Work Zone Design Considerations for Truck Operations and

Work Zone Design Considerations for Truck Operations and

Technical Report Documentation
1.
■n'tparl No.
3.
Recipient'* Catalog No.
J.
T<flo and Subtitle
S.
Report Oat*
Work Zone Design Considerations
for
Truck Operations
February
and Pavement/Shoulder Drop-Offs
7.
Auiho/'»)
Jerry L.
9.
6.
Graham and
John C.
7O2O-S
Glennon
P»ifo«ming Orgoniiafion Nama and Ada'tasi
Midwest
Research
12.
Missouri
64110
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration,
15.
Work Un.t No. (TRAIS,
11.
Contract or G«ont N».
13-
Type of Roport and Parioct Cowered
Final Report
Sponsoring Agancy Mom a and Ao"d««»»
Washington, D.C.
10.
Institute
425 Volker Boulevard
Kansas City,
1984
Performing O«gam cation Cao>
September 1980-February 1984
Office of Research
H.
20590
Sponsoring Agency Code
Supplementary Not**
FHWA Contract Manager
- Mr.
Justin True
(HRS-30)
Alchough vork zones certainly present hazards co all drivers,
particular are presenced ulth many demanding
cions include narrow lane widens,
3ir.uar.lon3
cruck drivers in
in work zones.
These
sicua-
poor superelevacion. and reduced passing oppor
tunities.
Pavement/shoulder drop-otfs occur frequently in work zones that require excavacion or removal oC pavenenc and 9hculder raacerlal adjacent
Such drop-offs present obviou3 hazards co vehicles
chac
co
lanes open co cracfic.
run off
che uoric zone road
way.
This reporc presencs che cesulcs of research on chese
cwo
Issues.
Operational
and accidenc daca were analyzed from nine cruck scudy sices in chree scaces.
Pave-
oenc/shoulder drop-orEs were studied via Simulaclon modeling of che drop-oft maneuver
and via analysis of operational and accident daca from four pavement/shoulder drop
off 3itea loeaced in two states.
ResuLcs oc cha scudy of cruck problems in uork zones revealed
sign
speed of a temporary crossover roaduay as
served.
insufficient de
che most critical cruck problem ob
Ocher problems noted Included insufficient merging or acceleration areas
trucks in work zones,
cor
reverse supecelevation of a paved shoulder used as a work zone
traffic lane, and rear-end accidents on work zones located on long aceep downgrades.
The modeling of pavement/shoulder drop-off eraversaIs resulted in developctenc or
a "window of safety" to dafiaa maximum tolerable drop-off heights as related to
vehicle speeds and adjacent lane widens.
Operational data revealed chat vehicles do
not slow down in response co a pavemanc/shoulder drop-off.
Laceral placement of
vehicles relative co the drop-off edge did vary based on che type and placement of
cracfic control devices used co delineace che drop-off.
17.
IS.
Key Wo/d»
Diiiribuiicn Statement
This document is available
Work Zone Traffic
Work
Zone
Control
through
Securiry Ooiii'. (of ihi i raporl)
UNCLASSIFIED
cocm DOT F 1700.7 <8-72)
the public
Informa
tion Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161
Truck Accidents
Pavement/Shoulder Drop-Offs
19.
to
the National Technical
20.
Sdcis'i'y CIojii'. (a' ihi t aoge^
UNCLASSIFIED
Reproduction oi complcicd page authorized
21. No. of Poqot
136
22.
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