adhesive layer and the primer layer are the same. For example, both the adhesive layer and the primer layer can be the same pressure sensitive adhesive material.

The present invention allows the material of the primer layer and the marker adhesive layer to be chosen independently to allow optimization of adherence at the road/primer layer interface, the marker/adhesive layer interface and the primer layer/adhesive layer interface. In addition, it may be advantageous to provide an intermediate layer, such as a scrim layer, at seam 32, either as part of primer layer 12 or adhesive layer 18. Such intermediate layers may be used to optimize bonding or mechanical properties of the primer layer/adhesive layer interface. Scrim layers are generally thin and highly flexible films or woven or non woven materials.

Preferably, at least one exposed surface of marker 20 is suitable for use as a pavement marking indicium. For example, the top surface of the marker may include a reflective material such as retroreflective sheeting. As an example, Fig. 1 (e) shows marker 20 having bead-type reflective elements 24. However, marker 20 may be any marker useful for marking transportation surfaces. In general, such markers fall into two broad classes: sheet materials and raised pavement markers. Pavement marking sheeting typically includes a wear-resistant top layer optionally overlying a flexible base sheet, the top layer being generally highly visible, and preferably containing reflective elements. Such sheet material may be employed as lane striping, crosswalk markings, traffic barrier indicia, hazard markings or other such markings, and may be either permanent or temporary. Raised pavement markers usually include discrete marking structures having rigid or flexible main bodies which include at least one strategically oriented surface that is generally highly visible, preferably containing reflective elements. Raised pavement markers likewise may be employed to mark lane divisions, crosswalks, traffic barriers, hazards, or the like, and may be either permanent or temporary.

Unlike marker constructions providing a thick adhesive layer or laminate directly on a pavement marker, the primer and adhesive layers of the present invention can be relatively thin and can require relatively little pressure to apply. Thick adhesive layers, while sometimes capable of accommodating rough surface profiles, often require the application of large amounts of pressure to overcome the dissipative tendencies of the material and conform the material to the surface. Also, such thick adhesives are often attached to rigid markers, thus increasing the pressure requirements by increasing the surface area over which the force must be applied.

With the substantially self-supporting primer layer of the present invention, relatively thin primer layers optionally having low stiffness release liners allow conformance of the primer layer to the transportation surface by localized application of small amounts of pressure. The conformability of the primer layer along with the low stiffness of an optional release liner allows high conformance with low applied force. This is especially useful when attaching markers to vertical surfaces such as those found on concrete traffic barriers. On such vertical transportation surfaces, gravitational pull cannot be relied upon to aid pressure application. Preferred marked transportation surfaces of the invention can be prepared using pressures merely on the order of those provided by a human hand or rubber handroller.

The construction and method of the present invention also allows the user to optimize the system by choosing primer layers and marker adhesive layers that maximize bonding at the road/primer interface, the marker/adhesive interface, and the primer/adhesive interface. The primer layer and adhesive layer need not be the same material or have the same dimensions (i.e., thickness). Rather, primer layer and adhesive layer materials may be chosen to optimize bonding with the transportation surface and marker, respectively, while also having bonding affinities for each other. This provides added versatility in that the user has a wide range of options once the transportation surface characteristics and marker characteristics are known.

It may be convenient to provide the self-supporting primer layer of the present invention in a kit where the primer layer, a marker, and an adhesive layer are contained in a package.

Examples The examples that follow serve to further illustrate the present invention and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention or the recited claims.

The markers of the invention were evaluated on concrete blocks formed by pouring and curing concrete in a shallow container and demolding the hardened blocks. Two surfaces were thus formed on each block, namely a native rough surface formed at the exposed top surface, and a smooth surface formed on the bottom of the block where it contacted the smooth bottom of the container. Because the roughness of a concrete surface depends on many uncontrollable factors (such as the size distribution and type of aggregate in the concrete mixture), no attempt was made to quantify the roughness of the blocks. All the blocks had top, or native, surfaces that were rough to the touch and bottom surfaces that were smooth to the touch.

