TEST REPORT No. 2

ALUMINUM BRIDGE RAIL SYSTEMS

Prepared for

The Aluminum Association Inc. 818 Connecticut Avenue

Washington, D.C. 20006

by

C. E. Buth Research Engineer

G. G. Hayes Assoc. Research Physicist

and

Tim Dolf Research Assistant

Texas A&M Research Foundation

Texas Transportation Institute

Texas A&M University

March 1980

Test Railing Installation

The test railing installed was a variation of the Indiana Type SA 2- bar

aluminum bridge rail. The variable- thickness base plate used in the previous

test was replaced with one of greater and constant thickness . In this test

the aluminum nuts were replaced by steel ones . In all other respects, the

test conditions were essentially identical to Test 4182- 1 . Figure 1 shows the

details of the modification. As before, approximately 28 m (93 ft) of railing

was installed on a massive foundation with no curb. An anchor was provided on

the downstream end to simulate a continuous rail as shown in Figure 2. Hardware

for the installation was fabricated by Magnode Products, Inc . , Trenton, Ohio .

The bridge rail hardware conforms dimensionally with ARBA Technical Bulletin

No. 268-A, July 1973, with the exception of the modification as noted. The

interior rail sections were in 8 m (26 ft) lengths.

Instrumentation

The vehicle was equipped with triaxial accelerometers mounted near the

center of gravity . Roll, pitch , and yaw were sensed by on- board gyroscopic

instruments. The analog signals were telemetered to a base station for

recording on magnetic tape and display on real- time strip chart . Provision was

made for transmission of calibration signals before and after the test, and

an accurate time reference signal was simultaneously recorded with the data .

Tape switches near the impact area were actuated by the vehicle to indicate

elapsed time over a known distance to provide a quick check of impact speed,

and the initial contact also produces an "event" mark on the data recording to

establish time zero .

High- speed motion pictures were obtained from various locations, including

overhead, to document the events and provide a time- displacement history. Film

and electronic data were synchronized through a visual event signal at initial

contact that coincides with the electronic contact signal .

Test Description

A 1974 Plymouth Fury weighing 2043 kg (4500 lbs) was directed into the

r ail at an angle of 25 degrees and 100 . 8 km/h (62 . 6 mph). The impact point

was . 73 m (2 . 4 ft) past post 6 . No anthropomorphic dummies were used in this

test . The vehicle was free- wheeling and unrestrained at impact .

Figures 3 and 4 depict the vehicle and test area before and after the

impact . Figure 5 includes overhead and oblique views of the impact area . It

can be seen that posts 7 , 8 and 9 were separated from their base- plate flanges .

The overhead view shows a detached section of rail from posts 8 and 9 . A section

of the top rail from posts 7 and 8 was thro\vn about 46 m (150 ft) from the

point of impact approximately in the direction of initial vehicle travel .

The posts separated from the base- plates through shearing of the rivets

as shown in Figure 6 . The vehicle was not significantly redirected or contained,

and t r aveled approximately 6 . 1 m (20 ft) from the rail before plowing to a stop

in the soft earth behind the rail installation .

Results

Sequential photographs and a summary of test data are shown in Figures 7

and 8 . Figures 9, 10 and 11 are analog reproductions of the vehicle triaxial

accelerations as a function of t i me .

Figure 12 represents the resultant absolute acceleration which had a

maximum 50- millisecond- interval average of 11 . 91 g's . The triaxial acceleration

traces indicate the indi vidual maximum 50- millisecond- interval values.

Figures 13, 14 and 15 represent vehicle roll, pitch and yaw angles,

respectively, as a function of time from impact .

2

The installation did not meet the relevant performance criteria promulgated

in "Recommended Procedures for Vehicle Crash Testing of Highway Appurtenances",

February, 1978 .

3

1'-05/8"

2'-7 7/8"

1'-5 3/ 8"

_ _L 7/8" -f~L____L

MOD I Fl ED AASHTO-ARBA BR2, TYPE 0 FABRICATED POST

Drill 21/32"¢ Thru 8 C. Bore 11/32" Dp.

Major Axis

3 7;, •. ] 43/4"x 33/4" SEMI-ELLIPSE RAIL DETAILS

POST BASE PLATE

4 103/4"

3 7/16" _l

115/16"

(3) 1" ¢ Holes

Figure 1. Post and Rail Detai l of Modified Indiana Guardrail .

4

14 13 12 II 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 Post No.

2 I

mm ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I I I I I

13 Spaces @ 6'-s" = 84'-s" ,._ 2 1/2.

----~r

Figure 2. Test Insta llation of Modifi ed Indiana Guardrail.

Ln

Figure 3 . Vehicle Before and After Test 4182- 2.

6

Figure 4 . Railing Before and After Test 4182- 2 .

7

-.~

.. :'.:6 .. ,~,-

... ~~ ,'( . " ' f. .

; , ·, . ,·. ~

~·-t.\1 . ~ : , .. ,.._

.. j

~.c: ) ::_ .. , .. , ...•

Figure 5. Overhead and Oblique Views of Test Area After

Test 4182-2.

- ~ · ..

~

:~~··· . ... .~~~ .....

4 iii'.

... !f).i

Figure 6. Sheared Rivets on Post Mountings After Test 4182- 2 .

9

10

0 . 000 sec

0.050 sec

0.122 sec

0.220 sec

Figure 7. Sequential Photographs for Test 4182 - 2.

