Improvements to highway guardrail assemblies : final report 14-1TIRE.

Details

• Creators:
  Shupe, Todd
• Corporate Creators:
  Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, La.). Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Corporate Contributors:
  Louisiana. Dept. of Transportation and Development ; United States. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Composite materials
  • Feasibility analysis
  • Finite element method
  • Guardrails
  • Highway safety
  • Optimization
  • Recycled materials
  • Wood
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FHWA/LA.15/14-1TIRE
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final report
• Corporate Publisher:
  Louisiana Transportation Research Center
• Abstract:
  Highway guardrail assemblies play an important role in enhancing the safety of motorists. Guardrail assemblies ; contain three main components: (1) galvanized steel guardrail, (2) posts, and (3) blockouts. The purpose of the ; blockout is to increase the spacing between the rail and the post and thereby reduce the interaction of the vehicle ; with the post. It is essential that the blockouts are durable so that that the guardrail assembly can function ; properly. The goal of this study was to explore the feasibility of using recycled chromated copper arsenate ; (CCA)-treated wood to produce a composite blockout. This study had three tasks: (1) determine the properties of ; the raw materials, (2) production and testing of molded guardrail blockouts, and (3) conduct finite element ; analyses and design optimization. Decommissioned blocks were chemically analyzed and found to contain ; residual CCA that is consistent with over 10 years of service. The used bocks were shredded to particles, ; combined with polypropylene plastic, and used to make composite blockouts with varying amounts of wood, ; plastic, block density, and resin. Group 1 yielded superior results: internal bond strength, IB, (108 psi), modulus ; of rupture, MOR, (2,536 psi), modulus of elasticity, MOE, (440,250 psi), linear expansion, LE, (0.632 in.), and ; thickness swelling, TS, (12.6%). A finite element analysis conducted on this group revealed that a guardrail ; assembly comprised with wood/plastic blockouts should perform similar to one with solid wood blockouts. The ; development of the composite blockout will provide the motoring public and taxpayers a low-cost, high-performance ; blockout and enhance environmental stewardship. The success of the overall project will lead to ; the development of a durable, green composite blockout.
  More +
• Format:
  PDF
• Alternate URL:
  http://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/pdf/2016/14-1TIRE.pdf
• Funding:
  LTRC Project No. 14-1TIRE ; DOTDLT1000031
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/30899/dot_30899_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.64 MB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:2a12bedd551a5d1a9efed9d9d97dc455e31615ff38f38d1c7a37750a4dfc8916