Risk-Based Management of Guardrails: Site Selection and Upgrade

Report No: 02-CR1

Published in 2001

About the report:

This effort addresses the need for a logic-driven process that the Virginia Department of Transportation can use to allocate resources to run-off-road and fixed-object hazards on diverse secondary road systems. In Virginia, there are approximately 60,000 miles of roadway where guardrail upgrade, installation, or related warning signs or protection may be appropriate to address run-off-road and fixed-object hazards. In this project, an information system was developed to aid the planner in guardrail resource allocation by accounting for the potential crash severities, traffic exposures, costs of treatment, and other factors. A user manual accompanying the report describes the three developed software packages (database, screening, and site evaluation) in detail, including a demonstration of the software in a case study of New Kent County, Virginia.

Documents

02-CR1

_{Disclaimer Statement:The contents of this report reflect the views of the author(s), who is responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Commonwealth Transportation Board, or the Federal Highway Administration. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. Any inclusion of manufacturer names, trade names, or trademarks is for identification purposes only and is not to be considered an endorsement.}

Authors

James Lambert, Yacov Haimes, Kenneth Peterson, Jeffrey Baker, Christian Baldwin, Irene Jacoub, Michael Raker

Last updated: December 4, 2023