11

0.380 sec

0. 662 sec

1. 130 sec ... :.~.~

1 . 569 sec

Figure 7 . Sequential Photographs for Test 4182 -2 (continued) .

Modified Indiana Rail

Test No. Date Rail

Post

Post Spacing . . Post to Anchor Length of Installation Rail Deflection

Max. Dynamic . .

Max. Permanent

.......

!----~ 25° j.

L _ -L--J 1 1 I I I l' I I -.. I, I I I ' I I

\0'Z 4182-2 2/13/80

. . 210.6 mm x 95.3 mm (4-3/4 11

X 3-3/4 11)

semi-ellipse Alum. Rail AASHTO BR2 Alum., TypeD with modified base

2.0 m ( 6.5 ft) 2.6 m ( 8.5 ft)

28.5 m (93.6 ft)

1 . 0 m ( 3 . 0 ft ) fat rail failure) ( Ra i 1 fa i 1 ed)

Vehicle .. Vehicle Weight Impact Speed Impact Angle Exit Speed Exit Angle .... Vehicle Acceleration

(Max. 0.050 sec avg) Longitudinal Transverse Vertical

Vehicle Damage TAD -- 1-FR-6 SAE -- 02RFEW2 12FZEW4

Figure 8. Sequential Photographs and Data Summary for Test 4182-2.

··· ·~~-- :il I ';·· · . ;, . •. •.

(..'1"· . , ... .,tt. .. ~ l

"- Jit~ "":~ ·~~-:· ,yo¢ '

'.AL. .

1974 Plymouth Fury 2043 kg (4500 lbs) 100.8 km/hr (62.~ mph) 25° (car stopped beyond rail -38°

-10.6 g - 8.8 g

4.2 g

12FYEW3 03RBMWI

1-' N

z: 0 ,_. 1-c::( 0:: w .....J w u u c::(

.....J c::( z: ,_. 0 :::::> 1-,_. ~ z: 0 .....J

13

1 00 Hz Filter 0 ~----------------~--~------------------~

I 1 ~ • IAvg::;-10.6 I ii 11

o~~~~**~'~! __ l~=~r~~~~A~~A~A~A~A \ ' j I I] : A ;J Ill \f/ v v y v \J

w .~ ' v I II\ I 'J ~ ~ -10

I - 20 I I I . ~ . . I . . . . . . . .

I I I I I I I ~ -3 0~------~------~~--~~~------~------~

0.0 0. 1 0.2 0.3 0. 4 0.5

TH1E (SECONDS)

Figure 9 . Vehicle Longitudinal Accelerometer Trace for Test 4182-2 .

z 0 ,_. 1-c:x:: 0::: I..LJ _J I..LJ u u c:x:: I..LJ (/)

0::: I..LJ > (/) z c:x:: 0::: I-

14

1 00 Hz Filter 30r-------:-------~--~--~------~--~~

I I I l I I I I

J .. l ... . .. .. .. . . . .. I I

20 ·· ······· .... . . .

I I I I 1· .. IAvg= -8. 8 J .. I I 1

" I : : : .

. I ~ 11. I -M~~V'~/Jh"A. ~~ II II 1J I · : V V . . V

~ V V WI 1/\j .

· · · ·· .... --· I · I .. .. ... .. .... .. .. .. . .. ..... .

I I - 10

. ~

I I I I I I

I - 20 ~------~------~--~~--~IL_ ____ L_ ____ __j

0. 0 0. 1. 0. 2 0.3 0. 4 0. 5

TmE (SECONDS)

Figure 10. Vehicle Transverse Accelerometer Trace for Test 4182-2.

z: 0 1-f

~ ~ L.W .....J L.W w w c::(

.....J

30 I

I I r-~ --~-~. Avg=4.2

I .1 20 ·· ... · 1 · · :I ·

I I I I :1 I

1 o ..... ... ·· I . I ·.. ..... . . . . . . . . . . .

I

1 00 Hz Filter

5 0 1-f

t­e::: L.W >

- 10 .. .

-20 0. 0

I I I . I . . . . I I I I

0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5

TIME (SECONDS)

Figure 11. Vehicle Vertical Accelerometer Trace for Test 4182- 2.

15

30

~ 20 ... .. ...... . -z: 0 ....... !;: 0::. LW _J

t5 l 0 ..... ... . . u c::r::

0 0.0

l 00 Hz Filter

0 . l 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 TIME (SECONDS)

Figure 12. Resultant Acceleration Trace for Test 4182-2.

16

0 0 . <.D

0 0

(Y)

c.no TIME wdl. 00 w~ 0: (_'J

w Do '--'o . _j(Y)

I _j

0 0:

0 0

<.D I

C) 0

U)

I

\ \ ~

I (SECONDSl

0.20 0.4 _j

\

Figure 13. Vehicle Roll Angle for Test 4182-2.

17

0 0

~l 8: 0!

\~ 1 I

Ul0

TIME (SECOND S:' wco.oo 0.20 0.40 w •-t-- ----- -_j__ ___ _j

ceo CJ w 0 ~o

0

Im U' f-

0 0

1'£)

I

0 0

m I

Figure 14 . Vehicle Pitch Angle for Test 4182- 2.

18

0 0

c.o

0 0

(Y)

~0 T I E cnctl.OO , LU ·~=-------~--------~ LUo a= C)

LU oo ~o

(Y)

3: ' a: >-

0 0

c.o I

0 0

()) _

I

Figure 15 . Vehicle Yaw Angle for Test 4182- 2.

19