TY - JOUR PY - 1998// TI - Finite-element modeling of guardrail timber posts and the post-soil interaction JO - Transportation research record A1 - Plaxico, Chuck A1 - Patzner, Gregory A1 - Ray, Malcolm SP - 139 EP - 146 VL - 1647 IS - N2 - The performance of many guardrail terminal systems is dependent on the strength of timber guardrail posts and soil conditions. Accurately simulating the breakaway characteristits of guardrail posts mounted in soils is an important issue concerning researchers in the roadside safety community. Finite-element analysis is one method that can be used to evaluate roadside hardware designs, but good simulations are contingent on developing accurate models of the components. A description is provided of the development of a model of a breakaway timber post and soil system used in the breakaway cable terminal (BCT) and the modified eccentric loader terminal (MELT). The model is described and simulation results are compared with data from physical tests of BCT/MELT posts.
Language: en
LA - en SN - 0361-1981 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3141/1647-17 ID - ref1 ER -