Aesthetic Bridge Railings that are Test Level 3 crashworthy have great appeal. As part of this project, the author worked closely with other designers from Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to design, develop and crash test an aesthetic and crashworthy bridge rail with respect to NCHRP Report 350 TL-3 requirements. The aesthetic features of this bridge rail are easy to construct and repair. The bridge rail elements are mechanically attached to the posts and are not welded, thus making the railing easier to construct and repair. The posts are fabricated from steel plate and are attractive and easy to fabricate. The rail elements, which are fabricated from high strength aluminum, are attached to the steel posts after the posts are installed. The rail elements can be adjusted once in place. The rail elements are also standardized highway barrier hardware. As a result of some simple and cost effective curb reinforcement details developed as part of this project, damage to the concrete curb and deck was minimal from the crash testing. In addition, from previous testing, a TL-3 crashworthy transition has already been tested and approved for this new aesthetic bridge rail design. This bridge rail design is currently being implemented on new construction in Texas. This paper presents an overall review of the design of the aesthetic bridge rail, details of the design, aspects of construction, and the results from the crash testing of the T-1F Bridge Rail.
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