Bridges
- Publication no: AP-R735-25
- ISBN: 978-1-922994-74-5
- Published: 10 June 2025
- PDF (free) Download
This report presents the primary outcomes of Austroads’ project ABT6152, which focused on the update of the Austroads Standard Bridge Barrier Design Guidelines, to align with the current standards, including:
- Australian Standard AS/(NZS) 5100: Series 2017– Bridge Design.
- Australian Standard AS/(NZS) 3845: Series 2017 – Road Safety Barrier Systems and Devices.
- American Association of Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH).
The process to update the guidelines adopted a comprehensive approach, incorporating an extensive literature review of current and previous guidance, as well as stakeholder consultations. To enhance the robustness of the revision, a finite element analysis (FEA) and a MASH-compliant full crash test of a medium performance barrier were also conducted.
Consistency in the design of traffic barriers for bridges has emerged as a significant issue in current practice across Australia and New Zealand. The primary concerns include determining appropriate barrier performance levels, establishing structural design criteria, the absence of standardised barrier design details, and the need for guidance on retrofitting existing bridge barriers, as well as handling bridge approach barriers and overpass bridge support protection.
The revised guideline captures insights from both the literature review and consultation process. The FEA of the medium barrier proved effective in accurately predicting compliance with crash test requirements during a comprehensive crash test. Subsequently, the finite element model has been refined for ongoing investigations. The crash test assessment, conducted in accordance with MASH (AASHTO 2009), produced results within specified limits.
Watch a recording of the webinar to learn more.
- Summary
- 1. Introduction
- 1.1 Purpose
- 1.2 Scope
- 1.3 Methodology
- 1.3.1 Phase 1
- 1.3.2 Phase 2
- 2. Literature Review and Stakeholder Consultation
- 2.1 Methodology
- 2.2 Workshop findings
- 2.3 Literature review findings
- 2.4 Conclusions
- 3. Finite Element Analysis
- 3.1 General
- 3.2 Method
- 3.3 Model
- 3.3.1 Barrier and deck geometry
- 3.3.2 Material properties
- 3.3.3 Vehicles and impact conditions
- 3.4 Simulation results
- 3.5 Conclusion
- 4. Full Crash Test (MASH Test)
- 4.1 General
- 4.2 Testing matrix and evaluation criteria
- 4.3 Results summary
- 4.4 Conclusion
- 5. Finite Element Model Verification and Validation
- 5.1 Analysis solution verification table
- 5.2 Phenomena importance ranking table
- 5.3 Time history evaluation table
- 5.4 Side-by-side photographs
- 5.5 Verification and validation conclusions
- 6. Conclusions
- References
- Appendix A Literature Review Summary