USA Banner

Official US Government Icon

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Site Icon

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation
FHWA Highway Safety Programs

Safety EdgeSM Design and Construction Guide

se_design_constr_guide.pdf (1.63 MB)

Federal Highway Admistration Program
Every Day Counts
Innovation Initiative

 

Final Report
January 5, 2012

Treskelion Logo
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration

FOREWORD

The main focus of this document is to explain the important design, construction, and materials-related considerations for constructing the Safety EdgeSM. The target audience of this report is pavement design and construction personnel who will specify and construct the Safety EdgeSM.

1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No 3. Recipient's Catalog No
3. Title and Subtitle
Safety EdgeSM Design and Construction Guide		 5. Report Date
January 5, 2012
6. Performing Organization Code
7. Authors
Andy Mergenmeier, P.E., Harold Von Quintus, P.E, Jagannath Mallela, and Paul Littleton, P.E.		 8. Performing Organization Report No.
9. Performing Organization Name and Address
Applied Research Associates, Inc. 100 Trade Centre Drive, Suite 200 Champaign, IL 61820		 10. Work Unit No.
11. Contract or Grant No.
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address
Office of Infrastructure Federal Highway Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590		 13. Type of Report and Period Covered
Design and Construction Guide April 2010 – July 2011
14. Sponsoring Agency Code
15. Supplementary Notes
Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative: Byron Lord and Mary Huie Contracting Officer’s Technical Manager: Andy Mergenmeier
16. Abstract

In a coordinated effort with highway authorities and industry leaders, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Every Day Counts initiative serves as a catalyst to identify and promote cost effective innovations to bring about rapid change to increase safety of our nations highway system, decrease project delivery time, and protect our environment. The Safety EdgeSM concept is an example of one such initiative in which the edge of the road is beveled during construction for the purpose of helping drivers who migrate off the roadways to more easily return to the road without over correcting and running into the path of oncoming traffic or running off the other side of the roadway.

This Design and Construction Guide shares the findings from ten demonstration projects in multiple states and other ad hoc projects in which the Safety EdgeSM was implemented. This Guide supports the FHWA's efforts to implement the Safety EdgeSM technology by providing standards, guidance, and specifications for adopting this treatment as a standard practice on all applicable new and resurfacing pavement projects.

The Guide provides information on the various elements to consider when designing and constructing pavement projects with the Safety EdgeSM. The Guide provides insights and lessons learned on previously constructed projects, highlighting items that may vary from conventional pavement design and construction.
17. Key Words
Safety EdgeSM, slope, asphalt concrete materials, PCC, roadway departure		 18.Distribution Statement No restriction.
19. Security Classif.(of this report)
Unclassified		 20. Security Classif. (of this page)
Unclassified		 21. No. of Pages 22. Price