Crash Tests on Guardrail Systems Embedded in Asphalt Vegetation Barriers in Accordance with GDOT Design Specifications

2018Final; July 2016 \u2013 August 2018PDFTech ReportFHWA-GA-18-1626GuardrailsImpact testsGuardrailsmow stripMASH testingGeorgiaUnited StatesGeorgia. Dept. of TransportationScott, D.W.Stewart, L.K.White, D.W.Georgia Institute of Technology. School of Civil and Environmental EngineeringGeorgia. Department of Transportation. Office of Performance-Based Management & ResearchUnited States. Department of TransportationUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationUS Transportation CollectionThe Georgia Department of Transportation authorized a series of tests to be performed on guardrails installed in accordance with GDOT Standard Detail S-4-2002, which was used in Georgia prior to 2017 and includes an asphalt mow strip with nearby curb. The University of Nebraska\u2019s Midwest Roadside Safety Facility (MwRSF) was selected to perform the tests in accordance with AASHTO\u2019s Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH 2016). A single crash test was performed using Test Vehicle 1100C, a small passenger car. The crash test results exceeded multiple MASH safety evaluation criteria, including occupant compartment deformation, windshield crushing, and maximum allowable Occupant Ridedown Acceleration (ORA). Thus, the Midwest Guardrail System (MGS) installed in an asphalt mow strip with a curb placed behind the barrier was deemed to be unacceptable according to the TL-3 safety performance criteria for test designation no. 3-10 provided in MASH 2016.78