Phosphorescent Pathways Glow at Night

When the sun goes down, some walkways in Birmingham, Michigan, start to glow.

They’re fitted with a phosphorescent glow-in-the-dark pavement marking system from Glow-Mark Technologies LLC of Royal Oak, MIchigan.

The system consists of encapsulated “pucks” fitted into brick pavers, wood or other material with a boring drill.

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The pucks are secured with a special 3M adhesive and cost $5 to $9 each, depending on the size and quantity purchased, according to David K. Sturley, managing partner and inventor.

Only naturally occurring ultra-violet rays, present even on cloudy and overcast days, are needed to charge the inserts.

At night, the pucks shine for up to 12 hours without electrical wiring, company representatives say.

There’s no need for more expensive conventional pathway lighting, electricity from the grid, or related maintenance like replacing lightbulbs and corroded wires.

Glow-Mark says the pucks are designed to last more than 15 years.

The company is pushing the system for commercial and home use, to offer an alternative to electrical installations and enhance safety by marking ledges, stairs, pools and decks.

So far, there have been two brick paver installations in Birmingham, Sturley says.

(Image credit: Glow-Mark Technologies.)

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