Manual On Design Guidelines of Longitudinal Traffic Barrier: Preface

ARAHAN TEKNIK (JALAN) 1/85
MANUAL ON DESIGN GUIDELINES Of

LONGITUDINAL TRAFFIC BARRIER
PREFACE
This manual updates the Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 1/85 published in 1985 with few
minor changes.This issue omits the Chapter on Specification and Bill of Quantities which
was included in the earlier publication and the guardrail specification is now incorporated
into the Standard Specifications for Road Works. Departmental policy on guardrail
installation has been included in this issue.
This Arahan Teknik will be continually updated from time to time and in this respect
any feedback from users will be most welcomed. Any comments should be sent to
Cawangan Jalan,Ibu pejabat JKR, Kuala Lumpur.
Page 1

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
PART I - GENERAL
1.2 DEFINITION
1.1 INTRODUCTION
i. Traffic barriers are highway

appurtenances that provide a relative
degree of protection to vehicle occupants
from hazardous roadside features and from
errant vehicles encroaching across a
median.
There is a need to provide highway design

engineers with a choice of safe and effective
guardrail and medium barrier systems. The
application of traffic barriers should result in
safer highways. However, guardrails have
sometimes been misused, perhaps due to a
misconception of their function. Guardrails are
not installed to protect roadside objects or
prevent accident occurance, but to protect
vehicle occupants from possible serious injury.
Therefore, if a guardrail is to be installed, the
engineer must be satisfied that the severity of
hitting the barrier must be less than the severity
of hitting the hazard or leaving the highway.
ii.Traffic barriers are classified into two

basic groups according to functions:
(a)
Longitudinal
Longitudinal traffic barriers perform
by redirecting errant vehicles away
from the roadside hazard.
(b)
Crash Cushion
Crash cushion barriers function
primarily by decelerating errant
vehicles to a stop, thus greatly
reducing severity of a head-on impact
with fixed objects that exist in
off-ramp gore areas.
(This document only covers
Longitudinal traffic barriers.)
It is recognised that traffic barriers are

hazards in themselves, and therefore their
application should be examined carefully.
Emphasis is placed on reducing the number of
such installations to only those that can be
firmly justified.
The purpose of this document is to give some
introduction on the several types of traffic
barrier systems available, some design
guidelines on corrugated steel beam highway
guardrail mounted on timber/steel posts and
New Jersey barrier.
The considerations outlined are concerned
primarily with the selection and installation of
new traffic barriers, but may also be used for
review of existing installations. Sound
application of these considerations will facilitate the provision of appropriate traffic barriers
to ensure roadsides incorporate a consistent and
economic degree of safety.
Types of barrier not described may be
developed, or be found in use in other
countries. However, they should not be adopted
within Malaysia without careful identification
of critical design features, investigation of
performance records or preliminary testing.
Cawangan Jalan, Ibu Pejabat JKR, K.L
1.3
FUNCTION OF HIGHWAY
TRAFFIC BARRIER
The primary function of highway traffic

barrier is to safely redirect errant vehicles and
thus reduce the severity of run-off road
accidents and number of highway fatalities, and
to minimise personal injuries. Highway traffic
barrier installations on shoulders prevent
vehicles access to steep embankments or fixed
objects, whereas median barriers are used
between the roadways of divided highways to
prevent "across the median" collisions with
opposing traffic.
Barrier installations are therefore warranted
(or justified) only at highway locations where
the consequence of an errant vehicle leaving
the roadway is judged to be more hazardous
than the impact with the barrier installation.
This relative accident severity determination is
Page 2
valid regardless of whether one or one

thousand vehicles leave the highway at a point.
Hence accident frequency is not a principal
factor in determining barrier warrants.
However,accident frequency factors do assist in
establishing a preferred order of construction of
two or more warranted installations.
However, it is noted that the installation of
highway barrier itself forms a road hazard as
the system is usually an elongated target which
is located closer to the roadway than the object
itself. For this reason,the highway designer
should make every effort to design without
guardrail. This can be done by
a) providing wide shoulders, verges and
medians;
b) providing adequate clearances to
structures;
c) flattening embankment slopes with firm
even surfaces;
d) clearing the roadside of fixed objects.
It may be necessary to consider the
provision of safety barriers where the above
measures cannot be applied or are
considered impracticable.
1.4 TYPES OF HIGHWAY TRAFFIC
BARRIER
The traffic barrier systems, generally
tailored for specific highway requirements at a
given site, are commonly classified according
to lateral stiffness into the
following three categories.
ii. Semi-rigid Barriers which are used where

