CRASH CUSHION SAVES LIVES, CUTS COSTS

A highway device (water filled crash cushion) is described which minimizes the percentage of injuries and costs resulting from vehicles colliding with fixed objects. Four commercially available highway hardware which can be designed and used under different programs are described. The Hi-Dro-Cushion system is a series of flexible, water-filled vinyl tubes which are placed between solid diaphragms. The Hi-Dri Cushion System is identical in appearance but contains special lightweight vermicullite filled cartridges which crash sequentially to absorb the force of an impact. The Guard Rail Energy Absorbing Terminal (GREAT) protects the spear ends of a guardrail or the blunt end of the G.M. concrete safety wall. The GREAT system is a telescoping unit. The steel Drum System dissipates the energy by the crushing of drums and lids and provides some redirecting capability. The Inertial Sand Barrel depends upon the destruction of its component parts and the throwing of the sand for the dissipation of the energy.

• Corporate Authors:

  Western Society of Engineers

  176 West Adams Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60603
• Authors:
  • Essex, J M
• Publication Date: 1976-4

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 6-7
• Serial:
  • Midwest Engineer
  • Volume: 28
  • Issue Number: 7

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Crash cushions; Dissipation; Drum containers; Energy absorbing materials; Fatalities; Guardrails; Single vehicle crashes; Steel; Vermiculite; Water
• Uncontrolled Terms: Fixed object; Sandbags
• Old TRIS Terms: Drums; Energy absorbers; Hi-dro cushion cell
• Subject Areas: Energy; Finance; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00135039
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 11 1976 12:00AM