Determining Appropriate Design Impact Loads to Roadside Structures Using Stochastic Modeling

The design and verification of built structures requires structural engineers to consider accidental loading situations. The accidental loading situation investigated in this paper is heavy-goods vehicle (HGV) collisions with roadside structures; focus is on the design of bridge-supporting structures. The impact loads were determined from Monte Carlo simulations of a probabilistic model in which highway traffic measurements and accident statistics in Sweden are input. These loads were calculated for structures adjacent to straight roads as well as roads with curvature, and include considerations of the directional load components. Comparisons were made between the simulation results and approaches given in design codes, with focus on the Eurocode. The simplified approaches provided in the code were inadequate in their treatment of these design situations. Alternative equations for calculating impact forces and energies are presented. These equations can be used for determining design values for impact forces or for conducting probability/risk-based assessments of bridge supports subjected to HGV impacts. In this way, a more consistent treatment of HGV impacts in the design of bridge structures is achieved.