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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Recommended Guidelines for Curb and Curb-Barrier Installations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13849.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Recommended Guidelines for Curb and Curb-Barrier Installations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13849.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Recommended Guidelines for Curb and Curb-Barrier Installations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13849.
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T R A N S P O R T A T I O N R E S E A R C H B O A R D WASHINGTON, D.C. 2005 www.TRB.org NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM NCHRP REPORT 537 Research Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in Cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration SUBJECT AREAS Highway and Facility Design • Safety and Human Performance Recommended Guidelines for Curb and Curb–Barrier Installations C.A. PLAXICO, M.H. RAY, J.A. WEIR, F. ORENGO, AND P. TISO Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA AND H. MCGEE, F. COUNCIL, AND K. ECCLES Bellomo-McGee, Inc. Vienna, VA

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM Systematic, well-designed research provides the most effective approach to the solution of many problems facing highway administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local interest and can best be studied by highway departments individually or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the accelerating growth of highway transportation develops increasingly complex problems of wide interest to highway authorities. These problems are best studied through a coordinated program of cooperative research. In recognition of these needs, the highway administrators of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials initiated in 1962 an objective national highway research program employing modern scientific techniques. This program is supported on a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of the Association and it receives the full cooperation and support of the Federal Highway Administration, United States Department of Transportation. The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies was requested by the Association to administer the research program because of the Board’s recognized objectivity and understanding of modern research practices. The Board is uniquely suited for this purpose as it maintains an extensive committee structure from which authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; it possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, state and local governmental agencies, universities, and industry; its relationship to the National Research Council is an insurance of objectivity; it maintains a full-time research correlation staff of specialists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of research directly to those who are in a position to use them. The program is developed on the basis of research needs identified by chief administrators of the highway and transportation departments and by committees of AASHTO. Each year, specific areas of research needs to be included in the program are proposed to the National Research Council and the Board by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Research projects to fulfill these needs are defined by the Board, and qualified research agencies are selected from those that have submitted proposals. Administration and surveillance of research contracts are the responsibilities of the National Research Council and the Transportation Research Board. The needs for highway research are many, and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program can make significant contributions to the solution of highway transportation problems of mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program, however, is intended to complement rather than to substitute for or duplicate other highway research programs. Note: The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research Council, the Federal Highway Administration, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the individual states participating in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of this report. Published reports of the NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from: Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet at: http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore Printed in the United States of America NCHRP REPORT 537 Project C22-17 ISSN 0077-5614 ISBN 0-309-08820-8 Library of Congress Control Number 2005920632 © 2005 Transportation Research Board Price $22.00 NOTICE The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the Governing Board’s judgment that the program concerned is of national importance and appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of the National Research Council. The members of the technical committee selected to monitor this project and to review this report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due consideration for the balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, and, while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical committee, they are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, or the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical committee according to procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research Council.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished schol- ars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and techni- cal matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Acad- emy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achieve- ments of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, on its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Acad- emy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both the Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. William A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Research Council, which serves the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. The Board’s mission is to promote innovation and progress in transportation through research. In an objective and interdisciplinary setting, the Board facilitates the sharing of information on transportation practice and policy by researchers and practitioners; stimulates research and offers research management services that promote technical excellence; provides expert advice on transportation policy and programs; and disseminates research results broadly and encourages their implementation. The Board’s varied activities annually engage more than 5,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. www.TRB.org www.national-academies.org

COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS STAFF FOR NCHRP REPORT 537 ROBERT J. REILLY, Director, Cooperative Research Programs CRAWFORD F. JENCKS, Manager, NCHRP CHARLES W. NIESSNER, Senior Program Officer EILEEN P. DELANEY, Director of Publications NATALIE BARNES, Associate Editor HILARY FREER, Editor NCHRP PROJECT C22-17 PANEL Field of Design—Area of Vehicle Barrier Systems DAVID L. LITTLE, Iowa DOT (Chair) ROBERT F. BAKER, City College of New York BRIAN L. BOWMAN, Auburn University CAROL A. HENNESSY, AASHTO Monitor SAMUEL A. JOHNSTON, Oregon DOT TIMOTHY R. NEUMAN, CH2M Hill, Chicago, IL RICHARD R. PETER, Elk Grove, CA HARRY W. TAYLOR, JR., FHWA CHARLES F. MCDEVITT, FHWA Liaison Representative STEPHEN F. MAHER, TRB Liaison Representative AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The research reported herein was performed under NCHRP Proj- ect 22-17 by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Bellomo-McGee, Inc. (BMI), and E-TECH Testing Services. WPI was the contractor for this study, and BMI and E-TECH were subcontractors. Malcolm H. Ray, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, WPI, was the principal investigator. The other authors of this report are Chuck A. Plaxico, former Research Engineer at WPI, now Senior Research Scientist at Battelle Memorial Institute; Jennifer A. Weir, Research Engineer at WPI; and Paolo Tiso and Fabio Orengo, former gradu- ate students at WPI; Hugh McGee, President of BMI; and Forrest Council and Kimberly Eccles, BMI. The work at BMI was done under the supervision of Hugh McGee and Forrest Council with the assistance of Christopher Daily, Kimberly Eccles, and Mona Killian, Research Engineers. The crash testing at E-TECH was done under the supervision of John F. LaTurner.

