Crash Testing of Standard South Dakota Road Closure Gates
REPORT NUMBER
TRP-03-044-94
AUTHORS
Jim Holloway, Barry Rosson, Ronald Faller
PUBLICATION DATE
1995-01-01
ABSTRACT
Two full-scale vehicle crash tests were performed on South Dakota's Standard Road Closure Gate, Test SDG-1 was conducted with a 1986 Chevrolet Sprint weighing 794 kg (1751 lbs) at an impact speed of 37.1 km/h (23.1 mph) and an angle of 0 degrees. The center line of the vehicle impacted the upstream end and center line of the gate. Test SDG-2 was conducted with the same vehicle at an impact speed of 95.5 km/h (59.4 mph) and an angle of 0 degrees. The quarter point of the vehicle impacted the upstream end and center line of the gate.
The tests were conducted and reported in accordance with the requirements specified in the Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features, National Cooperative Research Program (NCHRP) Report No. 350 and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), 1985 Standard Specifications for Structural Supports for Highway Signs, Luminaires, and Traffic Signals. The safety performance evaluation of the road closure gate was determined to be acceptable according to these criteria for support structures.
KEYWORDS
Road Closure Gates, Breakaway Supports, Frangible Couplers, Access Control, Highway Safety, Crash Tests, Compliance Tests