Testing of State Roadside Safety Systems Volume XIII: Appendix L - Crash Testing and Evaluation of the Modified MELT (FHWA-RD-98-048)

The purpose of this study is to crash test and evaluate new or modified roadside safety hardware and, where necessary, redesign the devices to improve their impact performance. The three major areas addressed in this study are the impact performance of bridge railings, transitions from guardrails to bridge railings, and end treatments for guardrails and median barriers.|This report presents the results of two crash tests conducted on a modified MELT with the 2000P test vehicle (i.e., a 2000-kg (4409-1b) pickup truck), in accordance with guidelines set forth in NCHRP Report 350 for test level 3 conditions. The first test was an end-on test at a nominal impact speed and angle of 100 km/h (62.2 mi/h) and 0 degree. The second test was a redirection test at the beginning of length of need at a nominal impact speed and angle of 100 km/h (62.2 mi/h) and 25 degrees. The MELT was judged to have performed satisfactorily in the end-on test, but failed in the redirection test. In the end-on test, the terminal gated and allowed the vehicle to proceed behind the guardrail as designed. In the redirection test, the W-beam rail element ruptured at the post 7 location, which allowed the vehicle to penetrate behind the guardrail.|This volume is the thirteenth in a series of 14 volumes for the final report. The other volumes in the series are: Volume I - Technical Report; Volume II, Appendix A - Crash Testing and Evaluation of a Michigan Thrie-Beam Transition Design; Volume III, Appendix B - Crash Testing and Evaluation of a Guardrail System for Low-Fill Culvert; Volume IV, Appendix C - Crash Testing and Evaluation of a Pennsylvania Transition Design; Volume V, Appendix D - Crash Testing and Evaluation of a Washington, DC, PL-1 Bridge Rail; Volume VI, Appendix E - Crash Testing and Evaluation of a Modified Breakaway Cable Terminal (BCT) Design; Volume VII, Appendix F - Crash Testing and Evaluation of the Minnesota SwingAway Mailbox Support; Volume VIII, Appendix G - Crash Testing and Evaluation of the Single Slope Bridge Rail; Volume IX, Appendix H - Crash Testing and Evaluation of the NETC PL-2 Bridge Rail Design; Volume X, Appendix I - Crash Testing and Evaluation of a Mini-MELT for a W-Beam, Weak-Post (G2) Guardrail System; Volume XI, Appendix J - Crash Testing and Evaluation of Existing Guardrail Systems; Volume XII, Appendix K- Crash Testing and Evaluation of the MELT; and Volume XIV, Appendix M - Laboratory and Pendulum Testing of Modified Breakaway Wooden Posts.