Applications of Recycled Materials in Roadside Safety Devices

This report summarizes the first phase of a three-phase research program intended to evaluate the use of recycled materials in roadside safety devices. Researchers obtained information regarding existing products manufactured in part or in whole from recycled materials through an extensive computerized literature review and a survey of research organizations, government/state agencies, professional and trade societies, and manufacturers. They emphasized obtaining information for those materials and products believed to have application in the roadside safety area. Roadside safety features of interest include, but are not limited to, guardrail support posts and rail-to-post offset blocks, sign blanks and their supports, energy absorbing elements in crash cushions, flexible delineator posts, mailbox supports, and work zone traffic control devices such as drums, cones, and barricades. Based on this evaluation scheme, researchers identified specific products considered suitable for immediate implementation and categorized them by application type. They recommend further evaluation in Phase II of this study for some products lacking the desired data to make a conclusive decision regarding their suitability for implementation. Phase III of the study will consist of full-scale crash testing of selected products to verify their crashworthiness. Researchers will then prepare performance specifications for those applications for which suitable alternatives have been identified.