Round guardrail posts may provide an important value-added option for small-diameter thinnings. Such posts require minimum processing and are believed to have higher strength for the equivalent rectangular volume. The resulting value-added product may bring a higher return compared to lumber. The obstacles to immediate utilization of ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir guardrail posts are the need for full-scale crash testing, a visual grading rule, and an installation guide. This paper reports on tests and Barrier VII computer simulations at the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility and the Forest Products Laboratory to determine dynamic and static material properties and correct embedment depths. Grading practices are recommended for round ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir guardrail posts for the new Midwest Guardrail System.
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