Точки жизни: Дорожная разметка (Elbert Dysart Botts)
На счету у этой дорожной разметки куда больше спасенных жизней, чем у ремней и подушек безопасности
Водители, едущие ночью по европейским и американским дорогам, уже привыкли к мельканию точек светящихся катафотов, разделяющих полосы движения и потоки машин. В последние годы такие маркеры стали появляться и на российских дорогах. На счету у этой дорожной разметки куда больше спасенных жизней, чем у ремней и подушек безопасности вместе взятых.
Источник .....
Elbert Dysart Botts
Dr. Elbert Dysart Botts (January 2, 1893 - April 10, 1962) was the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) engineer credited with overseeing the research that led to the development of Botts' dots and the epoxy used to attach them to the road.
Botts was born in Missouri in 1893 and was a professor of chemistry[1] at San Jose State College when he was recruited to Caltrans.[2]
He is credited with leading the division of the Caltrans research laboratory (Translab) that conducted the initial research into identifying the best shapes and materials for raised pavement markers.[3] Much of the necessary field research was conducted by his team on a new freeway in West Sacramento in the spring of 1955.[4] Although the initial goal was to improve lane visibility, it was at this point that the tactile feedback provided by the dots was discovered.[5]
At Caltrans, Botts dots were developed as a way to address the problem of paint disappearing when under water.[1]
Botts never lived to see the success of his research. He died in April 1962 and his work on the dots was filed away; it was not even mentioned in his obituary in Translab's internal newsletter.[4] Two years later, his research was rediscovered when his division, now under the direction of Herbert Rooney, decided to conduct further research into raised pavement markers. At this time, Translab developed the modern pattern of interspersing plastic square reflectors between groups of four round polyester or epoxy dots. This pattern was first tested along Interstate 80 near Vacaville in 1965. To minimize the risk that dots would become coated with rubber scraped off tires, Translab switched to ceramic round markers in 1966.[4]
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Dot Dot Dot
IT’S SOMETIMES HARD TO TELL when someone has just saved your life. But Elbert Botts has pulled me back from the brink a number of times, and he’s probably uncooked your goose once or twice too. Although there are no statues to honor Botts, he has hundreds of millions of tiny monuments to his memory along the world’s highways. No one can say how many lives they have saved during the last thirty years, but the total is more, I’d venture, than air bags and seat belts combined.
Elbert Dysart Botts was born in rural Missouri in 1893 and showed an early interest in the natural sciences. In 1924 he earned a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin. He worked for a paint company for three years but then decided that he wanted to teach. In 1928 he became an assistant professor at San Jose State University in California, where he continued his research in paint chemistry. Botts stayed there until 1944, when he became a chemist for the federal government. In 1950 he joined the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
One thing Botts was looking for at Caltrans was a paint that would outlast concrete and remain visible on the rainiest and gloomiest of nights. No matter what paints he and his staff tried-some of them even containing tiny glass beads to reflect headlights-there was always the problem of a film of rainwater making the lane stripes invisible.
Read more .....
Водители, едущие ночью по европейским и американским дорогам, уже привыкли к мельканию точек светящихся катафотов, разделяющих полосы движения и потоки машин. В последние годы такие маркеры стали появляться и на российских дорогах. На счету у этой дорожной разметки куда больше спасенных жизней, чем у ремней и подушек безопасности вместе взятых.
Источник .....
Elbert Dysart Botts
Dr. Elbert Dysart Botts (January 2, 1893 - April 10, 1962) was the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) engineer credited with overseeing the research that led to the development of Botts' dots and the epoxy used to attach them to the road.
Botts was born in Missouri in 1893 and was a professor of chemistry[1] at San Jose State College when he was recruited to Caltrans.[2]
He is credited with leading the division of the Caltrans research laboratory (Translab) that conducted the initial research into identifying the best shapes and materials for raised pavement markers.[3] Much of the necessary field research was conducted by his team on a new freeway in West Sacramento in the spring of 1955.[4] Although the initial goal was to improve lane visibility, it was at this point that the tactile feedback provided by the dots was discovered.[5]
At Caltrans, Botts dots were developed as a way to address the problem of paint disappearing when under water.[1]
Botts never lived to see the success of his research. He died in April 1962 and his work on the dots was filed away; it was not even mentioned in his obituary in Translab's internal newsletter.[4] Two years later, his research was rediscovered when his division, now under the direction of Herbert Rooney, decided to conduct further research into raised pavement markers. At this time, Translab developed the modern pattern of interspersing plastic square reflectors between groups of four round polyester or epoxy dots. This pattern was first tested along Interstate 80 near Vacaville in 1965. To minimize the risk that dots would become coated with rubber scraped off tires, Translab switched to ceramic round markers in 1966.[4]
Read more ....
Dot Dot Dot
IT’S SOMETIMES HARD TO TELL when someone has just saved your life. But Elbert Botts has pulled me back from the brink a number of times, and he’s probably uncooked your goose once or twice too. Although there are no statues to honor Botts, he has hundreds of millions of tiny monuments to his memory along the world’s highways. No one can say how many lives they have saved during the last thirty years, but the total is more, I’d venture, than air bags and seat belts combined.
Elbert Dysart Botts was born in rural Missouri in 1893 and showed an early interest in the natural sciences. In 1924 he earned a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin. He worked for a paint company for three years but then decided that he wanted to teach. In 1928 he became an assistant professor at San Jose State University in California, where he continued his research in paint chemistry. Botts stayed there until 1944, when he became a chemist for the federal government. In 1950 he joined the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
One thing Botts was looking for at Caltrans was a paint that would outlast concrete and remain visible on the rainiest and gloomiest of nights. No matter what paints he and his staff tried-some of them even containing tiny glass beads to reflect headlights-there was always the problem of a film of rainwater making the lane stripes invisible.
Read more .....