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2009/001
SCOPE
This Technical Note provides guidance on the provision of collision protection for bridge
piers and other supports. It shall be read in conjunction with the provisions of AS5100
Bridge Design.
It does not address collision loads on bridge superstructures from over-height vehicles nor
impact from rail traffic.
2.
BACKGROUND
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Existing bridge supports designed prior to the implementation of the 1992 Austroads
Bridge Code, were not required to be designed for the above minimum collision load and
thus may be less robust.
3.
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
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Situations where bridge supports are located close to entry and exit ramps from
freeways and major highways.
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In the case of new bridge supports or existing robust supports that satisfy AS5100
requirements, consideration may be given to designing a similar concrete pier protection
system that acts integrally with the bridge supports.
A secondary flexible (wire rope or similar) system is provided in front of the concrete
collision protection system to safely contain and redirect light to medium mass vehicles
without any contact with the rigid concrete barrier.
The combination of flexible barrier and tapered rigid concrete system is also intended to
safely redirect an errant medium to heavy vehicle impacting at a low angle of incidence. It
is also intended to partially contain and redirect heavier vehicles, particularly buses and
similar to minimise the severity of any collision with the rigid system and avoid head on
impact with the end of the system. The above features are aimed at minimising the risk of
serious injury to vehicle occupants.
The ends of the concrete barrier system potentially represent a hazard to multi-passenger,
medium mass vehicles such as buses. Such vehicles may have sufficient momentum to
deflect the flexible barrier system more than the minimum 2.5m offset specified in Figure 1.
Site specific consideration shall be given to the provision of additional end protection, such
as a crash cushion impact system.
3.4 Geometric details
The details shown in Figure 1 are based on a straight alignment and bridge supports
oriented parallel to the trafficked lanes. It also assumes a minimum median width of about
6m or 4.5m between the flexible roadside barrier systems along each carriageway.
The approach traffic face of the barrier is flared at a 1 in 10 slope away from the traffic
from a minimum offset of 1m at the bridge supports until a minimum offset of 2.5m to the
flexible (wire rope barrier) system is achieved at the approach end. This offset is based on
the requirements of Road Design Note 3-18F, Appendix A..
The trafficked face runs parallel with the trafficked lanes from a distance of approximately
1500mm prior to the bridge supports for the distance required to achieve the appropriate
offset from the flexible barrier system on the other carriageway.
If the road alignment is curved, the concrete protection system may have to be flared at a
rate of 1 in 10 on both sides to maintain the minimum clearance to the flexible barrier
system; this will result in a longer length of concrete barrier.
3.5 Height considerations
The height of the concrete bridge support protection system shown in Figures 1 and 2 is
1500mm in the region of the bridge supports. These figures are based on both
carriageways being at the same level and a horizontal median surface.
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This height is equivalent to that of a High performance level bridge barrier and is required
to safely redirect a heavy commercial vehicle at an operational speed of about 100 km/hr.
The height is required to ensure that the barrier provides redirection to the tray of
commercial vehicles. This is important to:
Redirect the errant heavy vehicle;
Minimise the lateral rotation of an errant high heavy vehicle and potential for
snagging of the bridge supports.
The determination of appropriate height and clearance of the pier protection system from
the bridge supports, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, shall be based on the provisions of the
Austroads Guide to Road Design Pt 6: Roadside Design, Safety and Barriers Figure 6.20
and Table 6.11.
The height of the concrete system is gradually reduced away from the bridge supports to
reduce the size of the potential impact area at each end of the system. The height and
width of the barrier at each end should be minimises or shaped to reduce the severity of a
direct impact with the end of the barrier whilst simultaneously minimising the probability of
the barrier acting as a ramp and launching a heavy vehicle. The slope on the top surface is
of the order of 1 in 10.
For applications where the operational speed of the road is 80 km/hr or less, site specific
risk assessment might indicate that a reduced height of about 1100 to 1200mm might be
adequate to re-direct heavy vehicles, subject to considerations about the probability of
bridge support snagging and the robustness of these supports.
3.6 Structural details
The concrete protection systems that are designed to act independently of pier supports,
shall be designed for the following road traffic collision loads:
The collision loads specified in AS5100.2 Clause 10 to be applied to bridge support
systems; and
The traffic barrier design loads specified in AS5100.2 Clause 11 and BTN 2005/006
for a barrier of the same performance level
whichever has the greater effects.
A1500mm high system shall be designed as a High performance level barrier system
whilst an 1100 to 1200mm system shall be designed as a Medium performance level
barrier system.
3.7 Foundation details
Appropriate foundations, in the form of bored piles or similar, shall be provided to resist the
collision loads referred to above in accordance with the requirements of AS5100.
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MARIO FANTIN
PRINCIPAL BRIDGE ENGINEER
For further information please contact:
Principal Bridge Engineer
3 Prospect Hill Road Camberwell Vic 3124
Telephone: (03) 9811 8307
Facsimile:
(03) 9811 8329
Email:
mario.fantin@roads.vic.gov.au
Bridge Technical Notes are subject to periodic review and may be superseded
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Figure 2 - Typical collision protection system for a median pier with vertical faces parallel to the
trafficked lanes
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Figure 3 - Typical collision protection system for a median pier with inclined faces parallel to the
trafficked lanes
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