Implementation of MASH Surrogate Test Vehicles for Sign Supports, Breakaway Poles, and Work Zone Traffic Control Devices

Historically, roadside safety features have been subjected to crashworthiness evaluations using a variety of impact test specifications and/or guidelines.  The implementation of American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) has left state departments of transportation (DOTs) and manufacturers in a situation where a significant number of breakaway poles, sign supports, and work zone traffic control devices (herein called “Systems”) need to be evaluated for MASH compliance. The development of robust surrogate test vehicles, with an ability to largely capture vehicle deformation and penetrations as well as accurate system behavior, would reduce crash-testing costs and promote greater innovation for new products for manufacturers and DOTs. There is a need to provide a guide to aid in selecting the appropriate surrogate test vehicles and testing protocols to evaluate the crashworthiness of Systems. The objective of this research is to develop a guide for the implementation of surrogate test vehicles, including pendulums and bogie vehicles, for evaluation of Systems for MASH compliance and propose modifications to the AASHTO MASH for sign supports, breakaway poles, and work zone traffic control devices. At the minimum, the research results shall include the design and development of surrogate test vehicles, testing protocols, and validation based on simulation and laboratory testing for families of related devices within the following three groups: (1) sign supports, (2) breakaway poles, and (3) work zone traffic control devices. For this research, a family of related devices is a set of similar devices within one of the three groups that share the same critical characteristics controlling crashworthiness.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5165

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $750000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 22-55

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Project Managers:

  Turner, Anne-Marie

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Nebraska, Lincoln

  1400 R Street
  Lincoln, NE  United States  68588
• Principal Investigators:

  Stolle, Cody

• Start Date: 20220819
• Expected Completion Date: 20261019
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Breakaway supports; Crash tests; Crashworthiness; Luminaires; Manuals; Signs; Support poles; Test vehicles; Traffic control devices
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01772196
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 22-55
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 25 2021 10:58AM