DYNAMIC TESTS OF AN ENERGY-ABSORBING BARRIER EMPLOYING SAND-FILLED PLASTIC BARRELS

THE RESULTS OF THREE FULL-SCALE TESTS OF VEHICLES IMPACTING ENERGY-ABSORBING BARRIERS EMPLOYING SAND-FILLED FRANGIBLE PLASTIC BARRELS ARE REPORTED. THE BARRIERS WERE DESIGNED FOR PLACEMENT IN FRONT OF FIXED OBJECTS LOCATED IN FREEWAY GORES. THEY WERE COMPOSED OF AN ARRAY OF 15 TO 17 BARRELS 36 IN. IN DIAMETER BY 30 AND 36 IN. HIGH. THE BARRIERS WERE 21 AND 25 FT LONG AND TAPERED FROM A 9-FT WIDTH AT THE REAR TO A 3-FT WIDTH AT THE NOSE. THE BARRELS WERE NOT ATTACHED TO THE GROUND. SEDANS WEIGHING APPROXIMATELY 4,700 LB IMPACTED THE NOSE OF THE BARRIER HEAD ON AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH AND AT A 15-DEG ANGLE. A SMALL SEDAN WEIGHING ABOUT 1,900 LB ALSO IMPACTED THE NOSE OF THE BARRIER HEAD ON AT 59 MPH. THE BARRIER WAS JUDGED ACCEPTABLE IN THE AREAS OF COST, EASE OF CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE, AESTHETICS, SIMPLICITY, AND VERSATILITY AND IS RECOMMENDED FOR USE IN OPERATIONAL TRIAL INSTALLATIONS. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1972/386/386-004.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by Committee on Traffic Safety Barriers and Sign, Signal and Lighting Supports. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Nordlin, Eric F
  • Stoker, J Robert
  • Doty, Robert N
• Conference:
  • 51st Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1972-1-17 to 1972-1-21
• Publication Date: 1972

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 28-51
• Monograph Title: Traffic safety barriers, lighting supports and dike slopes
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 386
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Barriers (Roads); Costs; Crash tests; Crashes; Energy absorbing materials; Gore area; Maintenance; Sand; Testing
• Uncontrolled Terms: Barriers
• Old TRIS Terms: Energy absorbers; Gore
• Subject Areas: Design; Finance; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00203655
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: No 386
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Oct 9 1972 12:00AM