Development and Testing of a Concrete Median Barrier for Flood-Prone Areas

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812110237
Author(s):  
Chiara Silvestri Dobrovolny ◽  
Blair A. Johnson ◽  
Roger Bligh ◽  
James Kovar ◽  
Michael E. Barrett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Flood Damage ◽  
Barrier Options ◽  
Hydraulic Efficiency ◽  
Severe Storms ◽  
Crash Testing ◽  
Surrounding Areas ◽  
Test Level ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Flood Prone Areas

Concrete median barriers are designed to mitigate serious cross-median crashes by preventing penetration of errant vehicles into oncoming traffic. When implemented in flood-prone areas, however, solid concrete median barriers can act as a dam to floodwaters, as recently seen in the U.S. in Texas during Hurricane Harvey, or in Louisiana and Pennsylvania following severe storms. This raises the height of the floodwaters and increases the severity of flooding on highways and surrounding roads and communities. To reduce flooding, new median barrier options with openings were investigated. Finite element simulations were used to aid investigation and evaluation of the designs, and laboratory testing was performed to evaluate the hydraulic efficiency of barrier designs in a variety of simulated flood conditions. A concrete single-slope profile median barrier with a large scupper was selected for crash testing following Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) Test Level 4 (TL-4) impact conditions and evaluation criteria. The median barrier design was deemed MASH compliant and is ready for implementation in areas susceptible to flooding, with the goal of reducing flooding severity, decreasing associated risk to motorists, and reducing the level of flood damage to both highways and surrounding areas.

scholarly journals Identification of Flood-prone Areas using HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS, the Case of Ciberang River Basin, Lebak District of Banten Province

2021 ◽  
Vol 930 (1) ◽  
pp. 012082
Author(s):  
Ynaotou ◽  
R Jayadi ◽  
A P Rahardjo ◽  
D A Puspitosari
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Control Point ◽  
Flood Damage ◽  
Level Gauge ◽  
Flood Hazards ◽  
Channel Routing ◽  
Flood Prediction ◽  
Discharge Data ◽  
Flood Prone Areas

Abstract It is common practice that flood hydrograph simulations help to provide better flood prediction and flood damage reduction planning. These efforts require information on flood-prone areas identification from the hydrological and hydraulic analysis results. Historically, the Ciberang River Basin has experienced floods. Those floods cause the loss of human life and damage some houses along the river’s channels, especially in Lebak District, Banten Province, Indonesia. The main objective of this study is to identify flood-prone areas based on the simulation result of a hydrologic and hydraulic model of catchment response due to several extreme rainfall events using HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS software. Rainfall and discharge data measured at the Ciberang-Sabagi water level gauge on 10 January 2013 were used to calibrate hydrological watershed parameters. The hydraulics channel routing is started from the planned location of the Sabo dam to the downstream control point. The next stage was the simulation of rainfall-runoff transformation and 1D unsteady flow channel routing for the 2, 5, and 10-years floods return periods. The main result of this study is a flood hazards map that shows the spatial distribution of the area and inundation depth for each return period of the flood.

Development of a Test Level 4, Side-Mounted, Steel Tube Bridge Rail

2020 ◽  
Vol 2674 (9) ◽  
pp. 525-537
Author(s):  
Jennifer D. Rasmussen ◽  
Scott K. Rosenbaugh ◽  
Ronald K. Faller ◽  
Robert W. Bielenberg ◽  
Joshua S. Steelman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Steel Tube ◽  
Concrete Slabs ◽  
State Highway ◽  
The Face ◽  
Box Beams ◽  
Hollow Structural Section ◽  
Crash Tests ◽  
Test Level ◽  
Standard Steel

A new, side-mounted, steel beam-and-post bridge rail was designed, crash tested, and evaluated according to safety performance guidelines included in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) for Test Level 4 (TL-4). The new bridge rail system was designed to be compatible with multiple bridge decks, including cast-in-place concrete slabs and prestressed box beams. Additionally, the bridge rail was designed to remain crashworthy after roadway overlays up to 3 in. thick. The bridge rail was designed and optimized based on strength, installation cost, weight per foot, and constructability. The new bridge rail consisted of three rectangular steel tube rails supported by standard steel cross section, W6 × 15 steel posts spaced at 8 ft on-center. The upper rail was a 12 × 4 × ¼ in. hollow structural section (HSS) steel tube, and the lower two rails were 8 × 6 × ¼ in. HSS steel tubes. The top mounting heights for the upper, middle, and lower rails were 39 in., 32 in., and 20 in. above the surface of the deck, respectively. A new, side-mounted, post-to-deck connection was also developed that incorporated HSS steel spacer tubes that offset the posts 6 in. from the bridge deck and aligned the face of the bridge rail with the edge of the deck. Thus, the traversable width of the bridge was maximized. Three full-scale crash tests corresponding to the MASH TL-4 testing matrix were performed on the new bridge rail. All three crash tests successfully contained and redirected the vehicles and satisfied all MASH evaluation criteria.

