Bowles, Yvonne Elizabeth (2013) A consistent approach to headlight screens in NSW. [USQ Project]
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Abstract
The aim of this research project is to develop headlight screen design guidelines to provide road designers with a consistent approach to implementing screens into road design.
Literature has been examined including past and current road design principles that may have influence over where headlight screens should be implemented. The available literature based on road design was found not to be adequate to comprehensively develop a set of guidelines and therefore the current design principles have been analysed to determine if there is a standard method that could be adopted, including assessment of carriageway separation and
horizontal curvature, to identify set locations for screening.
The carriageway separation analysis involved the conversion of the headlight beam pattern into trigonometric calculations for varying separation widths. This enabled sample glare impairment times and distances to be determined
demonstrating the assumed risk to drivers of oncoming vehicles. It was determined that carriageway separation of greater than 10.4 metres should be sufficient to counteract the effect of headlight glare from oncoming vehicles, and
for separations less than this width, the installation of headlight screens may demonstrate a reduction of time a driver could be affected by glare.
Assessment of the horizontal curvature included varying curve radii and lengths and analysis based on four common vehicle operating speeds. The results have been reported in the time that a vehicle spends on each curve, and it was
found that when two vehicles are approaching each other this calculated time is considered negligible where headlight screening might be contemplated.
Following this analysis, it has been found that additional risk factors must also be incorporated into the assessment to ensure all site specific factors are considered. The factors that a road authority may have influence over and
therefore further analysis undertaken include; lane widths, delineation such as line marking and guidepost positions, sign reflection, wildlife crossings, road lighting and catering for traffic volumes.
In this regard, further work will be required to enable sufficient completion of the headlight screen design guidelines to ensure road designers are aware of all relevant factors to consider.
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| Item Type: | USQ Project |
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| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Civil Engineering and Surveying (1 Jul 2013 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Supervisors: | Somasundaraswaran,Soma |
| Date Deposited: | 25 Feb 2014 04:49 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Feb 2014 04:49 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | headlight screens; design guidelines; consistent approach; nsw |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 09 Engineering > 0905 Civil Engineering > 090507 Transport Engineering |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 40 ENGINEERING > 4005 Civil engineering > 400512 Transport engineering |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/24675 |
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