The primer was a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive and was disposed on a removable liner. Before application, the primer layers were cut into 2.5 cm wide strips that were about 30 cm long. The exposed primer layer was placed against the concrete surface by hand and then pressed onto the surface using four passes with a rubber-coated handroller pressed against the liner. The liner was then removed.

The markers used were strips of reflective sheeting commercially available from Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co., St. Paul, MN under the trade designation 3M Scotchlite™. The markers were flexible but had stiffnesses that were considerably greater than those of the adhesive layers and primer layers used. The markers were cut to 2.5 cm widths and about 30 cm lengths. As indicated below, in some cases a pressure sensitive adhesive layer was applied directly to the bottom face of the markers before applying the markers to the primed or unprimed concrete surfaces.

Adhesion strength tests were performed at room temperature using a standard 90° peel testing apparatus as made by Instron Corporation, Canton, MA. To test adhesion of a marker strip, one end of the pavement marker was separated from the concrete surface and clamped in a mechanical jaw fixed in the peel test apparatus which is designed to pull the pavement marking away from the concrete surface at a 90° angle. The markers were pulled at a constant rate of about 28 cm per minute. The force required to pull the marker off the surface was electronically recorded. The values reported represent averages over the length of the strip and over multiple trials.

Example 1

Table 1 shows the results of marker configuration on adhesion strength. Both the marker adhesive and the primer layer used in this evaluation were identical pressure sensitive adhesives, or PSAs, containing 97% by weight isooctyl acrylate (IOA, available from CPS Chemical, Old Bridge, NJ) and 3% by weight acrylic acid (AA, available from BASF Corp., Charlotte, NC). The PSA layers had thicknesses of less than about 0.1 mm. In Example 1 , a primer layer was applied to the concrete surface and an adhesive layer was applied to the lower surface of the marker. The marker was then attached to the primed concrete surface. Example 1 represents one embodiment of a marked transportation surface according to the invention.

Configurations A through D are comparative examples. Configuration A was made by applying two layers of the PSA to the concrete surface and then placing a bare marker directly on the PSA layers. Configuration B was made by applying two layers of the PSA^'to the lower surface of the marker and then placing the marker directly on a bare concrete surface. Configuration C is analogous to configuration A but with only one layer of adhesive as the primer layer. Configuration D is analogous to configuration B but with only one layer of adhesive on the marker.

The results from Table 1 demonstrate that priming the concrete surface with a layer of PSA and applying an adhesive-coated marker to the primed concrete surface provided much better adhesion than was obtained by applying the PSA layer or layers exclusively on the concrete or exclusively on the marker.

Table 1 : Adhesion Strength vs. Configuration

Configurations A and B provided improved performance over their counterparts C and D. It is believed that simply by providing a second layer of adhesive, more adhesive is available to accommodate the irregularities of the concrete surface. However, in configuration B where the adhesive was provided only on the marker, the rigidity of the marker prevented the adhesive layer from conforming more substantially to the concrete surface. This was improved somewhat in configuration A where the adhesive layers were used to prime the concrete surface. Because the adhesive was pressed directly onto the concrete, the adhesive conformed better to the rough concrete profile. However, the primed surface still contained some height irregularities. Thus, when the bare marker was placed on top of the primed concrete surface, the rigidity of the marker prevented the marker from bonding to all areas of the primed surface.

In comparison, the configuration of the present invention, represented by Example 1 , increased the adhesion strength more than two-fold over configurations A and B which had the same number of PSA layers and same total PSA thickness. In Example 1, the primer layer conformed to the irregular concrete surface and presented a smooth surface amenable to adhesion. The adhesive layer on the marker was also deformable and conformed to the smaller irregularities of the primed concrete surface. This combination of a concrete surface primed using a substantially self-supporting primer layer and a marker having an adhesive layer allows for a step-wise application that improves conformance, and therefore improves adhesion, at least at one of the following: the concrete/primer interface, the primer/adhesive interface, or the adhesive/marker interface.

In addition to the improved adhesion strength, the marker construction of the present invention tends to have a distinct failure mechanism. For example, in peel testing, Example 1 samples tended to fail at the adhesive/marker interface whereas for all other configurations the failure occurred at the concrete/primer or concrete/adhesive interface.

