ROADSIDE DESIGN GUIDELINES

AS MANY ROADSIDE OBSTACLES AS POSSIBLE SHOULD BE ELIMINATED IN THE DESIGN OF THE ROADSIDE OR AREA ADJACENT TO THE TRAVELED WAY. THIS PAPER DISCUSSES PROCEDURES TO DETERMINE THE NEED, LOCATION, AND DESIGN OF PROTECTIVE RAIL BETWEEN THE ROADWAY AND THOSE ROADSIDE OBSTACLES THAT CANNOT BE ELIMINATED: (1) THE BEHAVIOR OF THE VEHICLES LEAVING THE TRAVELED WAY IS EXAMINED, (2) THE ROADSIDE IS EXAMINED WITH REGARD TO THE AREA OF CONCERN, AN AREA INTO WHICH AN ERRANT VEHICLE MUST BE PREVENTED FROM ENTERING, AND (3) THE DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE OF PROTECTIVE RAIL ARE EXAMINED WITH RESPECT TO WHAT IT CAN BE EXPECTED TO ACCOMPLISH IN TERMS OF CONTAINING AND REDIRECTING A VEHICLE THAT HAS DEPARTED FROM THE TRAVELED WAY, WITHOUT ENDANGERING THE DRIVER OR PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE OR OTHER VEHICLES THAT MAY BE IN THE VICINITY. OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE IS A CHART THAT PERMITS THE DESIGN ENGINEER TO DETERMINE GRAPHICALLY THE MOST EFFECTIVE LOCATION FOR A PROTECTIVE RAIL INCLUDING THE BEGINNING POINT OF THE RAIL WITH RESPECT TO THE ROADWAY AND THE AREA OF CONCERN. MEDIAN BARRIERS ARE DISCUSSED SEPARATELY IN THAT THEY VARY IN PERFORMANCE BECAUSE THEY ARE EXPOSED TO IMPACT FROM BOTH SIDES. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr107/107-013.pdf
• 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
• Corporate Authors:

  Highway Research Board (HRB)

  Washington, DC   
• Authors:
  • Tutt, Paul R
  • Nixon, John F
• Conference:
  • Second Western Summer Meeting
  • Location: Salt Lake City Utah, United States
  • Date: 1969-8-11 to 1969-8-13
• Publication Date: 1970

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 119-132
• Monograph Title: Highway safety
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 107
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Guardrails; Hazards; Median barriers; Prevention; Protection; Roadside; Safety; Structural design; Vehicle dynamics
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00203462
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jul 21 1970 12:00AM