Road Engineer

[pete1958]

HI Guys,

Before I had to stop working I was first a civil draftsman (late 70's) and worked my way up Senior Project Engineer (No degree) in 2005.

I have designed Interchanges, Roadways, Parking Lots and Sewers. Done alittle Bridge work under a Structural Engineers guidance. Can't spell worth a damn, but I was a math and science guy.

If you ever have any questions about anything related to roads, bridges, construction zones etc., just ask me...its free!

Jay

PS. AS you can sometimes tell, we would have to letter our drawings with the beginning of each word capitalized. It somehow creeps into my typing to this day.

Go ahead ask me about why they put guardrail in some places and not in others, etc. This is good mental exercise for me.

With all good wishes to my sick and twisted friends,

Jay

[RWG]

HI Guys,

Before I had to stop working I was first a civil draftsman (late 70's) and worked my way up Senior Project Engineer (No degree) in 2005.

I have designed Interchanges, Roadways, Parking Lots and Sewers. Done alittle Bridge work under a Structural Engineers guidance. Can't spell worth a damn, but I was a math and science guy.

If you ever have any questions about anything related to roads, bridges, construction zones etc., just ask me...its free!

Jay

PS. AS you can sometimes tell, we would have to letter our drawings with the beginning of each word capitalized. It somehow creeps into my typing to this day.

Go ahead ask me about why they put guardrail in some places and not in others, etc. This is good mental exercise for me.

With all good wishes to my sick and twisted friends,

Jay

Why do they put guardrails in some places but not others??????

Dick G.

[pete1958]

Why do they put guardrail in some places and not others?

Well the federal highway administration as determined a distance from the edge of the road outward to the ditch or whatever, that it considers "recoverable". This distance is based on the vehicle speed and is callled the "Clear Zone". If there is anything that falls within this area such as a sign post foundation, bridge enbuttment or steep slope (greater than 4:1) it must be protected by guardrail. If anything is outside of this distance it doesn't require protection.

I don't know if it makes any since. For a highway speed road the Clear Zone might be 32'. I guess they figure if you get that far off the road your screwed anyway..

Jay

[ghost-57]

Jay,

I work for an engineering firm out here in Utah (National Firm) and am about to take a UDOT course for Inspector - On-site type and also relating to guardrails, striping, bridges etc., was under the impression that accident statistics also played a role in whether or not protection -water barrels, rails, speed zones, flashing lights whatnot were used?
I would imagine 2005 being recent enough that you'd have some ideas?


ghost-57

[pete1958]

Jay,

I work for an engineering firm out here in Utah (National Firm) and am about to take a UDOT course for Inspector - On-site type and also relating to guardrails, striping, bridges etc., was under the impression that accident statistics also played a role in whether or not protection -water barrels, rails, speed zones, flashing lights whatnot were used?
I would imagine 2005 being recent enough that you'd have some ideas?


ghost-57

Chris, Accident statics do play a role. But the big thing is a thing called "Clear Zone", which is based upon speed and the proximity of an object to the roadway. All is based on AASHTO, which are Federal guidelines and since most everything is built with Fed money, the states adopt their guidelines. In Indiana the Engineering industry is down right now. You and I are gonna have to chat engineering on the phone sometime!

The short answer is yes....but only a small one.

Jay

[ghost-57]

yessir, very familiar with them as well as I am out there in the mobile lab performing all the field and lab testing per aashto. Also ICC certified though typically have been geared toward transportation work, just waiting on all that stimulus money to kick in so I can get back at it.....