MASH 2016 Test Level 3 Evaluation of MnDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Rail
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ABSTRACT
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) desires to use a vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian combination bridge railing system along pedestrian and bicycle bridge paths. A variation of the MnDOT combination bicycle and pedestrian railing was full-scale crash tested according to the Test Level 3 (TL-3) procedures described in the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH 2016). The combination bicycle and pedestrian railing included a 32-in. tall concrete barrier consistent with the MnDOT “J”-shaped barrier and a steel rail constructed from upper and lower longitudinal rails, welded vertical spindles, and steel posts mounted to the backside of the concrete barrier. Two longitudinal cables were threaded through the longitudinal rail elements and anchored to the backside of the concrete barrier at the upstream and downstream ends. For the tested system, an existing New Jersey (NJ) safety shape concrete barrier was modified for use as a J-shape barrier, and the steel rail was fastened to the back-side face of the barrier using a welded post and plate assembly. In full-scale crash test no. MNPD-3, the system was evaluated according to MASH test designation no. 3-11. The 2014 Dodge Ram 1500 crew cab pickup truck impacted the system 71¼ in. upstream from the centerline of post no. 4 with a speed of 63.4 mph at an angle of 25.3 degrees. The vehicle was successfully redirected, resulting in minimal plastic deformation to the steel rail and minimal scraping and gouging to the concrete barrier. This bicycle and pedestrian railing system minimized the potential for vehicle snag on the vertical spindles by welding them on the back-side faces of the top and bottom longitudinal tubular rails. The combination railing system was found to meet the AASHTO MASH 2016 TL-3 impact safety criteria.
KEYWORDS
Highway Safety, Crash Test, Roadside Appurtenances, Compliance Test, MASH 2016, Test Level 3, TL-3, Bicycle Rail, Pedestrian Rail, Concrete Safety Shape, Bridge Rail
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