Critical flare rates for the Midwest Guardrail System (MGS) system were investigated according to Test Level 3 (TL-3) criteria per previous National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 standard requirements. The critical flare for the MGS system, however, has not been yet investigated and full-scale crash tested under MASH 2016 TL-3 criteria.
The purpose of this research is to investigate the critical flare for an MGS system under MASH 2016 TL-3 testing and evaluation criteria. Engineering analysis and computer simulation will aid in the selection of the critical flare to be considered for testing. The structural capacity and the occupant risk factors of such proposed guardrail system will be evaluated with respect to MASH TL-3 criteria through full-scale crash testing.
The information compiled from this research will provide the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and State Departments of Transportation with an acceptable critical flare for the MGS system under MASH 2016 TL-3 conditions. A successfully crash-tested flared MGS system can be applied in situations where the reduction of guardrail installation length is required and/or desired. This reduction in length would result in decreased guardrail construction and maintenance costs. A successfully crash-tested flared MGS system would reduce the overall number of guardrail crashes without significantly increasing risks of injury or fatality.
For More Information:
Research Supervisor – Chiara Silvestri Dobrovolny, TTI,
Ph.: 979-845-8971 or E-mail: [email protected]
Task Representative – Jeff C. Jeffers, WsDOT
Ph.: 907-465-8962 or E-mail: [email protected]
