Evaluation of a New Jersey Safety Shape, Segmented Concrete Barrier for use on Composite Panel Bridge Decks
REPORT NUMBER
TRP-03-181-07
AUTHORS
Cody Stolle, Karla Lechtenberg (Polivka), Ronald Faller, John Rohde, Dean Sicking
PUBLICATION DATE
2007-06-05
ABSTRACT
Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite materials have become more readily used as bridge decks. However, no acceptable bridge railing systems have been developed and tested for use on these composite panel bridge decks. Therefore, a bridge railing system consisting of precast, half-section, New Jersey Safety Shape concrete barriers were attached to the composite panel bridge deck. The barriers were fastened to the composite panel bridge deck with six 25-mm (1-in.) diameter, Grade 5 anchor bolts with heavy hex nuts. A 457-mm x 203-mm x 13-mm (18-in. x 8-in. x 0.5-in.) ASTM A-36 steel plate was located between the bottom of the deck and the hex nuts at each set of two anchor bolt positions.
One full-scale vehicle crash test was performed on the bridge railing system using a -ton pickup truck. The full-scale test, with an impact speed of 100.2 km/h (62.3 mph) and an impact angle of 26.0 degrees, was conducted and reported in accordance with the requirements specified in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report No. 350, Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features. Due to snagging of the right-rear tire and subsequent vehicle rollover, the safety performance of the concrete barrier bridge rail attached to a composite bridge deck was determined to be unacceptable according to the Test Level 3 (TL-3) evaluation criteria specified in NCHRP Report No. 350.
KEYWORDS
Highway Safety, Longitudinal Barriers, Concrete Barriers, New Jersey Barrier, Composite Bridge Decks, Roadside Appurtenances, Crash Test, Compliance Test