Impact by overheight trucks on highways bridges has been identified to be a serious problem by numerous studies in the past, including a detailed study by the PI in 2011.  Most of the countermeasures for preventing impact of trucks on bridges utilize monitoring for truck heights to warn truck drivers.  However, despite these systems being installed, bridges are still being impacted and some bridges suffer serious damage, particularly to fascia girders and decks.  

Structural countermeasures, such as protective beams, are one of the options for preventing serious damage to fascia girders or bridge decks.  These systems can be installed in front of a bridge at risk of direct impact by overheight trucks and can absorb impact energy through components such as honeycombs.  A preliminary study on potential of honeycombs in reducing impact damage to bridges has recently been carried out by the principal investigator to demonstrate its significant potential.  

The objective of this proposal is to investigate the development of an energy dissipative overheight protection system for highway bridges through crash simulations in LS-DYNA.  The results of this research will form a further basis of this proposed system for installation in front of bridges at risk of impact by overheight trucks.  Hence, cost-benefit and significance of the proposed system will be significant in reducing congestion and mobility of highway with bridges at risk of impact by overheight trucks.