Testing and Evaluation of Merritt Parkway Guiderail

A blocked-out steel-backed timber guiderail and transition on steel posts were successfully developed and crash-tested in accordance with requirements set forth in NCHRP Report 350 for Test Level 3. The timber guiderail system was developed for placement along the scenic Merritt Parkway in Connecticut. The timber guiderail and transition were constructed from rough-sawn commercial Grade 1 southern pine backed with a 10- x 152-mm ASTM A588 Grade 50 structural steel plate. The guiderail was supported by W150 x 22.5 steel posts 2 m long, spaced 3.05 m through the length-of-need section. Reduced post spacings of 0.8 m and 1.5 m were used in the transition section.