Citation

Kimball CE, Wiles EO, Michie JD. Transp. Res. Rec. 1976; 594: 32-35.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1976, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A retrofit design is described here which is believed to be applicable to a large percentage of those concrete baluster installations that do not have curbs on walkways projecting beyond the face of the concrete railing. The design involves a new beam rail element, the Thrie beam fabricated by welding two Thrie (triple corrugated) beams. The beam is formed to and blocked out from the concrete baluster rail by 15.24-cm- diameter (6-in-diameter) collapsing rings spaced at 2.54 (8.33 ft); no attempt was made to space the rings to the concrete post. Further design features are detailed. Test results indicate that the tubular Thrie beam increases the strength of the bridge rail. Vehicle drainage was greatly reduced, and the single Thrie beam to Thrie beam provides a continuous effective guardrail to bridge rail transition.