Crash Testing and Evaluation of Culvert-Mounted Midwest Guardrail System

2020 ◽  
Vol 2674 (7) ◽  
pp. 161-171
Author(s):  
Mojdeh Asadollahi Pajouh ◽  
Robert W. Bielenberg ◽  
Jennifer D. Schmidt-Rasmussen ◽  
Ronald K. Faller
Keyword(s):  
American Association ◽  
Water Drainage ◽  
Test Installation ◽  
State Highway ◽  
Crash Testing ◽  
Test Number ◽  
Box Culverts ◽  
Level 3 ◽  
Crash Tests ◽  
Test Level

Concrete box culverts are usually installed under roadways to allow water drainage without affecting the motoring public. Culvert openings can represent a hazard on the roadside when they do not extend outside of the clear zone, and often require safety treatments in the form of roadside barriers. In this study, a modified design of Midwest Guardrail System (MGS) was evaluated for installation on a low-fill culvert with the strong-post attachment using through-bolts and epoxy anchorage through full-scale crash testing. The test installation consisted of MGS with a 31 in. top rail height, supported by W6 × 9 posts, spaced at 37½ in., attached to a low-fill culvert’s top slab with a 12 in. offset from the back of the post to the culvert headwall. Two crash tests were conducted according to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) 2016 Test Level 3 impact safety criteria. In test number CMGS-1, a 2,428-lb car impacted the MGS attached to the culvert at a speed of 61.3 mph and at an angle of 25.1°. In test number CMGS-2, a 5,013-lb pickup truck impacted the MGS attached to the culvert at a speed of 62.8 mph and an angle of 25.7°. In both tests, the vehicle was safely redirected and captured. Both tests were deemed acceptable according to TL-3 safety criteria in MASH. Recommendations were made for the safe installation of MGS atop low-fill culverts as well as transitions from the standard MGS to the culvert-mounted MGS.

scholarly journals Two Test Level 4 Bridge Railing and Transition Systems for Transverse Timber Deck Bridges

2000 ◽  
Vol 1696 (1) ◽  
pp. 334-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald K. Faller ◽  
Michael A. Ritter ◽  
Barry T. Rosson ◽  
Michael D. Fowler ◽  
Sheila R. Duwadi
Keyword(s):  
Forest Products ◽  
Service Level ◽  
Safety Performance ◽  
Performance Criteria ◽  
Transition Systems ◽  
Roadside Safety ◽  
Safety Standards ◽  
Crash Tests ◽  
Test Level ◽  
The U.S

The Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, in cooperation with the Forest Products Laboratory, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, and FHWA, designed two bridge railing and approach guardrail transition systems for use on bridges with transverse glue-laminated timber decks. The bridge railing and transition systems were developed and crash tested for use on higher-service-level roadways and evaluated according to the Test Level 4 safety performance criteria presented in NCHRP Report 350: Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features. The first railing system was constructed with glulam timber components, whereas the second railing system was configured with steel hardware. Eight full-scale crash tests were performed, and the bridge railing and transition systems were acceptable according to current safety standards.

Crash Testing and Evaluation of Work Zone Traffic Control Devices

1998 ◽  
Vol 1650 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
King K. Mak ◽  
Roger P. Bligh ◽  
Lewis R. Rhodes
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Control ◽  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Work Zone ◽  
Work Zones ◽  
Impact Performance ◽  
Crash Testing ◽  
Control Devices ◽  
Traffic Control Devices ◽  
Under Construction ◽  
The Impact

Safety of work zones is a major area of concern since it is not always possible to maintain a level of safety comparable to that of a normal highway not under construction. Proper traffic control is critical to the safety of work zones. However, traffic control devices themselves may pose a safety hazard when impacted by errant vehicles. The impact performance of many work zone traffic control devices is mostly unknown, and little, if any, crash testing has been conducted in accordance with guidelines set forth in NCHRP Report 350. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has, in recent years, sponsored a number of studies at the Texas Transportation Institute to assess the impact performance of various work zone traffic control devices, including plastic drums and sign substrates, temporary and portable sign supports, plastic cones, vertical panels, and barricades. The results, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are presented for temporary and portable sign supports, plastic drums, sign substrates for use with plastic drums, traffic cones, and vertical panels, whereas those for barricades are covered elsewhere. Most of the work zone traffic control devices satisfactorily met the evaluation criteria set forth in NCHRP Report 350 and are recommended for field implementation. However, some of the devices failed to perform satisfactorily and are not recommended for field applications. The results from these studies are being incorporated into the TxDOT barricade and construction standard sheets for use in work zones.

