Cost-effective treatment of existing guardrail systems.

Details

• Creators:
  Wiebelhaus, Mitch J. ; Lechtenberg, Karla A. ; Sicking, Dean L. ; Faller, Ronald K. ; Rosenbaugh, Scott K.
• Corporate Creators:
  Midwest Roadside Safety Facility
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Arterial Highways Beams Benefit Cost Analysis Culverts Guardrails Highway Safety Modernization Slopes
• Publication/ Report Number:
  TRP-03-254-13
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  Kansas
• Corporate Publisher:
  Midwest States Regional Pooled Fund Program ; Nebraska. Dept. of Roads
• Abstract:
  A cost-effective means for upgrading existing guardrail systems with deviations from current practice (i.e., low-rail heights, antiquated end
  
  treatments, and improper installation) does not exist. As a result these systems remain on U.S. highways. Guardrail systems with deviations from current
  
  practice may not perform as intended, thus potentially resulting in fatalities and serious injuries from impacts with these safety devices. It is not plausible
  
  to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries from all guardrail system impacts. However, these risks could be reduced with the proper design, testing,
  
  installation, and maintenance of guardrail systems.
  
  This report offers recommendations for upgrading W-beam guardrail systems based on a benefit-to-cost analysis using the Roadside Safety
  
  Analysis Program (RSAP). This analysis was developed to simulate the most frequent and possible scenarios of existing W-beam guardrail systems with
  
  deviations from current practice. Before the analysis could be run, the field conditions and common deviations from current practice were reviewed and
  
  documented during a field investigation.
  
  This field investigation was conducted on rural arterial highways in the state of Kansas to determine the nature of existing guardrail systems
  
  with deviations from current practice. The most prominent barrier was the strong-post, W-beam guardrail. Deviations of the existing W-beam were low
  
  top-rail mounting-height, antiquated end treatments (i.e. turned-down and blunt-end terminals), rail damage, damaged and missing posts and blockouts,
  
  and insufficient length of need. The W-beam guardrail with low rail heights and turned-down and blunt-end terminals were the focus of the RSAP analysis.
  
  The varying guardrail system heights were modeled in RSAP by changing the level of containment of the W-beam guardrail system, and the
  
  antiquated end treatments were predefined features. The roadway and roadside features including obstacles (culverts and slopes) were modeled after those
  
  found in the field investigation. Finally, cost-effective safety treatments were recommended for existing W-beam guardrail system with low rail height and
  
  turned-down or blunt-end terminals which shielded culverts and slopes.
  
  
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  SPR-3(017)
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:858853e12d4c7081adc605c3a291f21ff04db4ef8d068e8b74ec597ac7ed287fa340ec0e0d4b814b98eb55182d152226818cdb9f75f7fb031ee9bc52975a38dd
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/25930/dot_25930_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 26.57 MB ]