VEHICLE CRASH TESTS OF TYPE 115 BARRIER RAIL SYSTEMS FOR USE ON SECONDARY HIGHWAYS

A total of three vehicle crash tests were performed on a California Type 115 bridge rail. The Type 115 bridge-rail test barrier consisted of two steel tube rails (10 x 10 x 0.64 cm) supported from the edge of deck by steel W8 x 31-posts at 244-cm spacing. The height of the top rail was 76 cm. There were two impact tests on a Type 115 bridge rail and one on a Type 115 bridge-rail transition. Although it was planned to test the Type 115 bridge rail to Performance Level 2 (PL2) and it was tested with a 2450- and 810-kg vehicle at 95 km/hr and 20 degrees, the snagging of wheels in Tests 471 and 472 led to the recommendation that the Type 115 be used as a PL1 bridge rail for lower-speed narrow bridges where impact angles are expected to be less. The Type 115 bridge-rail transition, when tested with a 2450-kg vehicle, produced some moderate pocketing, but could easily be stiffened to lessen the pocketing problem. Otherwise, the transition met all test criteria.