Toward the Collection of Critically Evaluated Ergonomics Data

1978 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 617-619
Author(s):  
Harold P. Van Cott ◽  
Joel J. Kramer
Keyword(s):  
Reference Data ◽  
Program Planning ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Measurement Methods ◽  
Standard Measurement ◽  
User Data ◽  
Data Representative ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Made In

At the 1977 meeting of the HFS a concept was presented for a Standard Ergonomics Reference Data System. The system would have two goals (1) the critical evaluation and integration of data from the existing published ergonomics literature, and (2) the development and application of standard measurement methods to collect key ergonomics data representative of the U.S. population not found in the published literature in a reliable form. This presentation will cover progress made in 1978 to assess user data needs and develop critical evaluation criteria, in light of significant overall program planning changes.

A Risk-Informed Assessment of ASME Section XI, Appendix E

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Gamble ◽  
William Server ◽  
Bruce Bishop ◽  
Nathan Palm ◽  
Carol Heinecke
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Shock ◽  
Pressure Vessel ◽  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Nuclear Regulatory Commission ◽  
Pressurized Thermal Shock ◽  
Asme Code ◽  
American Society ◽  
Regulatory Commission ◽  
Reactor Pressure ◽  
The U.S

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code [1], Section XI, Non mandatory Appendix E, “Evaluation of Unanticipated Operating Events”, provides a deterministic procedure for evaluating reactor pressure vessel (RPV) integrity following an unanticipated event that exceeds the operational limits defined in plant operating procedures. The recently developed risk-informed procedure for Appendix G to Section XI of the ASME Code [2, 3], and the development by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) of the alternate Pressurized Thermal Shock (PTS) rule [4, 5, 6] led to initiation of this study to determine if the Appendix E evaluation criteria are consistent with risk-informed acceptance criteria. The results of the work presented in this paper demonstrate that Appendix E is consistent with risk-informed criteria developed for PTS and Appendix G and ensures that evaluation of RPV integrity following an unanticipated event would not violate material or operational limits recently defined using risk-informed criteria. Currently, Appendix E does not have evaluation criteria for BWR vessels; however, as part of this study, risk-informed analyses were performed for unanticipated heat-up events and isothermal, overpressure events in BWR plant designs.

scholarly journals Extreme Precipitation in Models: An Evaluation

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1853-1879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory R. Herman ◽  
Russ S. Schumacher
Keyword(s):  
Extreme Precipitation ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Ensemble Forecast ◽  
Forecast Skill ◽  
Forecast System ◽  
Severe Storms ◽  
The North ◽  
Extreme Precipitation Events ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Precipitation Events

Abstract A continental United States (CONUS)-wide framework for analyzing quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPFs) from NWP models from the perspective of precipitation return period (RP) exceedances is introduced using threshold estimates derived from a combination of NOAA Atlas 14 and older sources. Forecasts between 2009 and 2015 from several different NWP models of varying configurations and spatial resolutions are analyzed to assess bias characteristics and forecast skill for predicting RP exceedances. Specifically, NOAA’s Global Ensemble Forecast System Reforecast (GEFS/R) and the National Severe Storms Laboratory WRF (NSSL-WRF) model are evaluated for 24-h precipitation accumulations. The climatology of extreme precipitation events for 6-h accumulations is also explored in three convection-allowing models: 1) NSSL-WRF, 2) the North American Mesoscale 4-km nest (NAM-NEST), and 3) the experimental High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR). The GEFS/R and NSSL-WRF are both found to exhibit similar 24-h accumulation RP exceedance climatologies over the U.S. West Coast to those found in observations and are found to be approximately equally skillful at predicting these exceedance events in this region. In contrast, over the eastern two-thirds of the CONUS, GEFS/R struggles to predict the predominantly convectively driven extreme QPFs, predicting far fewer events than are observed and exhibiting inferior forecast skill to the NSSL-WRF. The NSSL-WRF and HRRR are found to produce 6-h extreme precipitation climatologies that are approximately in accord with those found in the observations, while NAM-NEST produces many more RP exceedances than are observed across all of the CONUS.

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