small to moderate lateral deflection is
acceptable. It can be classified into two
groups:
(a) strong beam/strong post and
(b) strong beam/weak post.
The strong beam/weak post concept,is that
the posts near the point of impact are
purposely designed to break away so that
the force of impact is distributed by beam
action to a relatively larger number of posts.
Attributes of this system are (1) barrier
performance is independent of impact point
at or between posts and of soil properties,
and (2) vehicle snagging on a post is
virtually eliminated.
iii. Flexible Barriers which relies on large
dynamic deflections to redirect errant
vehicles gradually. This system either
weak beam/strong post or weak beam/weak
post types generally consists of posts
connected by steel cables.
The flexible barrier system is the multiple
wire rope beam mounted via
offset brackets to post. Tests have shown
that vehicles become pocketed or
snagged.
Some examples of each type of barrier
system are as shown in Figures 1.1, 1.2 and
1.3. The most common barrier system in used
is the semi-rigid barriers of strong beam/strong
post, a balanced design, consisting of a
corrugated steel beam mounted on various
types of posts.
i. Rigid Barriers which are normally used

where lateral deflections are not
permitted,such as locations at narrow
medians.As hese systems must be
essentially unyielding, they are almost
exclusively constructed of massive
sections of concrete.
Page 3
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PART 2 . - DESIGN GUIDELINES
2.2.1 Determination of need
2.1 DESIGN PROCEDURE
Traffic barriers should be considered under the

following conditions:
For any new barrier installation, the

recommended design procedure is as
follows:
i. Roadways on high embankment and

embankment with steep side slopes,
i. Establish "point of need" or "length of

need" by warranting consideration as in
sub-section 2.2.
ii. On highways with roadside obstacles and

hazards such as structures and
appurtenances,
ii. Based on the unobstructed space available

for system deflection, select a barrier
system as in sub-section 2.3. For bridge
rail selection, the system must be
structurally compatible with the bridge.
iii. Divided highways with narrow medians,

carrying large volume of traffic,
iii.Determine design particulars for the

selected system, such as terminal
treatments and adjustments for highway
curvature.
iv.Make installation layout drawings. Note
that for guardrails and median barriers,
installations should be extended to a
reasonable distance upstream beyond the
warranted area to prevent vehicle access to
a warranting feature. A method for
establishing this necessary extension is
presented in sub-section 2.4.
v.Make a field review, near the completion
of highway construction, before setting the
final installation limits. Short gaps
between installations should be avoided.
2.2
WARRANTS CONSIDERATION
Traffic barrier warrants are decision criteria

that identify sites along highway needing traffic
barrier installations. These warrants are delineated in terms of geometry and location of
roadside features; and for the case of median
barriers traffic volume is also a decision factor.
Warranting criteria presented below have been
developed from analysis of run-off-the-road
accident statistics and are applicable to
highways in general.
iv. Other conditions such as sharp horizontal

curves, pedestrian protection and severe
accident experience.
The three principal features are (A) slopes
embankment, (B) roadside obstacles, and (C)
opposing traffic which are discussed in more
detail in the following. Other factors are
dependent on site conditions, traffic characteristics and accident experiences
which are considered individually.
(A) Slopes Embankment
Height and slope of roadway embankments
are basic factors in determining traffic
barrier needs for embankment. For low, flat
embankments, out of control vehicles can "ride
out" a slope with a hazard less than that
associated with striking a barrier. For high,
steep embankments, the hazard of being
redirected by a guardrail is less than that of the
vehicle being permitted access to the slope.A
dividing line between these extremes is as
shown in Figure 2.1. This curve is independent
of accident frequency and embankment slope
material.
Page 6
(B)
Roadside Obstacles
For warranting purposes, a 10m zone

adjacent to the travelled way is
recommended as the minimum for being clear
of roadside obstacles. If the 10m zone cannot
be cleared of roadside obstacles such as bridge
piers or permanent buildings, due to practical
or economic reasons, a traffic barrier may be
warranted.
Examples of roadside hazards that warrant
traffic barriers are:
(a) rough rock cuts,
(b) large boulders,
(c) permanent bodies of water with
depth > 0.6 m (2 ft),
(h) gap between twin bridges,

