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FHWA Highway Safety Programs

W-Beam Guardrail Repair: A Guide for Highway and Street Maintenance Personnel

fhwasa08002.pdf (1.3 MB)

A Guide for Highway and Street Maintenance Personnel

 

November 2008

Cover page

1. Report No. FHWA FHWA-SA-08-002 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No.
4. Title and Subtitle W-Beam Guardrail Repair: A Guide for Highway and Street Maintenance Personnel 5. Report Date August 2008
6. Performing Organization Code
7. Authors William J. Fitzgerald, P.E. 8. Performing Organization Report No.
9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No.
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc
8300 Boone Boulevard, Suite 700
Vienna, VA 22182-2626		 PerformTech, Inc.
810 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314		 11. Contract or Grant No. DTFH61-05-D-00024
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address
Office of Safety
Federal Highway Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20590		 13. Type of Report and Period Covered Final Report
14. Sponsoring Agency Code
15. Supplementary Notes: The FHWA Office of Safety Contract Task Order Manager was Dr. Clayton Chen. The Technical Oversight Working Group included Ed Denehy-NYSDOT, Tom Nutini-Franklin Co, OH, Dennis Randolph-Calhoun Co, MI, Gary Rohrer-Washington Co, MD, and Glenn Schulte-UDOT.
16. Abstract Roadside barriers are a critical safety device as they shield motorist from what might be a more severe crash when leaving the roadway. Therefore, when damaged they need to be repaired so that they can perform this function. The purpose of this guide is to provide highway and maintenance personnel with up-to-date information on how to repair damaged W-Beam guardrail, the most frequently used barrier system. Three levels of damage are described and guidance is provided on the need and procedure for appropriate repairs. Appendices provide information on the resources (equipment, tools, crew, and time) that will be needed and forms for inspection and maintenance. This guide is an update of a document, W-Beam Guardrail Repair and Maintenance: A Guide for Local Highway and Street Maintenance Personnel, published in 1990 by FHWA.
17. Key Words W-Beam guardrail, repair, maintenance 18. Distribution Statement No restrictions. This document is available to the public through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161.
19. Security Classif. (of this report) Unclassified 20. Security Classif. (of this page): Unclassified 21. No. of Pages: 53 22. Price

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This guide was prepared by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB) under FHWA Contract DTFH61-05-D-00024. Ms. Leslie Wright, Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety, was the initial Task Order Manager; she was replaced by Dr. Clayton Chen. The principal investigator and author was William J. Fitzgerald, P.E. as a consultant from PerformTech, Inc., to VHB. Technical editing was provided by Dr. Hugh McGee, P.E. and Ms. Vicki Glenn and document preparation was performed by Ms. Michelle Scism, all from VHB.

A Technical Working Oversight Group was formed to guide the preparation of this document. The members included:

  • Edward Denehy, New York State Department of Transportation
  • Thomas Nutini, Franklin County (OH) Engineer's Office
  • Dennis Randolph, P.E., Calhoun County (MI) Road Commission
  • Gary Rohrer, P.E., Washington County (MD) Public Works Department
  • Glenn Schulte, Utah Department of Transportation