NCHRP Web-Only Document 411

Prevention and Mitigation of Bridge and Tunnel Strikes

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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS

CRP STAFF FOR NCHRP WEB-ONLY DOCUMENT 411

Monique R. Evans, Director, Cooperative Research Programs

Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs, and Manager, National Cooperative Highway Research Program

Ahmad Abu-Hawash, Senior Program Officer

Sheila A. Moore, Senior Program Assistant

Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications

Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications

Jennifer Correro, Assistant Editor

NCHRP PROJECT 08-139 PANEL

Field of Transportation Planning—Area of Planning Methods & Processes

Dave L. Huft, South Dakota Department of Transportation, Pierre, SD (Chair)

Jacqueline Darr, North Dakota Highway Patrol, Bismarck, ND

Joanna Jungels, Anderson Trucking Service, Inc., St. Cloud, MN

William Lambert, New Hampshire Department of Transportation, Concord, NH

Caroline A. Mays, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin, TX

Narayan Selwal, California Department of Transportation, Sacramento, CA

Sarah M. Wilson, Illinois Department of Transportation, Schaumburg, IL

Jeffrey Robert Purdy, FHWA Liaison

AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The research reported herein was performed under NCHRP Project 08-139 by the Institute for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation (IPIT) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), VHB, and Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA). UWM was the contractor for this study, with support from VHB and ARA serving as subcontractors.

Dr. Xiao Qin, P.E., Lawrence E. Sivak ’71 Professor of Civil & Environmental Department and Director of IPIT at UWM, was the Project Principal Investigator. Other authors of this guide are Dr. Frank Gross, P.E., Researcher at VHB and Co-Principal Investigator; Jason J. Bittner, MPA, PMP, Researcher at ARA and Co-Principal Investigator; Dr. Habib Tabatabai, Ph.D., Professor of Civil & Environmental Department at UWM; Dr. Andrew Graettinger, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research of Engineering & Applied Science, Office of the Dean at UWM; Dr. Yang Li, Ph.D., Research Associate of IPIT, and Mohammad Wael Amer, Graduate Research Assistant at UWM; Dr. Bob Scopatz, Researcher at VHB; Sam Arnold, P.E., Researcher at VHB; Dan D’Angelo, P.E., PMP, PMI-RMP, PfMP, Researcher at ARA; Dr. Hannah Silber, Researcher, and Neil Janes, Staff Research Analyst at ARA.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMARY

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION

Goals and Objectives

Report Outline

CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

BrTS Data Analysis

State of Research in BrTS Risk Analysis and Modeling

State of Practice in BrTS Reporting

State of Practice in BrTS Prevention and Mitigation

Summary

CHAPTER 3. DATA NEEDS AND SOURCES

Overview

Search Methods for Data Sources

Primary Data Needs and Data Sources

CHAPTER 4. KNOWLEDGE GAPS RELATED TO BRTS DATA MANAGEMENT

Introduction

Communication

BrTS Data Collection and Management

Summary

CHAPTER 5. DATA ACQUISITION, PROCESSING, AND LINKAGE

Data Acquisition

Data Processing and Linkage

CHAPTER 6. BRTS DATA ANALYSIS

CHAPTER 7. METHODS FOR RISK ASSESSMENT

Introduction

Basic Method

Expert Knowledge

Crash Prediction Model

Case Studies

CHAPTER 8. BRTS DATA CLEARINGHOUSE PROTOTYPE

Introduction

Prototype Design Concept

Prototype Demonstration

Data Preparation

Data Linkage

Results and Presentations

Summary

CHAPTER 9. COUNTERMEASURES IDENTIFICATION AND PROCESS FOR SELECTION

Introduction

Literature Assessment

Countermeasures Selected

Summary

CHAPTER 10. STAKEHOLDER SURVEYS

State Agency Survey

Motor Carrier Survey

Observations from Both National Surveys

Follow-up Industrial Stakeholder Interviews

CHAPTER 11. GUIDE DEVELOPMENT

Introduction

Guide Structure and Layout

Summary

CHAPTER 12. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusions

Recommendations

REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDIX A. TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM: LITERATURE REVIEW

APPENDIX B. TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM: DATA NEEDS AND SOURCES

APPENDIX C. TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM: IDENTIFY KNOWLEDGE GAPS RELATED TO BRTS DATA MANAGEMENT

APPENDIX D. TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM: CRASH PREDICTION MODELS FOR HIGHWAY BRIDGES

APPENDIX E. TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM: CASE STUDIES

APPENDIX F. TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM: SUMMARY OF STATE AGENCY SURVEY RESULTS

APPENDIX G. NCHRP08-139 BRIDGE AND TUNNEL VEHICLE STRIKES (BRTS) ASSESSMENT SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE (STATE AGENCIES)

APPENDIX H. LIST OF RESPONDENTS (STATE AGENCIES)

APPENDIX I. TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM: SUMMARY OF MOTOR CARRIER SURVEY RESULTS

APPENDIX J. NCHRP08-139 BRIDGE AND TUNNEL VEHICLE STRIKES (BRTS) ASSESSMENT SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE (MOTOR CARRIERS)

APPENDIX K. BRTS DATA CLEARINGHOUSE USER MANUAL

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. BrTS Data Needs and Sources

Table 2. Brief Summary of BrTS Mitigation Technologies and Best Practice Examples

Table 3. Summary of State Data Collection Protocols

Table 4. BrTS by Sequence of Crash Events

Table 5. Example of Data Fields/Attributes Conversion (Wisconsin)

Table 6. Summary of Retrieved State-Maintained BrTS Crash Data

Table 7. Selected Structure Variables

Table 8. Results of Spatial Join Incorporating Railroad Bridge Data

Table 9. BrTS Attributes Used by Each State

Table 10. Crash Statistics by State for Single Vehicle and Multiple Vehicle Crashes

Table 11. Crash Statistics by State for Injury Severity of Bridge Related Crashes

Table 12. Risk Factors by Crash Type

Table 13. Prototype of the BrTS data clearinghouse flat file

Table 14. List of Categories and the Selected Countermeasures

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. BrTS Data Information Flow.

Figure 2. Decision Tree of BrTS Data Types.

Figure 3. The status of state responses to NCHRP 08-139 data request.

Figure 4. NBI data retrieval and sample.

Figure 5. NTI data retrieval and sample.

Figure 6. BTS railroad bridge data retrieval and samples.

Figure 7. Relational crash database with relevant information for BrTS.

Figure 8. Additional property damage cost (upper) and vehicle damage cost (lower).

Figure 9. Bridge count by number of crashes (North Carolina).

Figure 10. Example of spatial joined results of the distance between crashes and bridges.

Figure 11. Percentage of bridge strikes within 500 ft. of a bridge.

Figure 12. Crash heatmap for under-bridge strikes with substructure (North Carolina).

Figure 13. Flowchart of BrTS risk modeling.

Figure 14. Design of BrTS data clearinghouse.