(i) narrowing of roadway (loss of shoulder)
over structure,
(j) street lighting poles,
(k) railway tracks.
As most of these hazards extend a consider
able length along the roadway, the probability
of errant vehicles striking the hazards is higher.
Where feasible, these roadside obstacles that
warrant the traffic barrier should be moved
from the 10 m wide zone adjacent to the
roadway. If this is not possible,traffic barriers
are to be installed.When guardrails are used on
embankments along shoulders they should be
placed at a minimum distance of 1.5 metres
beyond the edge of the road pavement.
(d) line of large trees ( butt dia > 150

mm (6 in)),
(e) bridge piers and abutment at underpasses,
(f) retaining walls and culvert headwalls,
(g) culvert end or wingwalls forming
abrupt drops greater than about 1.0 m in
height.
Page 7
2.3
\
(C)
Opposing Traffic
A longitudinal traffic barrier is used in

narrow medians to prevent across the median,
head-on collisions between vehicles in
opposing traffic. Warrants for these barriers are
determined by median width and the averaged
daily traffic volume.The median barrier need
can be determined as shown in Figure 2.2. It is
suggested that this daily traffic volume be
based on a 2-year projection. Median barriers
are not warranted if median width exceeds 15
metres except on the basis of adverse accident
experience. It is noted that although accident
frequency generally increases after a traffic
barrier has been installed in a median, this is
attributed to the decrease in manouvering space
for run-off-the-road vehicles
2.3
SELECTION CRITERIA
Principally, the factors considered in

selecting an appropriate longitudinal barrier
system are:
i. The obstructed space available for lateral
deflection or maximum desired deflection
for a guardrail,
ii. The roadway or bridge structure
cross-section, and
iii. The installation and maintenance costs.
Page 8
2.3.1 Deflection
The major factor in selecting a traffic barrier
system is matching dynamic lateral deflection
characteristics of a system to the space
available at the highway site. For the systems
to perform in a similar manner in actual
service, minimum unobstructed distances
behind guardrails and median barriers must be
equal to or greater than this deflection.
Summaries of basic characteristics of
guardrails, bridge rails and median barriers
systems are presented in Figures 2.3, 2.4 and

2.5 respectively. Deflection, an important
system characteristic, is the maximum lateral
deflection that a system experiences during
impact and redirection of a selected vehicle.
Deflections of systems vary from 0 to 3.6
metres (12 ft) for guardrails and median
barriers and from 0 to 0.6 metre (2 ft) for
bridge rails.
Page 9
Rigid barriers requires the least amount of

lateral space, because of their minimal
deflection under impact, whereas semi-rigid
barriers, which suffer greater deflections under
impact require more lateral space.
The most economical barrier, corrugated sheet

steel guardrail, requires the greatest lateral
space of the types commonly used.
Page 10
2.3.2 Roadway and Bridge Cross-section

Roadway and bridge cross-section can
significantly affect traffic barrier performance.
Kerbs, sloped shoulders and stepped medians
can cause errant vehicles to vault a barrier or to
strike it so that the vehicle overturns. Optimum
barrier system performance is provided by a
level surface in front of the barrier. Preferably,
face of barrier should be aligned above the face
of kerb; if however kerbs must be in front of
the barrier, they should be of the low,
mountable type to avoid dynamic jump by
vehicles.
Figure 2.6 shows the clearance required to

minimise any potential for vehicles to vault the
guardrail after hitting the kerb. Where barriers
are installed on superelevated sections of
highway, the vertical axis of the barrier should
be inclined in order to remain perpendicular to
the pavement surface. This is particularly
important for slope-face.This is particularly
important for slope-face concrete barriers.
(1) local preference,

2.3.3 Installation and Maintenance Costs
(2) availability and cost of materials,
Although cost of installation generally
increases as system rigidity increases, cost of
repair and maintenance generally decreases.
However, cost of vehicle damage is higher for
more rigid system. If two or more guardrail
systems satisfy lateral deflection requirements,
final system selection can be made on the basis
of:
(3) ease of installation,

(4) interaction of the barrier or supports
with any subsurface rock, services,
or drainage structures or with surface
drainage paths, and
(5) ease and frequency of maintenance
and repair including effects on traffic
operations.
Page 11
2.4
INSTALLATION LENGTH
Installation should be extended upstream from

the warranted limits to prevent vehicle access
behind the protective system. It is not necessary
to extend the installation downstream past the
hazard on highways with one way traffic. For
highways with two way undivided traffic, the
installation should extend downstream.
A method to establish the length-of-need of the

installation is based on a 100 metres
encroachment distance. The length-of-need is
calculated by: L=(1-A)x100m
where
L=Lenght-of-need
A=Distance of barrier from the edge of
pavament
B=Distance of objet from the edge
pavament
Page 12
The length of need of a median barrier will

include the full length of road along which the
barrier is required to prevent cross-median
vehicle movement, as well as any length
required to shield other hazards.
Short sections of guardrail' should be avoided
as they are ineffective and often introduce new
hazards instead. An isolated length of guardrail
on an embankment should not be less than 30
metres. For high speed facilities, a minimum of
75 metres is desirable. Short length of guardrail
is only useful as a warning of the presence of
obstruction or hazard but is inadequate as a
physical protection.
2.5
TERMINAL SECTIONS
Regardless of the type of barrier system

employed, a typical installation is composed of
three components:
2.51 Flared Terminals