This result indicates that the self-supporting primer layer construction and method of the present invention provides superior adhesion at the transportation surface compared to configurations A through D.

Examples 2 and 3

Table 2 shows the effects that the stiffness of the release liner of the primer layer has on the resulting adhesion strength of the marker construction of the present invention. In both examples 2 and 3, a primer layer composed of the same PSA used above (97% IOA / 3% AA) was provided with a release liner. The primer layer was then conformed to a smooth concrete surface and a rough concrete surface using four passes with a rubber- faced handroller. The liner was removed and a marker having a layer of the same PSA was bonded to the primed concrete surface. Peel tests were performed on the bonded markers.

Stiffness of a material can be measured in a number of ways and represented by various modulus values. The preferred stiffness measurement technique will depend on the end use of the material. In this case, release liners are provided as thin, film-like materials that may allow the primer layer to conform to the underlying surface by locally bending in and out of the plane defined by the orientation of the surfaces in question. One way to measure bending stiffness of the release liners is to treat the release liners as cantilever beams. One end of the sample is clamped tightly and oriented horizontally. The other end remains free and hangs down due to its own weight. By measuring the deflection from horizontal, the bending stiffness of the material can be calculated using the formula: where S_B is the bending stiffness, w is the overhanging weight of the material, L is the wlf

S_β = 8E> overhanging length of the material, and D is the deflection from horizontal at length L.

Two liner types were used, one having a higher stiffness than the other. In Example 2, a copolymer-based liner was employed. The copolymer liner was relatively pliant and, while stiffer than the primer layer, had a relatively low stiffness. In Example 3, a paper liner having a low adhesion backsize coating was used. While flexible, the paper liner was much stiffer than the liner of Example 2. Using the formula above, the bending stiffness of the copolymer liner was about 2.8 x 10^"7 kg-m² whereas the bending stiffness of the paper liner was about 1.5 x 10° kg-m², almost two full orders of magnitude higher in stiffness than the copolymer liner.

Table 2: Adhesion Strength vs. Liner Stiffness

Table 2 shows that on a smooth concrete surface, the primer layer applied with the paper (stiff) liner yielded a slightly lower adhesion strength than the primer layer applied with the copolymer (pliant) liner. However, on a rough concrete surface, the adhesion strength provided by the primer applied with the copolymer liner was almost twice as high as the adhesion strength provided by the primer applied with the paper liner. In general, stiffer liners inhibit the ability of the primer layer to conform to the profile of the surface to be primed. On smoother surfaces, less conformance is required due to fewer surface irregularities. Thus, on smoother surfaces, stiff liners inhibit conformance to a lesser extent than they would on rougher surfaces. As the surface roughness increases, a dramatic improvement is seen when more pliant liners are used because they allow the primer layer to contact more of the surface profile. As the stiffness of the liner decreases, the primer layer will generally conform better to the irregularities of the transportation surface. Therefore, if a liner is used, the liner preferably is chosen based on the properties of the primer layer material and roughness of the surface to be primed.

Examples 4. 5 and 6

Table 3 demonstrates the performance of a marker adhered to a concrete surface using a kit and method according to the present invention versus the performance of comparative configurations having thick adhesive layers on the marker. For each of Examples 4, 5 and 6, the configuration of the present invention using PSA layers for both the primer layer and the adhesive layer was compared to configurations 4C, 5C and 6C, respectively, using the same PSA layers both placed on the marker to simulate a thick adhesive layer. The constructions of the present invention and the comparative constructions having no primer layers were tested using three different PSAs and on a smooth surface and four differently-textured rough surfaces.

In Example 4 and comparative example 4C, the PSA was a polybutadiene rubber- based adhesive coated to about 0.15 mm thickness. In Example 5 and comparative example 5C, the PSA was a hot melt adhesive containing 90% by weight IOA and 10% by weight N,N-dimethylacrylamide ("nnDMA", available from Jarchem Industries, Inc., Newark, NJ) coated to about 0.15 mm thickness. In Example 6 and comparative example

6C, the PSA was coated to about 0.1 mm thickness, the PSA being a hot melt adhesive having a composition of 97% by weight IOA and 3% by weight AA, the mixture then having added to it a tackifier in an amount of 38% by weight, the tackifier being derived from a glycerine rosin ester tackifying resin available from Hercules, Inc., Wilmington, DE under the trade designation Foral 85.

