Citation

Marsh F, Webster R. J. Australas. Coll. Road Saf. 2018; 29(2): 20-26.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Australasian College of Road Safety)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Sand accumulation on highways is an ongoing problem for road authorities in arid areas across the globe. Typical methods to prevent sand accumulation on highways include landscaping, sand fences and desert resistant vegetation; but these incur high construction and maintenance costs. This paper discusses the impact of different road safety barrier types used in areas prone to sand accumulation and provides a case study of the impact of replacing an existing steel W-beam median barrier with a trial section of wire rope barrier. The trial proved to be successful in mitigating localised sand accumulation and is recommended for consideration in desert environments.

Key Findings
• Traditional measures to mitigate sand accumulation on the road incur high costs;
• Road safety barriers can contribute to sand accumulation within the carriageway;
• The porosity of barriers can affect the distribution of windblown sand;
• Wire rope barriers offer a potential alternative to mitigate sand accumulation.

Keywords Sand Accumulation, Wire Rope Barrier, Median, Highway

Language: en