First International Roadside Safety Conference June 12, 2017 Roadside Safety Hardware Framework Concept for Enhanced In-Service Performance Evaluation and Asset Management Practice First International Roadside Safety Conference June 12, 2017

Background FAST Act Requirement (2015) Section 1429: Techniques to identify and document roadside safety hardware devices. Resulting in the ongoing FHWA Hardware ID Project Determine available hardware ID methods. Provide analysis of available methods. Evaluate for ability to convey information, withstand roadside conditions, and connect to existing systems.

Background Knowledge gap identified… How can manufacturers, installers, maintainers, public agencies, and law enforcement all get on the same page? Type of Device and Device Details Tracking and Review (ISPE) Reporting and Information Flow Research

Project Overview TTI Center For Transportation Safety Scope Funded by Texas Legislature (since 2001) $5 million of research each year Scope ISPE Framework Development ISPE Data Dictionary Hardware ID Crash Testing

Starting Point Intelligent Transportation Systems National ITS Architecture USDOT ITS Joint Programs Office Maintained by Iteris National Transportation Communications for ITS Protocol (NTCIP) Developed jointly by AASHTO, ITE, and NEMA Funded by FHWA

Starting Point National ITS Architecture Layers Institutional Institutions, policies, funding and processes for effective implementation, operation, and maintenance. Transportation Solutions are defined with underlying functionality and definitions for each service Communication Accurate and timely exchange of information between systems

The General Idea… Construct a national roadside safety systems framework Institutional Layer Decision makers, policies, funding mechanisms, etc. Desired roadside safety service areas and functions Roadside Safety Layer Safety service areas Installation Details Information Exchange Communications? Not yet… Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Past attempts at infrastructure to center (cell com w/accelerator)

Roadside Safety Service Areas Roadside Safety Hardware Installations Define Systems: Metal Beam Guard Fence, Cable Barrier, etc. Unique identification by system In-Service Performance Evaluation Universal Data Dictionary Post-Crash Data Collection Process Information Flow Construction and Maintenance Installation Data Collection Maintenance and Repair Data Collection

Roadside Safety Service Areas Manufacturing Pre-Installation Data Collection Hardware Identifier Installation Crash Testing Hardware Identification Universal Tag Standards Security Standards Tag Placement Standard System vs. Component

Roadside Safety Hardware Installation Service Areas Installation Type Equipment Package Attributes Standards Rural Roadway Departure Prevention (RRDP) Longitudinal Barriers (LB) Strong Post W-Beam Guardrail (001) Attributes: Varies (XX) Standard: Mash 3-11 (M311)

Roadside Safety Hardware Installation Why is this important? Now we can develop a universal ID system… EX: RRDP-LB-001-XX-M311 Rural Roadway Departure Prevention (RRDP) Longitudinal Barriers (LB) Strong Post W-Beam Guardrail (001) Attributes: Varies (XX) Standard: Mash 3-11 (M311)

In-Service Performance Evaluation Universal Data Dictionary All transportation agencies can begin to collect the same data in the same format… Ex: Idaho DOT Standard Post-Crash Data Collection Process Define the post-crash collection process (using the universal data dictionary) Information Flows Define the information flows and pathways that best improves safety devices National Roadside Safety Installation Database

Construction and Maintenance Installation Data Collection Reporting Requirements (preferably tied to funding) Date of Installation, images, etc. Maintenance and Repair Data Collection General Maintenance, damage, component replacement

Manufacturers Pre-Installation Data Collection Can we get manufactures to provide data? Hardware Identifier Installation Who would do it best? Can we get manufacturers to install tag identifiers? Start the process at the birth of the product…

Crash Testing It is done so well already… Incorporate testing results into data standardization: Pre- and Post-Testing To match resulting field data collection

Hardware Identification Universal Tag Standards One agency uses barcodes the other RFID Some tags withstand extreme cold, some don’t Storage and formatting Security Standards Rogue readers and kill settings Tag Placement Standard Tags end up all in the same spot for handheld or mobile reading System vs. Component

Service Area Graphics

Closing thoughts… Concept to build on Needs a champion Like the ITS communication protocol may take several groups/organizations to make it happen

Contact Information Charles R. Stevens Jr., P.E., PTOE Texas A&M Transportation Institute Phone: (713) 613-9230 c-stevens@tti.tamu.edu