00394947

Component

http://onlinepubs.trb.org...s/trr/1984/970/970-006.pdf

https://scholar.google.co...oner&publication_year=1984

The Texas State Department of Highways and Public Transportation uses two types of guardrail posts: a circular wood post and a steel W6x8.5 post. The current specifications require the steel post to be placed in a concrete footing. However, the concrete footing is not required for the wood post. Because of this requirement, the steel post guardrail systems are not considered to be as economical as the wood post guardrail system. The research study reported herein was conducted to determine whether the concrete footings are necessary for the steel guardrail posts to perform satisfactorily as a traffic barrier system. An analytical model was developed to model the guardrail post as a laterally loaded drilled shaft. This model represents the realistic behavior of drilled shafts under lateral loading conditions adequately, while being simple enough for use in day-to-day design of guardrail post foundations. A series of static load tests and dynamic impact tests was conducted to determine whether the steel guardrail post performs satisfactorily. The results of these tests indicate that the steel guardrail post, embedded without the concrete footing, performs similarly to the timber post. The results of these field tests were also used to verify the analytical model, and the agreement with the theoretical predictions was found to be satisfactory.

Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Safety Appurtenances. 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

00450230

pp 37-47

1984

Transportation Research Record

0309037522

Print

Figures (18) ; Photos (3) ; References (3)

Barriers (Roads); Concrete; Crash tests; Footings; Foundations; Guardrails; Load tests; Mathematical models; Performance; Posts; Soil structure interaction; Specifications; Steel structures; Wood structures

Barriers; Models

Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure

TRIS, TRB

Nov 30 1985 12:00AM

• BRIDGE DECK DESIGNS FOR RAILING IMPACTS
• DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-RESTORING TRAFFIC BARRIERS
• DETERMINATION OF COST-EFFECTIVE ROADWAY TREATMENTS FOR UTILITY POLE ACCIDENTS
• DEVELOPMENT OF PROPOSED HEIGHT STANDARDS AND TOLERANCES FOR LIGHT-POST TRAFFIC BARRIERS
• EFFECT OF TRAFFIC AND ROADWAY FEATURES ON UTILITY POLE ACCIDENTS
• ENCASEMENT OF PIPELINES THROUGH HIGHWAY ROADBEDS: SYNOPSIS OF FINAL REPORT FOR NCHRP PROJECT 20-7, TASK 22
• GUIDELINES FOR PLACEMENT OF LONGITUDINAL BARRIERS ON SLOPES
• IN-SERVICE EVALUATION OF SAFETY APPURTENANCES: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS (ABRIDGMENT)