TESTING OF STATE ROADSIDE SAFETY SYSTEMS. VOLUME IV: APPENDIX C - CRASH TEST AND EVALUATION OF A PENNSYLVANIA TRANSITION DESIGN

The purpose of this study is to crash test and evaluate new or modified roadside safety hardware and, where necessary, redesign the devices to improve their impact performance. The three major areas addressed in this study are the impact performance of bridge railings, transitions from guardrails to bridge railings, and end treatments for guardrails and median barriers. This report presents the results of a crash test on a transition design by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for use in transitioning from standard W-beam guardrail to an 813-mm 932-in) high concrete safety shaped bridge rail. The test involved a 2043-kg (4500-lb) passenger car impacting the guardrail at a nominal impact speed and angle of 96.5 km/h (60 mi/h) and 25 degrees. Results of the crash test indicated that, although the transition design technically met all evaluation criteria set forth in NCHRP Report 230, the impact performance of this transition design is considered very marginal. It is recommended that the transition design be improved prior to actual field applications. This volume is the fourth in a series of 14 volumes for the final report.