DYNAMIC TESTS OF THE CALIFORNIA TYPE 15 BRIDGE BARRIER RAIL

THE RESULTS OF TWO FULL-SCALE VEHICLE IMPACT TESTS OF THE CALIFORNIA TYPE 15 BRIDGE BARRIER RAIL ARE REPORTED. THE TYPE 15 BRIDGE RAIL IS A SEMIRIGID SYSTEM CONSISTING OF TWO 3 1/2-IN. SQUARE STRUCTURAL STEEL TUBULAR RAILS MOUNTED 14 AND 27 IN. ABOVE THE PAVEMENT ON 6-WF-25-STEEL POSTS BOLTED TO THE EDGE OF THE REINFORCED CONCRETE BRIDGE DECK. THE POST SPACINGS TESTED WERE 6 FT 3 IN. AND 9 FT 4 1/2 IN. THIS BRIDGE BARRIER RAIL WAS DESIGNED FOR USE ON SECONDARY CALIFORNIA HIGHWAYS WITH MAXIMUM BRIDGE WIDTHS OF 32 FT. THE TESTS WERE CONDUCTED AT IMPACT VELOCITIES OF APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH AND APPROACH ANGLES OF APPROXIMATELY 15 DEG. THE TEST RESULTS INDICATE THAT THE BRIDGE RAIL DESIGNS TESTED WILL RETAIN AND REDIRECT A 4,500-LB PASSENGER VEHICLE IMPACTING AT A SPEED OF 60 MPH AND AN ANGLE OF 15 DEG. TOLERABLE DECELERATION RATES, MODERATE VEHICLE DAMAGE, AND MINOR TO MODERATE BARRIER DAMAGE WILL BE SUSTAINED. HOWEVER, IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT A POST SPACING OF 8 FT 0 IN. WOULD PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE, ECONOMICAL, AND AESTHETICALLY PLEASING COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE RELATIVELY RIGID 6-FT 3-IN. POST SPACING AND THE MORE FLEXIBLE, BUT MARGINAL, 9-FT 4 1/2-IN. POST SPACING. IT WAS ALSO CONCLUDED THAT, WITH A POST SPACING OF 8 FT 0 IN. OR LESS, THE CALIFORNIA TYPE 15 BRIDGE BARRIER RAIL IS SATISFACTORY FOR USE ON FEDERAL-AID SECONDARY HIGHWAYS AND OTHER SECONDARY CALIFORNIA STATE HIGHWAYS. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1972/386/386-009.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by Committee on Traffic Safety Barriers and Sign, Signal and Lighting Supports and Committee on Bridge Design. 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.
• Authors:
  • Nordlin, Eric F
  • Stoker, J Robert
  • Hackett, Raymond P
  • Doty, Robert N
• Conference:
  • 51st Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1972-1-17 to 1972-1-21
• Publication Date: 1972

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 88-100
• Monograph Title: Traffic safety barriers, lighting supports and dike slopes
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 386
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Barriers (Roads); Bridge railings; Crash tests; Crashes; Deceleration; Posts; Spacing; Structural steel; Testing
• Uncontrolled Terms: Barriers
• Old TRIS Terms: Deceleration rate; Post spacing
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00203660
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: No 386
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Oct 9 1972 12:00AM