EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN EFFECTIVE RAIL HEIGHT ON BARRIER PERFORMANCE. VOLUME I. RESEARCH REPORT. FINAL REPORT

The objective of this project was to determine the critical rail mounting heights to prevent underride and override for traffic barriers. W-beam guardrails, which are the most commonly specified barrier in the U.S., were used to develop criteria for both this element and the thrie beam. The scope of the project included both computer simulation and full-scale crash tests. The test barriers were installed on level and sloping terrains. Most of the testing was accomplished using 4500-lb (2000-kg) and 1800-lb (800-kg) vehicles. One test was conducted using a low front profile car impacting a cable guardrail system.