This report presents the findings of a research project to develop guidelines for the use of curbs and curb–guardrail combinations on high-speed roadways. The researchers make recommendations concerning the location of curbs with respect to the guardrail for various operating speeds. The report will be of particular interest to design engineers with responsibility for roadway design. AASHTO highway design policy discourages the use of curbs on high-speed road- ways because of their potential to cause drivers to lose control in a crash. Curbs can also cause a laterally skidding vehicle to roll over upon striking the curb, a situation referred to as tripping. In some cases, a barrier is placed in combination with a curb, and inade- quate design can result in vehicles vaulting or underriding the barrier. Although the use of curbs is discouraged on high-speed roadways, they are often required because of restricted right-of-way, drainage considerations, access control, and other curb functions. Highway agencies have typically tried to reduce problems caused by curbs by off-setting the curb from the travel way as far as possible and using differ- ent curb shapes. Off-setting the curb is not always possible because of the difficulty with right-of-way acquisition and, in some cases, the risk of detracting from features of his- toric parkways. Under NCHRP Project 22-17, “Recommended Guidelines for Curbs and Curb– Barrier Combinations,” Worcester Polytechnic Institute undertook research to develop design guidelines for using curbs and curb–barrier combinations on roadways with oper- ating speeds greater than 60km/h (40 mph). The research team conducted an in-depth review of published literature to identify information pertinent to the design, safety, and function of curbs and curb–barrier com- binations. Computer simulation methods were used in a parametric investigation involv- ing vehicle impact with curbs and curb–barrier combinations. The computer simulations were used to determine which type of curbs are safe to use on higher-speed roadways and the proper placement of the barrier with respect to the curb. Full-scale crash tests were also conducted to validate the computer simulations. The results of the study were then synthesized and guidelines for the use of curbs and curb–barrier systems were developed. The researchers developed recommendations for combinations of curb and strong- post guardrail, curb height, and lateral offset between the curb and guardrail for operat- ing speeds greater than 60 km/hr (40 mph). FOREWORD By Charles W. Niessner Staff Officer Transportation Research Board

1 CHAPTER 1 Introduction Background, 1 Project Objectives, 4 5 CHAPTER 2 Literature Review Introduction, 5 Analysis Methods Applied in the Study of Curb Safety, 5 Effect of Curbs on Vehicle Stability, 7 Effect of Curbs Installed in Conjunction with Guardrails, 12 Effects of Curb Trip on Vehicle Stability, 15 Synthesis of Literature Review, 20 Summary, 23 25 CHAPTER 3 Summary of State Surveys on Curbs and Curb–Barrier Combinations Introduction, 25 Types of Curbs Used by the States, 25 Typical Function of Curbs, 26 Alternatives to Using Curbs, 26 Previous Curb Safety Problems Identified by the Survey, 28 Curb–Barrier Combinations, 28 Previous Curb-Related Research Conducted by the States, 28 Voids for Establishing Guidelines, 28 Additional Information, 29 Summary, 30 31 CHAPTER 4 Research Approach Introduction, 31 Analyses of Curb-Related Safety Issues Using Crash and Inventory Data, 31 Computer Simulation Methods, 34 Parametric Analyses Using Computer Simulations, 38 Full-Scale Crash Testing, 42 Summary, 44 46 CHAPTER 5 Analyses and Results Introduction, 46 Prior Studies, 46 Crash and Inventory Data Analyses, 46 Vehicle Curb Traversal Simulations and Tests, 57 Curb–Guardrail Simulations and Tests, 62 Summary, 84 85 CHAPTER 6 Design Guidelines for the Use of Curbs with Guardrails Development and Validation of Design Guidelines, 85 Design Guidelines, 85 Validation of Design Guidelines, 87 Tripping Risk Index, 87 92 CHAPTER 7 Summary and Conclusions Introduction, 92 Summary of Previous Research Studies, 92 Summary of Current Research, 92 Conclusions, 93 95 REFERENCES A-1 APPENDICES CONTENTS

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TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 537: Recommended Guidelines for Curb and Curb–Barrier Installations presents the findings of a research project to develop guidelines for the use of curbs and curb–guardrail combinations on high-speed roadways. The report includes recommendations concerning the location of curbs with respect to the guardrail for various operating speeds.

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