With non-linear finite element analysis, four North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) bridge rails were evaluated using full-scale vehicular crash analysis for crash safety based on testing standards of Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) for approval of statewide installation in North Carolina.
This project was sponsored by North Carolina Department of Transportation under Project No. 2019-23. The highlight of this project was presented at the 16th US National Congress on Computational Mechanics (USNCCM16) and was selected for USNCCM16 Conference Award.
Project Highlight
1. Large-scale dynamic FEA with fine details were conducted in LS-DYNA for vehicular crash.
2. Structural analysis was performed to predict vehicle and barrier response before full-scale actual test.
3. Design guidance for crash safety improvement was provided to NCDOT for current bridge rail system.
4. All NCDOT bridge rails passed the federal test standards and reported for approval on the statewide use.
Roadmap
FE Modeling
Validated material models: concrete, aluminum, steel, etc
Number of elements: 1 million
Length: 90 ft
NC Bridge Rail Systems
(1) 42” Oregon Rail (2) Texas Classic Rail (3) Two-bar Metal Rail (4) Three-bar Metal Rail
Test Vehicles
2010 Toyota Yaris (red) and 2014 Chevy Silverado (blue)
Test Conditions
62 mph impact speed with 25° impact angle
CAE Showcase
Both two test vehicles pass the exit box criteria with high margin.
With the example shown below as the crash behaviours of vehicle engaging with barrier.
Applications
With crash safety evaluation through FEA and full-scale test, these four NC bridge rails were approved for statewide installation.
Project Report
The full project report can be accessed from National Transportation Library, United States Department of Transportation.
Zheng Li 
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