IntroductionOverheight vehicle impacts with bridges are surprisingly common and are of particular concern in areas of Indiana such as the I-65 -I-70 merger location in Indianapolis. The damage from collisions can range from minor to severe, and there is evidence that some bridges are impacted multiple times, leading to the potential for cumulative damage effects. With this in mind, there is a clear need to attempt to prevent overheight vehicle collisions with bridges; and this study provides an in-depth examination of the availability and in-field performance of Overheight Vehicle Detection and Warning (OVD&W) systems that could help address this challenge.
FindingsThe findings of this study indicate that most states have updated their infrastructure to account for overheight vehicles and permanently avoid collisions. The few states that still actively employ overheight vehicle detection and warning systems (OVD&W) tend to use optoelectronic single-or dual-eye infrared detection systems and report that the devices have decreased the amount of damage occurring to their structures. The initial equipment and installation costs of these systems range from a few thousand to twenty-five thousand dollars based on DOT interviews, and on-going maintenance appears minimal. Overall, considering that the only other completely effective option to avoid overheight vehicle incidents is to raise the height of affected structures, or lower the roadway surface, an (optoelectronic) OVD&W system is a relatively inexpensive and effective method for decreasing overheight vehicle accident.
ImplementationThe combined insights gained through this study were used to develop a straight-forward decision tool that can be employed by INDOT personnel to identify equipment options to address site specific needs for overheight vehicle protection. This tool and its underlying principles were applied to a test case focused on the I-65 -I-70 merger location in Indianapolis, IN leading to a preliminary OVD&W system strategy for that specific location. It is recommended that the sensor characteristics and design decision logic exemplified through this case example be used for future OVD&W system deployment envisioned in the State.
AbstractOverheight vehicle impacts with bridges are surprisingly common. The damage from collisions can range from minor to severe, and there is also evidence that some bridges are impacted multiple times, leading to the potential for cumulative damage effects. Thus there is a clear need to attempt to prevent overheight vehicle collisions with bridges.This Synthesis Study provides a review of solutions that exist to detect and forewarn overheight vehicles and thereby prevent a collision, and specifically examines the breadth of available overheight vehicle detection technologies, the commercial availability of such equipment, and the experience of relevant DOTs with installed and functioning systems.The findings of this study indicate that most states have updated their infrastructure to account for overheight vehicles an...