MPC Research Reports
Report Details

Title:	Evaluation of Pavement Shoulders
Authors:	Khaled Ksaibati and Israel Crowe
University:	University of Wyoming
Publication Date:	May 1999
Report #:	MPC-99-101
Project #:	MPC-089
TRID #:	00764860
Keywords:	construction, costs, crash data, geometric segments, highway safety, paved shoulders, pavements, road shoulders, strength of materials, structural analysis

Abstract

In this study the researchers examined the effect of pavement shoulders on the safety and structural strength of highways in Wyoming. The costs of adding shoulders to various types of highways also was examined. The study consisted of selecting representative highway sections, collecting accident data on all test sections over a five-year analysis period, obtaining geometric information on the sections, and summarizing all collected data in a computerized database. A statistical analysis using the Poisson distribution was used to analyze the collected data. Accident costs and shoulder construction costs were obtained from the Wyoming DOT. A structural analysis was performed using finite element analysis and BISAR. The following main conclusions can be drawn from this study: accidents can be reduced by increasing shoulder widths and shoulders slightly reduce the vertical stresses.