Researchers used extensive parametric finite element analysis to evaluate the effects of aesthetic treatments applied to barrier surfaces on vehicle’s occupant compartment deformation and occupant safety.
There has been an increasing demand for aesthetic treatment of concrete median barrier and bridge rails as part of context-sensitive design applications for highway projects. Under this project, design guidelines were developed for the aesthetic treatment of concrete safety-shape barriers. Finite element simulations were performed to quantify barrier impact performance in terms of surface asperity depth, width, and angle of inclination. The primary evaluation criteria were vehicle decelerations, vehicle deformation, and occupant compartment intrusion. Designers can now use these guidelines to safely apply aesthetic treatments to the traffic face of various types of barriers.
Reference
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D.L. Bullard, N.M. Sheikh, R.P. Bligh, R.R. Haug, J.R. Schutt, B.J. Storey. Aesthetic Concrete Barrier Design. NCHRP Report 554. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. 2006.