Guardrail Runout Lengths Revisited
Abstract
The guardrail runout length recommendations contained in AASHTO's Roadside Design Guide were reevaluated to determine optimal guardrail length of need. Encroachment data collected along Canadian highways were evaluated in a manner similar to that used with other encroachment data to reproduce the procedures contained in AASHTO's Roadside Design Guide. A cost-benefit analysis of extending guardrails was also conducted as an alternative procedure for defining appropriate guardrail runout lengths. Both analysis procedures indicate that the guardrail runout lengths recommended by the Roadside Design Guide are excessive. Highway agencies are advised to select one of the two new procedures for identifying appropriate guardrail runout lengths.
Get full access to this article
View all access and purchase options for this article.
References
1. Roadside Design Guide. AASHTO, Washington, D.C., 1989.
2. Griffin L. I. An Analysis of Accidents on Turned-Down Guardrail Ends in the State of Texas. Report No. 9901-H. Texas Transportation Institute, Texas A&M University System, College Station, May 1991.
3. Hutchinson J. W., and Kennedy T. W. Medians of Divided Highways—Frequency and Nature of Vehicle Encroachments. Engineering Experiment Station Bulletin 487. University of Illinois, Champaign, June 1966.
4. Cooper P. Analysis of Roadside Encroachments—Single Vehicle Run-off-the-Road Accident Data Analysis for Five Provinces. British Columbia Research Council, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, March 1980.
5. Sicking D. L., and Wolford D. F. Development of Guardrail Runout Length Calculation Procedures. Draft Final Report. Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, June 1995.
6. Guide for Selecting, Locating, and Designing Traffic Barriers. AASHTO, Washington, D.C., 1977.
7. Hatton J. H. Jr. A Roadside Design Procedure. Unpublished Report. Office of Engineering, FHWA, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1974.
8. Sicking D. L., and Ross H. E. Jr. Cost-Benefit Analysis of Roadside Safety Alternatives. In Transportation Research Record 1065, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1986.
9. Ross H. E. Jr., and Sicking D. L. Guidelines for Use of Temporary Barriers in Work Zones, Vol. I. Final Report. Research Report 4151-1. Contract DOT-F H-11-9688. Texas Transportation Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, July 1983.
10. Benefit to Cost Analysis Program. Publication FHWA-TS-88. Research, Development, and Technology, Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, McLean, Va., June 1988.
11. Olsen R. M. et al. NCHRP Report 149: Bridge Rail Design Factors, Trends, and Guidelines. TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1974, 70 pp.
12. Roadside Design Guide. AASHTO, Washington, D.C., 1995.
13. Erinle O., Hunter W. et al. An Analysis and Median Barrier Accidents Using the Longitudinal Barrier Special Studies (LBSS) File, Vol. I. Final Report. Report FHWA-RD-92-098. FHWA, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1992.
14. Ross H. E. Jr.et al. Traffic Barriers and Control Treatments for Restricted Work Zones. Final Report. NCHRP Project 17-8. Texas Transportation Institute, Texas A&M University System, College Station, Nov. 1991.
15. Mak K. K. et al. Severity Measures for Roadside Objects and Features, Vol. I. Technical Report. Report FHWA/RD-86/019. FHWA, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1986.
Cite article
Cite article
Cite article
OR
Download to reference manager
If you have citation software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice
Information, rights and permissions
Information
Published In
Article first published: January 1996
Issue published: January 1996
Authors
Metrics and citations
Metrics
Journals metrics
This article was published in Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board.
VIEW ALL JOURNAL METRICSArticle usage*
Total views and downloads: 15
*Article usage tracking started in December 2016
Altmetric
See the impact this article is making through the number of times it’s been read, and the Altmetric Score.
Learn more about the Altmetric Scores
Articles citing this one
Receive email alerts when this article is cited
Web of Science: 0
Crossref: 4
- Corridor-Based Procedure for Determining Longitudinal Barrier Length o...
- An improved mathematical model for vehicle crashagainst highway guardr...
- Guardrail Run-Out Length Design Procedures Revisited
- Reexamination of Roadside Encroachment Data
Figures and tables
Figures & Media
Tables
View Options
Get access
Access options
If you have access to journal content via a personal subscription, university, library, employer or society, select from the options below:
loading institutional access options
Alternatively, view purchase options below:
Purchase 24 hour online access to view and download content.
Access journal content via a DeepDyve subscription or find out more about this option.