Flared terminals swing away from the
pavement edge either in a straight or parabolic
manner as shown in Figure 2.8. Height of rail
with respect to local grade is held constant. A
minimum offset of 1.2 metres (4 ft) should be
provided but where space permits 2.5 metres to
3 metres should be used. The flare should be
gradual to flatten the angle of impact by
vehicles leaving the road. As a guide, the
length of flare, should not be less than ten
times the offset
2.5.2 Ramped Terminals
Ramped terminals provide a guardrail slope to
the beam from effective rail height to grade
level as shown in Figure 2.9.The beam may be
twisted 90 within the ramp section and is
generally anchored at-grade to a concrete
footing.
(a) upstream terminal section,

(b) center section of "length-of-need",and
(c) downstream terminal section.
To prevent an errant vehicle from striking the
warranting feature, the installation must be
extended a considerable distance upstream.
Furthermore, terminal sections must be added
to both ends to anchor the system in order that
redirecting force can develop in the rail.
There are three general types of guardrail
terminal treatments:
i. flares,
ii. ramps, and
iii. straight extensions. 2.5.1 Flared
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Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
2.5.3 Straight Extensions

Straight extensions are additional lengths of
the typical guardrail system, generally with a
standard end-wing added to the beam used, as
shown in Figure 2.10.
2.5.4 Terminals Treatment
Guardrail end treatment is an important safety
consideration and an improper designed end
treatment present a hazard to traffic. Guardrail
ends must be strengthened to prevent excessive
deflection and the possibility of the rail end
penetrating the vehicle occupant compartment.
It should be noted that the ramps tends to
launch an errant vehicle and the flare increases
the angle of impingement. To remove this
danger, the approach ends must be anchored to
the ground to give the needed stability to
adjoining sections and should be flared well
away from the travelled way to prevent
vehicles from striking the anchored ends with a
resulting over-ride or roll-over. If the approach
ends are not flared back, then they should be
blended into the approach environment.
2.6
STANDARD GUARDRAIL
SYSTEMS ADOPTED
The above design guidelines give a variety of

choices of different types of traffic barrier.
However, for economic consideration and ease
of maintenance, standard systems are adopted
as follows:
i. Rigid guardrail adopts the New
Jersey design as shown in Figure 2.11.
ii. Semirigid guardrail follows the existing
practice of corrugated sheet steel beam
guardrail mounted on blocked-out steel
posts. In rural areas, timber posts of
either Chengal or Berlian can be used.
iii. For terminal sections, flared terminal
treatment is used. In case where space is
not available, ramped terminal can be
used. Straight extension terminal is used
only where terminal is pointing away
from one directional traffic flow. Return
section terminal is used at narrow
median installation.
On approaches to structures, the guardrail

must be securely attached to the structure in
order to give maximum protection and to
develop full strength of the rail in tension and
provide a relatively smooth configuration on
the traffic side.
Page 17
2.7DEPARTMENTAL POLICY
i. For all new semi-rigid guardrail
installations,corrugated sheet steel beam
guardrails mounted on steel posts are to be
used. Timber posts may be used on rural
roads of R3 standard and below. The timber
posts shall be of heavy hardwood only of
either Chengal or Bilian.
ii. In the replacement of damaged existing
corrugated sheet steel beam guardrails that
are mounted on timber posts the following
guidelines shall be used to ensure
uniformity and consistency:
a) where the damaged timber posts are more
than five years old, then all the timber posts
in the section shall be replaced with stee
posts.
b) Where the damaged timber posts are less
han 5 years old, then the damaged timber
posts can be replaced with new timber posts
but of either Chengal or Bilian only.
iii. If any deviation from the above guidelines
is considered necessary for specific reasons,
Pengarah Cawangan Jalan, Ibu pejabat JKR
should be consulted for installation on
Federal roads and the State Pengarah JKR
for installations on State roads.
PART 3 - COMMON TYPES OF

