WIND SCREEN SUBDUES GALE FORCE WINDS ON A MOUNTAIN BRIDGE

STUDY IS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF EMPLOYING WIND SCREENS AS A MEANS OF PREVENTING VEHICLE ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY HIGH VELOCITY CROSSWINDS. AN EXPERIMENTAL WIND SCREEN WAS INSTALLED ON A MOUNTAIN BRIDGE WHERE TRUCK TRAILERS HAD BEEN OVERTURNED BY SPORADIC GALE FORCE SIDE WINDS. THE 10-FOOT HIGH SCREEN WAS MADE OF 9 GAUGE GALVANIZED STEEL CHAIN LINK MESH FENCING WITH ALL OF THE APERTURES FILLED WITH VERTICALLY PLACED CRIMPED ALUMINUM SLATS. THE SPACES BETWEEN THE SLATS RESULTED IN A POROSITY OF 20 PERCENT. THE SCREEN HAS BEEN COMPLETELY SUCCESSFUL IN PREVENTING EITHER THE OVERTURNING OF VEHICLES OR LOSS OF DRIVER CONTROL DURING A TWO YEAR TEST PERIOD. THE REPORT SUGGESTS OTHER TYPES OF LOCATIONS THAT MAY BENEFIT FROM WIND PROTECTION AND OFFERS BASIC DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Hpr-, B-1-24
• Corporate Authors:

  California Division of Highways

  Bridge Department
  Sacramento, CA  United States  05914

  Bureau of Public Roads /US

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Nordlin, E F
  • Bourget, L
• Publication Date: 1969-1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aerodynamic force; Galvanizing; Highway bridges; Mountains; Prevention; Safety; Screens; Steel wire fabrics; Traffic crashes; Velocity; Wind; Windbreaks; Wire mesh
• Uncontrolled Terms: Motor vehicle accidents; Wind load
• Old TRIS Terms: Wind velocity
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224905
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Bureau of Public Roads /US
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 18 1994 12:00AM