Collision Study on New Aluminum Alloy W-Beam Guardrail

Abstract

Highway guardrails are safety installations set along the sides or center of roads to prevent vehicles from veering off the roadway, thereby protecting pedestrians and vehicles. However, traditional W-beam guardrails have issues such as poor energy absorption, susceptibility to rust, short lifespan, and a high risk of vehicles running off the road during severe collisions. Therefore, this study employs the partial differential equations of the vertical motion of beams to investigate the relationship between the deformation of wave beams and their moment of inertia. The cross-sectional shape of traditional W-beam guardrails was optimized accordingly. Combining this with the high ductility of aluminum alloy Al 6061-T6, a new aluminum alloy W-beam guardrail was proposed. Finite element simulation models of traditional steel guardrails, new steel guardrails, and the new aluminum alloy guardrail were established to evaluate the performance of the three types of guardrails. The results show that the deformation of the wave beam is inversely proportional to the square root of its moment of inertia. Compared to traditional W-beam guardrails, the moment of inertia of the new guardrail’s cross-section increased by 28.6%. In finite element collision simulations, the new guardrail reduced deformation by 12.8%, lowered the risk of vehicles running off the road, and improved safety performance.