Polytechnic of Namibia

School of Engineering

Civil and Environmental Engineering Department

Civil Engineering Design Project (CET 810)

Design Project Proposal

Submitted by: Agostinho Pilartes

Student number: 200100197

Title: Design of a proposed dynamic guardrail system for roads

Overview

Guardrails play a very important role in promoting safety in roads. Their primary
purpose is to prevent vehicles from leaving the road in hazardous sections such
as cliffs, high fills and where their leaving the road would put people or property
at great risk.

Most guardrail systems in place in Namibia up to the present date are static in
nature. i.e. they resist completely the impact and the absorption of the vehicle
energy is very sudden. Only a small amount of energy cushioning is achieved,
which can mainly be attributed to the bending of the metal plates and posts, and
in the case of wooden post supports, it can also be attributed to the wooden
posts internal resistance to impact.

Aims and objectives

In this concept of a dynamic guardrail system the aim is to have a mechanism

that moves along with the vehicle, while absorbing part of the vehicles kinetic
energy through a framework of gears, springs and bearings.

Possible benefits of the system include:

Less damage to vehicles

Less impact related trauma to vehicle occupants
 Environmentally friendly

The negative points to note about the system are:

The system is more costly comparing to the ones currently in use

Will require more specialised personnel to set it up
The system will require more space as compared to conventional types
currently in use.