Samenvatting
This paper presents findings of an investigation of the safety performance of culvert safety grates recommended by the AASHTO Roadside Design Guide (RDG) when installed on slopes as steep as 3:1. LS-DYNA modeling was used to identify critical impact conditions for roadside culvert grates installed on 3:1 slopes. Two full-scale vehicle crash tests were conducted under the NCHRP Report No. 350 guidelines on a 6.4-m (21-ft) x 6.4-m (21-ft) culvert safety grate installed on a 3:1 slope. The full-scale crash tests demonstrated that the AASHTO RDG recommended safety grates provide acceptable safety performance when installed on 3:1 slopes.