Coloured surface treatments should generally be cold applied (thermosetting) methyl-methacrylate (MMA) materials due to their longer-service life compared with hot applied. Coloured surfacing should be red with the precise colour type agreed with the council. Coloured surfacing must only be used with prior agreement with the council and should typically only be applied where it has been assessed as being required for safety purposes, please also refer to Active Travel and Other Paved Areas Table 42.
High friction surfacing must not be used solely because a coloured surface is required. This is due to its high cost to install and maintain, and sustainability concerns as the calcined bauxite aggregate used must be sourced from overseas.
Hot applied (thermoplastic) systems can take advantage of smaller 'windows' of good weather in the winter period. They also need only a short period of time before the road can be re-opened to traffic because they quickly cool to ambient road temperature. This can be an advantage in traffic-sensitive situations (for example, where a prolonged closure would result in major traffic diversions and disruption). The length of time needed for a cold applied system to set can be three to six hours at a reasonable ambient air temperature (above 10°C). This makes it less suitable for applying in winter and applying in areas where closure for long periods would cause problems.
To reduce the risk of coloured surfacing systems failing too soon after application to new surfaces, they must be applied in strict accordance with the period of time specified by the manufacturer.
The council will require the payment of commuted sums to cover the future maintenance of surfacing provided for aesthetic purposes only.
In the interest of highway safety the material must meet the council’s “Carriageway - Skidding Resistance Procedure” in terms of polished stone value (PSV), and aggregate abrasion value (AAV)as specified for surfacing materials in Appendix 7/1 of the council’s Specification unless otherwise agreed.