LOCATION, SELECTION, AND MAINTENANCE OF HIGHWAY TRAFFIC BARRIERS

JUDICIOUS APPLICATION OF CURRENT STATE-OF-THE-ART INFORMATION ON TRAFFIC BARRIERS SHOULD RESULT IN SAFER HIGHWAYS. TRAFFIC BARRIERS, AS DEFINED HEREIN, CONSIST OF (1) LONGITUDINAL SYSTEMS, SUCH AS GUARDRAILS, MEDIAN BARRIERS, AND BRIDGE RAILS; AND (2) CRASH CUSHION SYSTEMS, SUCH AS A NEST OF STEEL DRUMS. THE REPORT IS DIRECTED PRIMARILY FOR USE BY HIGHWAY DESIGNERS AS A GUIDE AND BY MAINTENANCE GROUPS AS AN AID IN UPGRADING EXISTING INSTALLATIONS. BECAUSE IT IS RECOGNIZED THAT TRAFFIC BARRIERS ARE HAZARDS IN THEMSELVES, EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON REDUCING THE NUMBER OF SUCH INSTALLATIONS TO ONLY THOSE THAT CAN BE FIRMLY JUSTIFIED. NO ATTEMPT IS MADE TO HANDLE EACH OF THE INFINITE VARIETY OF ROADSIDE CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, THE MORE COMMON HIGHWAY-SITE CONDITIONS ARE TREATED IN DETAIL. WITH THIS BACKGROUND AND WITH SOUND ENGINEERING JUDGMENT, THESE TREATMENTS CAN BE EXTENDED TO APPLY TO THE MAJORITY OF ROADSIDE CONDITIONS. DESIGN PROCEDURES INVOLVE TWO BASIC STEPS-DETERMINATION OF THE NEED AND SELECTION OF THE APPROPRIATE SYSTEM. SPECIFIC WARRANTS FOR AN INSTALLATION ARE DETERMINED FORM THE ROADWAY PROPERTIES (SUCH AS SHOULDER EMBANKMENT GEOMETRY) AND THE LOCATION AND TYPE OF ROADSIDE OBSTACLES. TRAFFIC BARRIER SYSTEMS EVALUATED BY FULL-SCALE CRASH TESTS AND SATISFACTORY SERVICE PERFORMANCE ARE PRESENTED, TOGETHER WITH A SELECTION PROCEDURE. /HRB/

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_118.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00775614
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. 96 PP, FIGS, 13 TAB, 50 REF, 8 APP
• Authors:
  • Michie, J D
  • Bronstad, M E
• Publication Date: 1971

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Serial:
  • NCHRP Report
  • Issue Number: 118
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0077-5614

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Barriers (Roads); Bridge railings; Energy absorbing materials; Guardrails; Location; Maintenance; Median barriers; Warrants (Traffic control devices)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Barriers; Selecting
• Old TRIS Terms: Energy absorbers
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00203593
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 27 1972 12:00AM