2002 AASHTO Roadside Design Guide: A Concise Overview

2002 AASHTO
ROADSIDE DESIGN GUIDE

A CONCISE OVERVIEW
Background
The first edition of the AASHTO Roadside
Design Guide was published in 1989.
It combined and updated information from:
The 1974 AASHTO Yellow Book, Highway Design and
Operational Practices Related to Highway Safety
The 1977 AASHTO Barrier Guide, Guide for Selecting,
Locating, and Designing Traffic Barriers
Numerous research reports on various aspects of
roadside safety
Background
The first Roadside Design Guide contained nine
chapters:
Introduction
Roadside Safety and
Economics
Roadside Topography and
Drainage Features
Sign and Luminaire
Supports and Similar
Roadside Features
Roadside Barriers
(including terminals)
Median Barriers (including
terminals)
Bridge Railings
Crash Cushions
Safety Appurtenances for
Work Zones
Background
The most obvious change in the second edition,
1996, was metrication.
In addition, the 1996 RDG :
Moved barrier end treatments from the roadside and
median barrier chapters to Chapter 8, combining them
with crash cushions.
Added Chapter 10, Roadside Safety in Urban and/or
Restricted Environments.
The New Guide

The 2002 Edition of the Roadside Design Guide
is written in dual units per AASHTO policy.
Additional changes include:
For the most part, only hardware meeting NCHRP
Report 350 test evaluation criteria is included.
Chapter 11, Erecting Mailboxes on Streets and
Highways, has been added, replacing the AASHTO
guide publication of the same name.
The New Guide

Roadside Safety Analysis Program (RSAP)
One additional change in the 2002 RDG is the substitution
of a new cost-effectiveness algorithm for comparing
alternative safety improvement designs. This new
computer program, which replaces ROADSIDE, is called
the Roadside Safety Analysis Program, or RSAP. While
it will be described in Appendix A of the 2002 RDG, the
computer program itself and a Users Guide will be
distributed separately.
The New Guide

Design Options for Safer Roadsides
Common to all editions of the Roadside Design Guide are
the design options for creating safer roadsides. These
design options, in order of preference, are:
Remove the obstacle
Redesign the obstacle so it can be safely traversed
Relocate the obstacle
Reduce the impact severity using a breakaway device
Shield the obstacle using a traffic barrier or crash
cushion
The New Guide

Design Options for Safer Roadsides (cont.)
These design options are discussed in more detail on the
following slides, with significant changes since 1996 shown
in yellow.
Note: Chapters 1 and 2 remain introductory chapters.
Where appropriate, the figures and tables have been
updated, but there are no significant changes in content.
Design Options:
Remove, Redesign, or Relocate
To the extent practical, all roadsides should be traversable

and contain no objects likely to cause severe injuries
when struck by a motorist. This concept is the
cornerstone of the forgiving roadside philosophy.
Chapter 3, Roadside Topography and Drainage Features,
addresses the clear zone issue and the safety treatment
of ditches, pipes, and culverts in the roadside.
Chapter 3: Roadside Topography and

Drainage Features
Recommended clear zones are minimums

Minimum clear zone increases as foreslopes
become steeper
Curbs have no physical effect on clear zone
Transverse slopes must be much flatter than
parallel slopes
Pipes should match traversable slopes
in
New002
2
Culvert Treatment on Embankment Foreslope
Culvert Treatment on Embankment Foreslope
Culvert Treatment on Transverse Slope
Culvert Treatment on Transverse Slope
Design Options:
Reduce Impact Severity
Roadside hardware that cannot be removed or located

farther from the roadway should be designed to yield
when struck, decreasing the likelihood of serious injury.
Chapter 4 on supports, poles, and trees, and Chapter 11
on mailboxes identify acceptable breakaway designs and
installation practices for sign supports and poles in the
right-of-way.
Chapter 4: Supports, Poles, Trees, and

Similar Roadside Features
Use breakaway designs where feasible

Move farther from roadway
Shield with barrier or crash cushion
Maintain existing recovery areas
Unshielded overhead sign support
Chapter 11: Mailboxes
in
w
e
N 00 2
2
New chapter
Deadly designs
Crashworthy designs
New concerns
Neighborhood Collection and Delivery Boxes
Design Options:
Shield the Obstacle
Whenever a hazardous terrain feature or fixed object

cannot be eliminated through redesign or made to yield on
impact, shielding with an appropriate traffic barrier should
be considered.
Chapters 5, 6, and 7 present design details for
crashworthy roadside and median barriers and bridge
railings, respectively.
Chapter 8 provides information on acceptable terminals
(end treatments) for traffic barriers, and on crash
cushions.
Chapters 5-7: Longitudinal Barriers and

Bridge Railings
in
New002
2
Use crashworthy barriers

Select appropriate test level
Install barrier properly
Reduced emphasis on specific bridge
railing designs
in
w
e
N 00 2
2
Chapter 8: Barrier Terminals and Crash

Cushions
Barriers terminals
Selection and site grading
Crash Cushions
in
New002
2
Design Options:
Applications in Work Zones and Urban Areas
Chapter 9, Traffic Barriers, Traffic Control Devices, and

Other safety Features for Work Zones, presents
information on the selection, location, and design of
hardware typically used in work zones, including
temporary barriers.
Chapter 10, Roadside Safety in Urban or Restricted
Environments, provides general guidance on the
application of safe roadside concepts where the designers
options may be limited by geometric, aesthetic, or
environmental concerns.
Chapter 9: Work Zone Devices
Additional information on Category I & II

work zone devices (cones, drums, signs,
barricades)
Expanded discussion on Category III
devices (temporary barriers and truckmounted attenuators)
in
w
e
N 00 2
2
Chapter 10: Urban Roadside Design Concerns
Addresses application of roadside design principles

where limited rights-of-way restrict available options
Re-emphasizes clear zone considerations in urban
in
areas
New002
2
Incorporates former AASHTO Guide for Protective
Screening of Overpass Structures
Treatment to Preserve Existing Bridge Railing
Inappropriate Landscaping ?
2002 Roadside Design Guide

To learn more
Order the 2002 Roadside Design Guide directly from

AASHTOs Online Bookstore at www.transportation.org
Request the National Highway Institute (NHI) 2-day
training course on the 2002 AASHTO Roadside Design
Guide
Coming soon: Individual training available via the Internet
through the NHIs 6-hour web-based training course

2002 AASHTO Roadside Design Guide: A Concise Overview

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2002 AASHTO

ROADSIDE DESIGN GUIDE

The New Guide

The New Guide

The New Guide

The New Guide

To the extent practical, all roadsides should be traversable

Chapter 3: Roadside Topography and

Recommended clear zones are minimums

Culvert Treatment on Embankment Foreslope

Culvert Treatment on Embankment Foreslope

Culvert Treatment on Transverse Slope

Culvert Treatment on Transverse Slope

Roadside hardware that cannot be removed or located

Chapter 4: Supports, Poles, Trees, and

Use breakaway designs where feasible

Unshielded overhead sign support

Chapter 11: Mailboxes

Neighborhood Collection and Delivery Boxes

Whenever a hazardous terrain feature or fixed object

Chapters 5-7: Longitudinal Barriers and

Use crashworthy barriers

Chapter 8: Barrier Terminals and Crash

Chapter 9, Traffic Barriers, Traffic Control Devices, and

Chapter 9: Work Zone Devices

Additional information on Category I & II

Chapter 10: Urban Roadside Design Concerns

Addresses application of roadside design principles

Treatment to Preserve Existing Bridge Railing

2002 Roadside Design Guide

Order the 2002 Roadside Design Guide directly from

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