MASH Crashworthiness of Work Zone Devices and Breakaway Luminaire Poles

This thesis presents a study on the crashworthiness of two commonly-used roadside safety devices: Type II barricades and luminaire poles supported by TB1-17 transformer bases. The first part focuses on designing and evaluating a non-proprietary, Type II barricade that meets MASH criteria. A validated LS-DYNA model, based on a previously-tested Type III barricade, was used to guide the design. The proposed Type II system was evaluated through simulation and confirmed with full-scale crash testing. The second part of the study investigates luminaire poles supported by the TB1-17 transformer base. A previously-developed LS-DYNA model was updated and validated using test No. TBLP-3. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of base thickness, material properties, and bolt preload. A matrix of pole configurations was then simulated to identify systems that meet the MASH longitudinal Occupant Impact Velocity (OIV) limit of 16 ft/s. Both weak- and strong-base scenarios were considered, along with a ±20% error margin to account for modeling and construction uncertainties. Regression analysis was used to assess the role of pole characteristics, such as weight, center of gravity, and moment of inertia. The results showed that while pole geometry affects crash response, base properties remain the most critical factor.