Zone of Intrusion for Permanent 9.1-Degree Single-Slope Concrete Barriers
REPORT NUMBER
TRP-03-292-13
AUTHORS
Cale Stolle, John Reid, Ronald Faller
PUBLICATION DATE
2014-03-14
ABSTRACT
Three WDOT 9.1-degree single-slope concrete barriers, with top heights of 36 in. (914 mm), 42 in. (1,067 mm), and 56 in. (1,422 mm) (Standard 14B32), were analyzed for Zone of Intrusion (ZOI) and working width using nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA). Tire-barrier friction, vehicle-barrier friction, barrier stiffness, mesh size, tire deflation, and suspension component failures were all found to have effects on simulation results. The zone of intrusion and working width were evaluated for each barrier under varying tire deflation and suspension failure conditions and determined to have a maximum value of 12.2 in. (310 mm) for the front fender and 9.4 in. (240 mm) for the rest of the vehicle. The working width for each barrier was determined to be 24 in. (610 mm).
KEYWORDS
Highway Safety, Roadside Appurtenances, Concrete Barriers, Zone of Intrusion, LS-DYNA, Simulation, FEA