Crash Testing and Evaluation of HDOT’s Thrie-Beam Approach Guardrail Transition Attached to 42-in. Tall, Solid Concrete Bridge Rail with Aesthetic, Recessed, Rounded Panels and 6-ft Wide Sidewalk: MASH Test Nos. 3-20 and 3-21

Report Number(s): TRP-03-472-22

Description: The barrier system used for the test installation had a total length of 184 ft – 6½ in. and consisted of a concrete parapet, thrie-beam AGT, MGS, a guardrail anchorage system, and concrete bridge rail with 6-ft wide sidewalk and an approach ramp. The downstream end of the barrier system consisted of a reinforced concrete bridge rail with a total length of 88 ft – 1½ in. and measured 42 in. tall and 10 in. wide. The downstream end of HDOT’s thrie-beam AGT comprised 12.5 ft of nested thrie-beam rail supported by W6x9 and W6x15 steel posts at various spacings. The upstream end of the AGT incorporated the previously MASH-tested MGS upstream stiffness transition to connect the AGT to the adjacent MGS. Approximately 51 ft of the MGS extended from the upstream end of the AGT and was anchored using an MGS trailing end anchor system. The anchorage system was originally designed to simulate the strength of other crashworthy end terminals. The anchorage system consisted of timber posts, foundation tubes, anchor cables, bearing plates, rail brackets, and channel struts, which closely resembled the hardware used in the Modified Breakaway Cable Terminal (BCT) system. The guardrail anchorage has been MASH TL-3 crash-tested as a downstream trailing-end terminal system.

Test Level: 3

System Type: Guardrail to Bridge Rail

MASH Test Number: 3-21, 3-20

Proprietary/Non-proprietary: Non-proprietary

Pass/Fail: Pass

Evaluation: Full-Scale Crash Testing

Sponsor: Hawaii Department of Transportation