IRC:35-2015

SECTION : 5
ROAD STUDS

5.1 General
5.1.1
road markings, which would improve visibility in night time and adverse weather conditions.
Road studs are also used across the carriageway to serve as Speed Arrestor coupled with
eschewing warning through the creation of the rumbling sensation to the user. Series of such

wherein road crashes are prevalent.

5.1.2
Road Transport & Highways (MORTH) and ASTM D4280-04 shall be referred for technical

5.1.3 The performance of road studs depends upon the amount of light from vehicle

5.2 Types of Road Studs

5.2.1

without anchorage can be bonded to road surface with suitable epoxy/bitumen adhesive as
recommended by the manufacturer
5.2.2 Uni-directional road studs shall be used on one directional carriageway of undivided
roads, one way street or slip roads. Bi-directional road studs shall be used for two directional
roads to delineate the centre line and edge line.
5.3 Lateral Placement of Road Studs
5.3.1 The road studs to be placed on broken longitudinal markings and it shall always
be placed at the centre of gap and shall never be upon the line segment or by the side of line
segment.
5.3.2 However, in the case of the road studs to be placed on carriageway having a
paved shoulder, it shall be placed outside the shoulder side edge line and shall be set back
by a distance of 50 mm from the edge line. When road studs are to be placed on shoulder
edge line having no paved shoulder, it can be placed on edge line due to space constraints.
5.3.3 In the case of the roads studs provided on median side edge, it is to be again
ensured that it shall not be on the median line marking, but shall be in hard strip or kerb
shyness width, keeping at least 50 mm set back distance from median side edge line by
ensuring a minimum 100 mm clearance distance from the vertical face of the raised kerb.
This measure is expected to help in preventing road studs being covered by mud and dust
which generally gets accumulated on the raised kerb corner on the median side as well as
on the edge line side due to dust/mud accumulation emerging from the footpath.
5.3.4
of 100 mm clearance requirement will not prevail and hence will not be applicable and only
50 mm from the median side edge line will be applicable.

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 IRC:35-2015

5.3.5 However, in extreme circumstances, if the width of hard strip or shyness is not
adequate enough to accommodate the required set back distance of 50 mm from edge line,
the road studs can be placed adjacent to edge line and even directly on the edge lines.
5.3.6 Road studs with anchorages are preferable for edge lines. If at all the road studs
with anchorage are to be applied to road markings other than edge lines, the anchorage
shall be applied ensuring proper workmanship so that pavement structure will not be affected
during installation process. However, the road studs with anchorages are not recommended
for concrete roads.
5.4 Colour for Road Studs

highways. The usage of different colours of studs is as follows.

5.4.2 White Colour

5.4.3 Red Colour

Red road studs are to be used to indicate a line which should not be crossed and mainly to
delineate left hand edge of the running carriageway i.e. for road studs to be used on shoulder
side edge line. The road studs shall be omitted or can be replaced with green colour where

Bye/Bus Bay, Start of Service Road, etc.

5.4.4 Yellow Colour
Yellow road studs are to be again deployed to indicate a line which should not be crossed
with the aim to delineate the right hand edge of the running carriageway in case of the multi-
lane divided carriageways i.e. median side edge line.
5.4.5 Green Colour
Green road studs are to be employed to indicate crossable edge line like the lay byes and to
show the boundary of acceleration or deceleration line on left hand side of the carriageway
in case of the multi-lane divided carriageways.
5.4.6 Uni-directional carriageways shall have one coloured face with the applicable
colour given above, whereas the Bi-directional carriageways shall have two coloured faces
which can be a combination of two colours such as Red-White bi-directional road studs
or same colour on two faces like White-White bi-directional road studs or Yellow-Yellow
bi-directional road studs.
5.5 Spacing of Road Studs
5.5.1 The colour and spacing pattern to be followed in an undivided carriageway is
given in Table 5.1 . The Fig. 5.1 shows the road studs for bi-directional road for normal/
warning and no overtaking section.
5.5.2 The colour and spacing pattern to be followed in a divided carriageway is given in
Table 5.2.

