The purpose of this project was to design, construct and test a High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) guardrail comparable in strength to current systems but using the memory capabilities of HDPE to facilitate recovery after a crash. A conceptual design was created based on the properties of the material, functional requirements of existing guardrails and the safety performance evaluation requirements of National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350. A prototype HDPE guardrail was constructed and subjected to a variety of quasi-static and dynamic component tests performed in the Laboratorio sulla Sicurezza dei Trasporti (LAST), Milan, Italy. The quasi-static and dynamic test results were analyzed and refinements were made to the guardrail system design. The results were used to make recommendations on completing the development of an HDPE guardrail that will satisfy the full-scale testing requirements of NCHRP Report 350.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Kelly, Katherine A.
• Archambault, Beau J.
• Fragachan, Rodrigo Ignacio
• Bridge, Joanna Leigh

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 07D026M

Advisor

• Ray, Malcolm H.

Year

• 2007

Sponsor

• Laboratorio sulla Sicurezza dei Trasporti

Date created

• 2007-01-01

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Physics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Civil Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright