Development of the Midwest Guardrail System for Standard and Reduced Post Spacing and in Combination with Curbs: Part 1

Significant changes in the vehicle fleet over the past 10 years have led to changes in performance criteria for roadside safety hardware. In particular, replacement of the large sedan with a 3/4-ton pickup has caused reevaluation of much of the existing roadside safety hardware. One of the key questions in this reevaluation has been the performance of the W-beam guardrail. Several recent tests of W-beam guardrails have shown that successful capture and redirection of the 3/4-ton pickup vehicle is very sensitive to vehicle size, soil conditions, and post types. Unfortunately, these requirements do not appear to be satisfied by either standard W-beam rail systems nor the more costly 3-beam systems. In recognition of the potential for improving guardrail performance for high-center-of-gravity vehicles and the need to reestablish reasonable barrier height tolerances, the aims of this research project were to: examine the performance of W-beam guardrails and make necessary design changes; develop a guardrail-to-curb barrier combination that provides increased hydraulic capacity and placement farther in front of the rail face to reduce frequency of snow plow damage to guardrails; and 3) evaluate guardrail stiffening and determine appropriate guardrail placement guidelines for shielding rigid-hazards using full-, half-, and quarter-post spacing designs.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/20782681
• Authors:
  • Polivka, Karla A
  • Faller, Ronald K
  • Sicking, Dean L
  • Reid, John D
  • Rohde, John R
  • Holloway, James C
  • Kuipers, Beau Daniel
  • Bielenberg, Bob W
• Publication Date: 2008-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 49-61, 64
• Serial:
  • Accident Reconstruction Journal
  • Volume: 18
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: National Association of Professional Accident Reconstruction Specialists
  • ISSN: 1057-8153
  • Serial URL: https://www.napars.org/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Guardrails; Highway safety; Median barriers; Pickup trucks; Roadside structures; Vehicle size
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01102981
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Jun 24 2008 7:41AM