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 Description Carriage Normal Section Warning Section No Overtaking Section Applicable
Movement Way Figures
IRC:35-2015

Road Centre Line Edge Line Centre Line Edge Line Centre Edge Line
Category Lane Line Lane Line Line Lane Line

Single/ Two way < 5.5 m NA Red-White Bi- NA NA Red-White NA NA Red-White NA Fig. 4.4
Intermediate directional at Bi-directional Bi-directional
Lane Road 18 m interval at 9 m at 6 m
(Optional) interval interval
(Optional) (Desirable)

Two Lane Two way 5.5 m to White- Red-White Bi- NA White- Red-White NA Yellow- Red-White NA Fig. 4.5
Road 7m White Bi- directional at White Bi- Bi-directional Yellow Bi- Bi-directional
directional 18 m interval directional at 9 m directional at 6 m
at 18 m (Optional) at 9 m interval at 6 m interval
interval interval (Desirable) interval (Desirable)
(Optional) (Desirable) (Desirable)

Two Lane Two way >7m White- Red-White Bi- NA White- Red-White NA Yellow- Red-White NA Fig. 4.6

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Road with White Bi- directional at White Bi- Bi-directional Yellow Bi- Bi-directional
Paved directional 18 m interval directional at 9 m directional at 6 m
Shoulder at 18 m (Optional) at 9 m interval at 6 m interval
interval interval (Desirable) interval (Desirable)
(Optional) (Desirable) (Desirable)

Three Lane Two way > 11 m Yellow- Red-White Bi- Not Yellow- Red-White Not Yellow- Red-White White-White Fig. 4.7
Undivided Yellow Bi- directional at Required Yellow Bi- Bi-directional Required Yellow Bi- Bi-directional Bidirectional
Road directional 18 m interval directional at 9 m directional at 6 m at 6 m
at 18 m (Optional) at 9 m interval at 6 m interval interval
interval interval (Desirable) interval (Desirable) (Optional)
(Desirable) (Desirable) (Desirable)

Four Lane Two way > 14 Yellow- Red-White Bi- Not Yellow- Red-White Not Yellow- Red-White White-White Fig. 4.8
Undivided Yellow Bi- directional at Required Yellow Bi- Bi-directional Required Yellow Bi- Bi-directional Bidirectional
Road directional 18 m interval directional at 9 m directional at 6 m at 6 m
at 18 m (Optional) at 9 m interval at 6 m interval interval
interval interval (Desirable) interval (Desirable) (Optional)
(Desirable) (Desirable) (Desirable)
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IRC:35-2015

Fig. 5.1 Road Studs for a Bi-Directional Road

 IRC:35-2015

Table 5.2 Road Studs for Divided Carriageways

Description One Side Normal Section Warning Section No Overtaking Section Applicable
Carriageway Figures
Width (in m)
Road Shoulder Median Side Shoulder Median Side Shoulder Median Side
Category Lane Side Edge Edge Line Line Side Edge Edge Line Line Side Edge Edge Line
Line Line Line Line

Four Lane > 7.3 Not Red Yellow White-White Red Yellow White Red Yellow Fig. 4.9
Divided Required Unidirectional Unidirectional Bi-directional Unidirectional Unidirectional Unidirectional Unidirectional Unidirectional
Carriageways at 18 m at 18 m at 9 m interval at 9 m at 9 m interval at 6 m at 6 m interval at 6 m interval
interval interval (Optional) interval (Desirable) interval (Desirable) (Desirable)
(Desirable) (Desirable) (Desirable) (Desirable)

Six Lane > 10.8 Not Red Yellow White Red Yellow White Uni Red Yellow Fig. 4.10
Divided Required Unidirectional Unidirectional Unidirectional Unidirectional Unidirectional directional at Unidirectional Unidirectional

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Carriageways at 18 m at 18 m at 9 m interval at 9 m at 9 m interval 6 m interval at 6 m interval at 6 m interval
interval interval (Optional) interval (Desirable) (Desirable) (Desirable) (Desirable)
(Desirable) (Desirable) (Desirable)

Four Lane > 9.5 Not Red Yellow White Red Yellow White Red Yellow Fig. 4.11
Divided Required Unidirectional Unidirectional Unidirectional Unidirectional Unidirectional Unidirectional Unidirectional Unidirectional
Expressway at 18 m at 18 m at 9 m interval at 9 m at 9 m interval at 6 m at 6 m interval at 6 m interval
interval interval (Optional) interval (Desirable) interval (Desirable) (Desirable)
(Desirable) (Desirable) (Desirable) (Desirable)

