Comprehensive Evaluation of Guardrail Delineation Systems

Abstract

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) sponsored a controlled evaluation of guardrail delineators. Candidate delineators were compared relative to durability, conspicuity, maintainability, and cost. Guardrail delineator samples from six manufacturers in various shapes, dimensions, and colors were evaluated. The study found no significant differences among the samples based on the environmental and mechanical degradation tests. However, installation and wear issues were observed and noted for one of the candidate systems. Current GDOT standard specifications call for 75-foot guardrail delineator spacing. The conspicuity tests indicate that 100-foot spacing will provide satisfactory conspicuity under certain conditions. Use of 100-foot spacing could lead to significant cost savings if the longer spacing is found to be acceptable in a broad range of situations.

Keywords

guardrail delineation retroreflectivity material testing conspicuity

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Amekudzi, A. , Folds, D. , & Zureick, A. (2004, April). Comprehensive evaluation of guardrail delineation systems (Final Report: GDOT Project No. 2015). Atlanta: Georgia Institute of Technology.

Campi, J. S., Jr. (1990, February). Guiderail delineation: Final report. (Technical Report No. FHWA/NJ-87-006-7751). Trenton: New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) . (1999, July). Standard 4360—Reflectorized guardrail washers and anchorage nose striping (2nd revision). Atlanta: Author.