TRAFFIC BARRIER
3.1 CORRUGATED SHEET STEEL
BEAM GUARDRAIL
The corrugated sheet steel beam guardrail
commonly used consists of sheet steel beam of
W-shape cross-section attached to block-outs or
spacers supported on posts. Generally, the
block-outs and posts are constructed of steel or
timber.
The corrugated sheet steel beam guardrail is
classified as being 'semi-rigid' because it
deflects substantially but not excessively under
the U.S. standard structural adequacy crash
test; i.e. it undergoes a dynamic deflection of
0.8 - 0.9 m and a permanent deflection of
0.5 - 0.6 m when hit at an angle of 25 degrees
by a 2 tonne vehicle travelling at up to 100
km/hr. It follows that this type of guardrail can
require extensive repair after a severe impact,
and this may have safety, cost and road
capacity implications.
Under substantial impact the guardrail has
been designed to behave as follows:
a) The W-beam first bends and then flattens
out forming a wide tension band to contain
the impacting vehicle.
b) The posts are initially restrained by passive
pressure in the soil, resulting in local failure
of the soil at the ground line and for a short
distance below.
c) Wooden posts rotate, with their point of
rotation some distance below the ground.
Steel posts partially rotate, but also bend
near the ground line.
d) Deflection of the posts and block-outs
causes the line of action of the restraining
force, acting on the side of the vehicle,
initially to rise, before ultimately dropping,
thus minimising the risk of vehicle vaulting
or rollover; the block-outs also lessen the
risk of vehiclewheels snagging on the posts.
Page 18
e) The posts eventually yield and the rail

tears away from the bolt heads and restrains
the vehicle by tension.
The guardrail deflection lessens the rate of
change of momentum of the impacting vehicle
and its occupants which can significantly
reduce vehicle damage and personal injury.
Sometimes, however, a stiffer barrier is
required, capable of giving more restraint to
heavy vehicles, or of limiting deflections on
impact; narrow medians on roads with
restricted cross-section. Corrugated sheet steel
beam guardrail may not be appropriate in such
situations.
3.2
NEW JERSEY CONCRETE

BARRIER
The New Jersey barrier is considered to be a

'rigid' barrier as it is designed not to deflect
significantly under impact. A vehicle, hitting
the barrier at a low angle, first strikes the lower
sloping face of the barrier, rides up the slope,
and then is redirected along the travelled way
by the upper, nearly vertical, face. Energy is
absorbed on lifting the vehicle and by
deformation of the vehicle's suspension and
body.
Generally, it is desirable that this type of
barrier be located within about 1.0 to 3.0
meters of the adjacent edge of the traffic lane to
minimise the potential for large angle impacts,
while maintaining adequate lateral clearance
for normal traffic movements.
This barrier is narrower than a double-sided
corrugated sheet steel beam guardrail, and has
the ability to withstand more severe impacts,
making it better suited for use in confined situations. Sometimes this barrier can be made
wider to support lighting posts, or other
engineering services.
This barrier can be constructed either in-situ or

of 6 metres long precast units and sits on the
base course material and restrained by a
minimum of 50 mm thick layer of wearing
course on both sides.
GLOSSARY
Barrier See 'Traffic barrier'
Crash cushion.
A safety barrier or terminal designed primarily
to resist and-on impacts,and consisting
generally of a partly confined bundle of
expendable,crushable,elements to absorb the
energy of an impacting vehicle.
Errant vehicle.
A vehicle that enters a roadside during a
generally unplanned manoeuvre, e.g. because
the driver lost control or swerved to avoid
another vehicle or obstacle.
Guardrail.A semi-rigid safety barrier, generally
consistingof steel rails supported on steel or
timber posts, designed primarily to resist lateral
impacts.
Hazard.
See Roadside hazard.
Length of need.
The total length of a longitudinal barrier
needed to prevent errant vehicles colliding"
with roadside hazards. The length is measured
'parallel' to the road and should allow for both
directions of travel.
Rigid barrier.
A safety barrier, generally constructed of concrete, which undergoes no perceptible
deflection or deformation under normal
vehicular impact.
Page 19
Roadside.
A strip of land abutting the traffic lanes
including shoulders.Roadside hazard.A roadside feature of such magnitude that vehicular
collision with the feature would be likely to
cause substantial damage to a vehicle, or injury
to its occupants.
Terminal.
The end section of a length of barrier.
Traffic barrier.
An above-ground structure which prevents
errant vehicles colliding with roadside hazards
by redirecting or arresting the vehicles in such
a manner as to minimise injury to occupants or
damage to vehicles.
Vehicle Encroachment.
The movement by an errant vehicle into the
roadside.
Page 20

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ARAHAN TEKNIK (JALAN) 1/85