VEHICLE CRASH TEST AND EVALUATION OF MEDIAN BARRIERS FOR TEXAS HIGHWAYS

FULL-SCALE TESTS WERE CONDUCTED TO EVALUATE AND COMPARE THE PERFORMANCE OF THREE MEDIAN BARRIERS OF DIFFERENT CONFIGURATION AND LATERAL STIFFNESS: THE SEMIRIGID METAL BEAM GUARD FENCE. WHICH CONSISTS OF TWO BACK-TO-BACK STEEL W-BEAM GUARDRAILS ON BREAKAWAY STEEL POSTS; THE RELATIVELY RIGID E-3, WHICH CONSISTS OF TWO DIFFERENT SIZES OF STRONG ELLIPTICAL STEEL RAIL MEMBERS MOUNTED ON STRONG FABRICATED STEEL POSTS; AND THE RIGID CONCRETE MEDIAN BARRIER WITH INCLINED FACES. ALL THREE BARRIERS SATISFACTORILY RESTRAINED AND REDIRECTED A STANDARD-SIZED 4,000-LB PASSENGER VEHICLE UNDER THE SEVERE IMPACT CONDITIONS OF ABOUT 60 MPH AND 25 DEG. HOWEVER, SEVERE SANAGGING OCCURRED ON A POST OF THE E-3 BARRIER AS A RESULT OF THE VEHICLE MOUNTING THE LOWER RAIL MEMBER. THE SEMIRIGID FENCE BARRIER IS THE MOST ECONOMICAL WITH REGARD TO INITIAL CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND THE SAFEST CONCERNING PROBABILITY OF INJURY TO UNRESTRAINED OCCUPANTS DURING TEST IMPACT CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, THE BARRIER WILL COST THE MOST TO REPAIR, AND ITS USE IN NARROW MEDIANS IS NOT DESIRABLE BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE VEHICLE DISPLACING THE BARRIER AND KNOCKING THE LIGHT POLE INTO THE ROADWAY. THE BARRIER WOULD BE SATISFACTORY FOR USE ON RURAL ROADWAYS WITH WIDE SHOULDERS AND WIDE MEDIANS. THE RIGID MEDIUM BARRIER IS THE MOST ECONOMICAL WHEN BOTH INITIAL CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND ESTIMATED REPAIR COSTS ARE CONSIDERED. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1973/460/460-011.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:
  • Post, Edward R
  • Hirsch, Teddy J
  • Hayes, Gordon G
  • Nixon, John F
• Conference:
  • 52nd Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1973-1-22 to 1973-1-26
• Publication Date: 1973

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 97-113
• Monograph Title: Traffic safety barriers and lighting supports
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 460
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Concrete structures; Costs; Crash injury research; Crash tests; Crashes; Evaluation; Guardrail terminals; Highways; Injuries; Median barriers; Research; Rural highways; Safety; Steel structures; Vehicle occupants; Vehicles; Warrants (Traffic control devices)
• Old TRIS Terms: Guardrail warrants
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Passenger Transportation; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00222357
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jul 31 1974 12:00AM