Six Lane > 12 Not Red Yellow White-White Red Yellow White- Red Yellow Fig. 4.12
Divided Required Unidirectional Unidirectional Bi-directional Unidirectional Unidirectional White Bi- Unidirectional Unidirectional
Expressway at 18 m at 18 m at 9 m interval at 9 m at 9 m interval directional at at 6 m interval at 6 m interval
interval interval (Optional) interval (Desirable) 6 m interval (Desirable) (Desirable)
(Desirable) (Desirable) (Desirable) (Desirable)
 5.5.3 Figure 5.2 shows the colour matter and lateral placement of road studs in a divided carriageway road.

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Fig. 5.2 Road Studs for a Divided Carriageway
IRC:35-2015
IRC:35-2015

5.5.4 Placement of Road Studs in one way ramp or slip road or street along with spacing
and colour is given in Table 5.3.
Table 5.3 Road Studs for Ramp/Slip Road/One Way Street
Road Category Paved Normal Section Warning Section No overtaking Section Applicable
Movement Width Figures
Edge Lines Edge Lines Edge Lines
Lane Line Line
Single/ One way < 5.5 NA Red NA Red LM24 Red Fig. 4.13
Intermediate Lane m Unidirectional Unidirectional Unidirectional
Ramp/Slip Road/ at 18 m interval at 9 m interval at 6 m interval
One way street (Desirable) (Desirable) (Desirable)
Two Lane Ramp/ One way > 7.5 Not Required Red Not Red White-White Red Fig. 4.14
Slip Road/One m Unidirectional Required Unidirectional Bidirectional at Unidirectional
way street at 18 m interval at 9 m interval 12 m interval at 6 m interval
(Desirable) (Desirable) (Optional) (Desirable)
Three Lane Ramp/ One way > 11 m White Red Not Red White Red Fig. 4.15
Slip Road/One Unidirectional Unidirectional Required Unidirectional Unidirectional Unidirectional
way street at 18 m interval at 18 m interval at 9 m interval at 12 m interval at 6 m interval
(Optional) (Desirable) (Desirable) (Optional) (Desirable)

5.5.5 For Chevron/diagonal markings on gorge, red colour road studs shall be provided
and spacing shall be the same as that for the spacing of diagonal and chevrons. The studs
shall be placed to mark the continuous line of diagonal and chevron marking. Road studs
shall be placed inside the continuous line marking at the midpoint of diagonal or chevron as
shown in Fig. 5.3.

Fig. 5.3 Road Studs for Diagonal & Chevron Markings

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 IRC:35-2015

5.5.6 For crossable continuous line like in acceleration/deceleration lanes involving lane
changing, green colour road studs shall be provided at 8 m spacing as shown in Fig. 5.4.

Fig. 5.4 Road Studs for Crossable Continuity Lines

5.5.7 Two rows of Yellow road studs shall be provided for zebra crossing at 0.5 m spacing
across the carriageway which can be achieved by installing road studs at four corners of each
block of BM01/BM02/BM03. On approaches to any hazardous situation also, two arrays of
road studs shall be provided at 0.5 m gap across the carriageway and the two arrays of road
studs shall be placed at 0.5 m apart.

5.6 Solar Road Studs

5.6.1 Solar Powered Road Markers are more effective which can immediately draw
the attention of drivers and shall be provided at locations like approach to road crash prone
locations and highly hazardous locations like bridge, toll plaza, sharp curves, pedestrian
crossing, lane transition, speed humps, junctions, channelizers, construction sites, rail road
crossings, accident prone locations, median opening and lane changing where performance of
normal road studs are not that effective due to street lightings and other roadside activities.
5.6.2
do not rely on vehicle head light. The intense brightness of the Light Emitting Diode (LEDs)
makes them visible at distances of more than 800 m under favourable conditions. The
solar studs are also more distinctly visible during rainy and foggy conditions where the road
markings could be ineffective.
5.6.3 At locations where solar studs are intended to be used, the spacing shall be same
as that indicated for conventional road studs.

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