High containment steel bridge parapet with transition to a safety fence.

The Department of Transport United Kingdom in technical memorandum BE5 (July 1982) requires that high containment parapets be provided at certain high-risk locations where the dangers resulting from a vehicle penetrating the parapet are judged to outweigh those from possibly redirecting vehicles back into the traffic stream. Memorandum BE5 gives detailed design requirements for reinforced in-situ and precast concrete parapets; it specifies moments of resistance in bending, horizontal, and transverse shear resistance and minimum wall thickness. No criteria are cited, however, for designs in other materials such as metal or masonry. The purpose of this report is to establish design criteria for high containment metal parapets.