Roadside Safety Research Program Pooled Fund

 

 

 

Enable Active-X controls on the banner at top if video does not play on opening of web page.
Box Culvert Guardrail (405160-5-1)


 






 











Updated 2010.04.12 		 
Box Culvert Guardrail (405160-5):

PROBLEM STATEMENT
    New or replacement guardrail installations frequently must pass over new or existing reinforced concrete box culverts for various types of highways. In many cases, the depth of embankment over the box culvert is very shallow and it will not allow the proper length of steel or timber posts to be installed without interfering with the concrete box culvert. A typical detail in these cases is a shortened W6x9 or W6x20 steel post attached to a steel base plate bolted into the box culvert. For existing box culverts, a proprietary epoxy injected bolt system or equivalent is used. These systems are difficult to install and can cause damage to the box culverts that are difficult to repair.

BACKGROUND
    In 1988, Hirsch and Beggs reported on a study using a W6x9 steel guard post with a base plate anchored to a 6-inch thick culvert slab. Static load tests and a full-scale crash test were performed on this design as part of this study. The testing performed on this design was successful. In 2002, Polivka, Reid, Faller, Rohde, and Sicking reported on a similar design bolted to a box culvert with approximately 9 inches of fill on top of the box culvert. The objective of this research was to develop a strong-post, W-beam guardrail system that can be rigidly attached to the surface of concrete box culverts. This new guardrail system was designed to meet the Test Level 3 (TL-3) performance criteria found in NCHRP Report 350. Dynamic pendulum and full scale crash testing on this design was also successful. Information from these studies as well as other research will be used to develop a new box culvert guardrail post design that meets TL-3 requirements.

OBJECTIVE
    Develop a guardrail design for typical box culverts that will meet TL-3, simplify contractor installation for the existing box culverts and minimize damage to the box culverts when hit.

BENEFITS
    A properly designed TL-3 detail will create a safe operating environment for the public, reduce installation costs and minimize damage to the box culverts.

 
RECENT TESTING

   A full-scale crash test has been performed on the prototype W-beam guardrail on box culvert. Click on the link below for the complete report:

Crash Testing and Evaluation of W-Beam Guardrail Box Culvert

Video of the crash testing:
Real-Time Video
High-Speed Gut Video
High-Speed Rear of Rail Video
High-Speed Overhead Video
High-Speed Frontal (2nd gut) Video

   Low-speed pendulum tests were performed on a prototype guardrail post on a simulated box culvert as a surrogate for full-scale crash testing.

Pendulum Testing of Guardrail Posts on Box Culverts

 
QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORTS:

July 2008 Progress Report
March 2008 Progress Report
December 2007 Progress Report
June 2007 Progress Report
March 2007 Progress Report
January 2007 Progress Report
October 2006 Progress Report

Proposed Box Culvert Designs:
W6x9 Design             W8x21 Design

Proposed Pendulum Testing Installation to be approved by supporting states:
Page 1 of 2               Page 2 of 2

Roadside Safety Research Program Pooled Fund Dave Olson, Chair
Washington State
    Department of Transportation
P. O. Box 47329
Olympia, WA 98504-7329
360.705.7952
360.705.6815 (FAX)
e-mail : olsonda@wsdot.wa.gov 		D. Lance Bullard, Jr.
Texas Transportation Institute
Texas A&M University
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843
979.845.6153
979.845.6107 (FAX)
e-mail : l-bullard@tamu.edu