Flexible Highway Barriers

Highway barriers exist in part to protect life and property from excessive danger as part of normal road usage. Typically, these barriers can be characterized as stiff and passive. In this study, the authors report on the potential use of highly flexible materials that maintain the effective resistance to load of passive structures, but do so in a much more flexible manner. In this regard, these flexible barriers are softer, and have the potential to limit damage. The initial focus of this work is on inexpensive one-dimensional networks of biological or metallic elements that can undergo large deformations but still remain as viable barrier candidates. The intent is to explore the levels of energy absorption and global strength, with eventual barrier prototypes constructed and tested.

• Record URL:
  https://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/details.php?id=601
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Colorado State University, Fort Collins

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  Fort Collins, CO  United States  80525

  Mountain-Plains Consortium

  North Dakota State University
  Fargo, ND  United States  58108
• Authors:
  • Jarrett, Jordan
  • Riley, C J
  • Sawahata, David
  • Heyliger, Paul
• Publication Date: 2008-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 44p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Barriers (Roads); Deformation; Energy absorption; Flexible structures; Highway safety; Materials; Strength of materials
• Subject Areas: Highways; Materials; Safety and Human Factors; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01105012
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: MPC Report No. 08-198
• Files: UTC, TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 24 2008 1:34PM