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Photo for visual interest. An aerial photo of the Proving Grounds Research Facility test runways and buildings. The Proving Grounds are between a four-lane highway and a river.

An aerial photo of the Proving Grounds Research Facility test runways.

Roadside Safety and Physical Security Division

Description

The Roadside Safety and Physical Security Division is home of a center, a national laboratory, and three research programs:

Expertise

Division researchers have academic and research backgrounds with expertise in a wide spectrum of civil engineering disciplines, including industrial engineering, structures, soil mechanics, construction, engineering economy, and highway safety design. The division also includes professionals from academic backgrounds in physics, graphic design, electronics, and instrumentation. They are experts in the areas of structural design and dynamics, bridge management systems, development of evaluation techniques for structures, computer modeling, and the design and testing of highway safety structures.

Additionally, their expertise encompasses human factors in highway safety, ergonomics, and automotive adaptive equipment. Division researchers frequently present papers, lectures, and training sessions on their studies throughout the United States and the world.

Research Initiatives

Researchers are credited with the initial development of breakaway sign and luminary supports, highway crash cushions, safe culvert end treatments, and several guardrail and median barrier end treatments.

Research Results

Safety is one of the most challenging and yet rewarding aspects of highway design. Over the years, division researchers have contributed significantly to overall roadway safety. The problem-orientated or applications nature of this research results in virtually all of the successful endeavors being implemented shortly after completion. The following are some research products that were implemented.

  • Steel barrel crash cushion—This crash cushion or impact attenuator developed in the mid-1960s under a cooperative research project sponsored by TxDOT was the first highway crash cushion to be developed. Within months it was being installed in the Houston area. Since then, private industry and others have developed many versions of highway impact attenuators.
  • Breakaway sign supports—Breakaway supports for medium-size signs were also developed in the 1960s under a cooperative effort sponsored by TxDOT. Later, breakaway supports were developed for small signs, larger signs, and luminaire supports.
  • ET 2000 (QuickTime movie)—This crashworthy guardrail end treatment meets current standards and is designed to minimize damage and injuries in vehicle collisions. Upon impact, the vehicle pushes the ET 2000's extruder terminal forward, forcing the w-beam through the feeder chute, and flattening and directing the beam away from the vehicle. This absorbs the energy necessary to bring the vehicle to a safe stop.
  • Slotted rail terminal (SRT)—This crashworthy guardrail end treatment meets current standards and is designed to minimize the hazard of vehicle collisions. Upon impact, the SRT collapses in a controlled fashion, allowing the vehicle to come to a safe stop or to safely go behind the guardrail.
  • Low profile barrier (LPB)—This segmented concrete barrier is widely used in work zones. The LPB, although only 20 inches in height, can contain and redirect most vehicle impacts due to its special shape. The low height gives motorists ample sight distance to see over the barrier.
  • T31 and T39 longitudinal barrier systems—This barrier system was developed to meet expected requirements of future performance requirements for highway safety features. It has features that enhance performance and reduce costs as compared to current systems and other proposed systems.
  • X-Bolt connection for portable concrete barrier—The X-Bolt connection was developed to provide greatly reduced deflection of portable barriers during a collision.
  • Box beam terminal—This terminal provides a crashworthy treatment for an open box beam guardrail.
  • Cable barrier terminal—Cable guardrail and median barriers provide a lower cost solution for protecting motorist from roadside obstacles but more importantly serve to reduce median crossover collisions. This terminal provides a safe means of terminating a cable barrier.

Other major contributions of the division include:

  • Bridge Formula—This formula, adopted nationwide, defines large truck design loads for bridges. The researchers who developed this formula received a national award for their work.
  • Provisions for Bridge Railings in the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications
  • Information in the AASHTO Roadside Design Guide.
  • Development of pressuremeter—The pressuremeter is a device to measure undisturbed soil properties at different depths below the ground surface. Engineers worldwide are using this device, and its inventor received national and international notoriety for its development and utility.

Related Articles

For more information about this research division, see the Texas Transportation Researcher, Volume 40, Issue 3.

Cooperative Relationships/Sponsors

Division researchers partner with federal and state agencies, such as the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Department of State, Sandia National Laboratory, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), other state departments of transportation, other universities and research institutes, city governments, and industry on research and development projects. Researchers and staff also perform development work, technical support and compliance testing for many private companies.

For More Information

D. Lance Bullard
Roadside Safety and Physical Security Division
Texas Transportation Institute
Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3135
ph. (979) 845-6375 · fax (979) 845-6107
l-bullard@tamu.edu

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