National Boards > Bridges
Bridge Railings
Georgia Guardrail:
I'm fascinated by the different types of bridge railings.
It seems like the older bridges have more of a metal pipe type railing and newer bridges constructed in the 1980s and later have concrete barriers.
Although I have seem some newer bridges with pipe type railings, any reason why engineers prefer the concrete barrier rails to the pipe type rails nowadays?
Big John:
AASHTO tests show the concrete sloped barrier to be safer during a crash, and they started to appear in the 1970s.
Tom958:
They're cheaper and more resistant to damage, too. Their biggest downside is that they're too plain. Georgia is one of many states that make no effort to add even modest ornamentation.
seicer:
The sloped concrete barrier has been determined to be safer for all automobile types but that doesn't preclude agencies from using steel pipe.
- The Carl D. Perkins Bridge features a traditional Jersey barrier with a steel pipe atop: https://goo.gl/maps/3EECWg9yMnr4Y5ka8
- Some of the earliest bridges along I-64 in Kentucky feature a double pipe barrier. These have either been replaced with concrete barriers or augmented with traditional guardrails as the curbing can cause issues at high speeds: https://goo.gl/maps/dVEVCXTYGpSiFaKo7 , https://goo.gl/maps/4zPV86t4GaEwuAR96 and https://goo.gl/maps/6YmGkQRrSPGxcoPd9
Dirt Roads:
--- Quote from: seicer on July 26, 2022, 08:57:58 AM ---- Some of the earliest bridges along I-64 in Kentucky feature a double pipe barrier. <safety changes snipped> https://goo.gl/maps/dVEVCXTYGpSiFaKo7
--- End quote ---
These were also common on the early sections of I-64 in West Virginia, including bridges on the Interstate itself. This one in Kentucky looks like it has an intentional walkway on the left side and a much narrower curbpath on the right side. In West Virginia, they almost entirely had curbpaths on both sides with no room for pedestrians.
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