Heavy-Vehicle Impact Loads for Design of Traffic Barriers

Thousands of linear feet of median barriers and bridge rails are constructed annually in the United States. The primary role of these longitudinal barriers is to contain and redirect errant vehicles. The designs of these barriers and rails systems are generally controlled by the lateral impact load imposed on the system by the selected design vehicle as well as the distribution of the load in the longitudinal and vertical direction. The longitudinal and the vertical loads can also play an important role in the design of the barrier and its foundation depending on the geometry and the material of the barrier. This paper addresses the magnitude and distribution of impact loads in barriers of different heights when impacted by heavy vehicles based on the test level defined in the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Official (AASHTO). The longitudinal and vertical impact loads are also investigated.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AFF10 General Structures
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Saez, Deeyvid O
  • Bligh, Roger
  • Abu-Odeh, Akram
  • Kim, Kang Mi
  • Briaud, Jean-Louis
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 91st Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2012-1-22 to 2012-1-26
• Date: 2012

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 21p
• Monograph Title: TRB 91st Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers DVD

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge railings; Heavy vehicles; Highway safety; Impact loads; Median barriers
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01365709
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 12-3880
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 20 2012 2:59PM