Optimised geometries in real conditions for the characterisation of photometric quantities for road surface materials

Specification concerning road lighting and the photometry of road surface was established more than 40 years ago. Road lighting design and characterisation of marking visibility have been developed for car driving. The observation distance defined by standards corresponds to inter urban applications, where in Europe there is no or little use of road lighting.. The objective of the EMPIR Surface project is to propose new geometries for the photometric characterization of pavements, both adapted to different urban travel modes and new lighting technologies. The first part of this document is a review on available guidelines, standards and literature regarding geometries and road lighting applications. The second part presents the project EMPIR SURFACE analysis and proposal. Based on standards and bibliography, the Surface consortium proposed angles for different driving conditions and road users: for urban environment 2,29°, for extra-urban environment 1° (and for consistency with previous geometries). The angle of 5° corresponding to 17 m viewing distance could be an interesting compromise, suitable for urban driving at low speed, cycling and for scooters. Two different proposals (10° and 20°) are also under consideration for describing the boundary between the diffusing and specular behaviour.