Table 3: Adhesion Strength vs. Roughness

The roughness characteristics of rough surfaces rl through r4 were not quantified. Rather, the significant comparison in Table 3 is between the primer-plus-adhesive construction of the present invention and the comparative thick adhesive construction. In all cases, the construction of the present invention provided improved adhesion strength over the thick adhesive layer construction. For the smooth concrete surfaces, the adhesion strength improvement of the construction of the present invention over the comparative construction was about 10%. However, for rougher surfaces, the adhesion strength of markers applied from kits according to the present invention was markedly improved over the comparative configuration. In many cases, the adhesion strength of markers applied from kits according to the present invention was twice or more that of the thick adhesive comparative configuration. As noted above, while thicker adhesive layers provide extra material that can accommodate some surface profile roughness, the construction of the present invention allows enhanced conformance at the transportation surface using the primer layer and allows enhanced adhesion between the primed transportation surface and the adhesive-backed marker. The fact that differences in adhesion strength between the construction of the present invention and the comparative thick adhesive construction increases as surface profiles get rougher indicates better surface profile accommodation using the substantially self-supporting primer layer of the present invention.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A kit for applying markers to transportation surfaces comprising: a substantially self-supporting primer layer (12) capable of substantially conforming and adhering to a transportation surface (10) when the primer layer (12) is placed in contact with the transportation surface (10) and pressure is applied to the primer layer (12); a marker (20) having a main body (22) and a lower surface (26); and an adhesive layer (18) capable of adhering to the lower surface (26) of the marker (20) and capable of adhering to the primer layer (12), wherein the primer layer (12), the marker (20), and the adhesive layer (18) are contained in a package or are supplied with instructions for adhering the marker (20) to a transportation surface (10) using the primer layer (12) and the adhesive layer (18).

2. A marked transportation surface comprising: a primed transportation surface (16) having a substantially self-supporting primer layer (12) substantially conformed to the transportation surface (10); and a marker (20) applied to the primed transportation surface (16), the marker (20) having a main body (22) and a lower surface (26), the lower surface (26) having an adhesive layer (18), the adhesive layer (18) being adhered to the primer layer (12).

3. A method of applying a marker to a transportation surface comprising the steps of: placing a substantially self-supporting primer layer (12) in contact with a transportation surface (10); substantially conforming the primer layer (12) to the transportation surface (10) to thereby create a primed transportation surface (16); providing a marker (20) having a main body (22) and a lower surface (26), the lower surface (26) having an adhesive layer (18) bonded thereto; and adhering the marker (20) to the primed transportation surface (16) by placing the adhesive layer (18) of the marker (20) in contact with the primer layer (12) on the transportation surface (10).

4. The kit of claim 1 , further comprising a release liner on the primer layer.

5. The kit of claim 1, the marked transportation surface of claim 2, or the method of claim 3, wherein the primer layer comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive.

6. The kit of claim 1, the marked transportation surface of claim 2, or the method of claim 3, wherein the adhesive layer comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive.

7. The kit of claim 1, the marked transportation surface of claim 2, or the method of claim 3, wherein the main body of the marker includes a surface at least a portion of which is reflective.

8. The kit of claim 1 , the marked transportation surface of claim 2, or the method of claim 3, wherein said transportation surface is concrete.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of substantially conforming the primer layer to the transportation surface comprises (a) providing the substantially self- supporting primer layer on a release liner, (b) placing the primer layer in contact with the transportation surface with the release liner oriented away from the transportation surface, (c) applying pressure to the release liner layer, and (d) removing the release liner.

10. The marked transportation surface of claim 2 or the method of claim 3, wherein the transportation surface is a vertically oriented surface on a concrete traffic barrier.