Book Description

Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) frequently receive requests to provide aesthetically pleasing traffic rails for use on select bridges and roadways. TxDOT, in response to providing context sensitive design alternatives, initiated a project to develop additional aesthetically pleasing rail alternatives. Under a previous TxDOT project, the F411 bridge rail was constructed and crash tested to Test Level 3 (TL-3). The TL-3 test is a 4405-lb (2000 kg) pickup impacting the railing at 25 degrees and 62.2 mi/h (100 krn/h). This test requires both containment and stability, and non-overturning. Since some breakage of the parapet is possible, potential for vehicle snagging is likely. Vehicle snagging can contribute to vehicle instabilities in the redirection sequence and potential rollover. The TxDOT F411 bridge rail contained and redirected the vehicle, which remained upright during and after the collision period. The bridge rail met the required specifications for NCHRP Report 350 test 3-11. The objective of this research is the full-scale crash test and evaluation of the F411 to Test Level 4 (TL-4). The most direct approach for accomplishing the objectives of this task is to perform a full-scale TL-4 crash test of this railing design. The TL-4 vehicle is a single-unit box-van truck impacting the railing at 15 degrees and 49.7 mi/h (80 krn/h). While containment is required, overturning of the vehicle 90 degrees is an acceptable test outcome. The TxDOT F411 bridge rail performed acceptably for NCHRP Report 350 test 4-12. Based on the performance of the F411 bridge rail in the full-scale crash test to TL-4 test conditions, the F411 may be used where containment of 18,000 lb single-unit trucks is desired.