A design procedure for roadside barrier systems mounted on top of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls was developed under this project. Finite element simulation was used to analyze the response of the barrier-coping-moment slab system and underlying MSE wall to barrier impact loading. The results were used to develop guidelines for stability of the barrier system for both sliding and overturning failure modes and required capacity of the MSE wall reinforcement to resist pullout and rupture. This research will be of particular interest to bridge engineers responsible for the design of bridge rail systems and geotechnical engineers concerned with the design of MSE walls.
A detailed finite element model of the MSE wall barrier incorporated modeling of soil, rebar, and concrete failure. The barrier was designed using surrogate bogie vehicle impact and full-scale vehicle impact simulations and tests.
Reference
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R.P. Bligh, J.-L. Briaud, K.-M. Kim, A.Y. Abu-Odeh. Design of Roadside Barrier Systems Placed on MSE Retaining Walls. NCHRP Report 663. Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 2010.