Crash Testing of Michigan's Type B (W-Beam) Guardrail System
REPORT NUMBER
TRP-03-090-99
AUTHORS
Karla Lechtenberg (Polivka), Dean Sicking, John Rohde, Ronald Faller, James Holloway
PUBLICATION DATE
1999-11-10
ABSTRACT
Michigan Department of Transportation's Type B (W-beam) longitudinal barrier system was constructed and crash tested. The barrier design was constructed with a 2.66-mm (12-gauge) thick W-beam rail totaling 53.34 m in length. The W-beam rail was supported by twenty-five W152x13.4 steel posts, each measuring 1,830-mm long, and four standard BCT posts, each measuring 1,080-mm long. Each of the steel posts had a 152x203 by 390-mm long double-tapered wood offset blockout. Post spacings were 1,905-mm on center.
The research study included full-scale vehicle crash testing, using a 3/4-ton pickup truck. The test, impacting at a speed of 99.8 km/hr and an angle of 25.8 degrees, was unsuccessful due to vehicle rollover. The safety performance of Michigan's Type B (W-beam) longitudinal barrier system was determined to be unacceptable according to Test Level 3 (TL-3) evaluation criteria specified in NCHRP Report No. 350, Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features.
KEYWORDS
Highway Safety, Guardrail, Roadside Appurtenances, Longitudinal Barrier, Crash Test, Compliance Test, W-beam Barrier
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