The fundamental objective of a bridge railing system is to offer public safety along the length and edges of the bridge. This includes rerouting rogue automobiles back onto the road without posing a safety threat, as well as guaranteeing the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians. Although bridge railing systems do not provide structural support, they must be crashworthy. Bridge railing, as a result, differs from ordinary highway railing in that it is more rigid than flexible highway railing. Because it provides a progressive shift in the stiffness of the two railing systems, transition railing is utilized to connect the two railing systems. Railing design and needs have changed as vehicle size and power have changed.
The most recent standard for crash testing devices on the National Highway System is the AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). It entails diverting errant vehicles back onto the road without endangering the public’s health and guaranteeing the safety of bikers and pedestrians. Although the bridge’s railing systems do not offer structural support, they must be crashworthy. However, because it was intended for the standards at the construction time, much of the original bridge railing does not fulfill current code requirements. Because it is understood that repairing all of this railing would be prohibitively expensive, authorities frequently allow it to remain in place until needed.