THE FITCH INERTIAL BARRIER - ITS DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE

FIELD EXPERIENCE IN CONNECTICUT INDICATES THAT THE HAZARDS PRESENTED BY NUMEROUS EXISTING GORE SEPARATION STRUCTURES AND OTHER FIXED OBJECTS HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BY THE FITCH INERTIAL BARRIER. THE BARRIER IS AN EFFECTIVE, ECONOMICAL, AND PRACTICAL VEHICLE CRASH ATTENUATION DEVICE. ITS SIMPLE CONSTRUCTION PERMITS MINIMAL ON-SITE REPAIR TIME, ONCE DEBRIS FROM A PREVIOUS ACCIDENT IS REMOVED. THE FITCH INERTIAL BARRIER WHICH UTILIZES A UNIQUE METHOD OF DISSIPATING THE ENERGY GENERATED BY THE IMPACT OF A VEHICLE WITH A STATIONARY OBJECT. THE BARRIER CONSISTS OF TWO PHASES, NAMELY, THE INERTIAL PHASE AND THE BULLDOZING PHASE. IT IS MADE UP OF AN ARRAY OF STANDARDIZED FRANGIBLE BARRELS ON MODULES CONTAINING CONSECUTIVELY INCREASING AMOUNTS OF SAND BY WEIGHT. THE BARRIER IS DESCRIBED IN MATHEMATICAL TERMS AND ITS DESIGN AND OPERATION IS REVIEWED. DESIGN CRITERIA GUIDELINES FOR IMPACT ATTENUATING DEVICES, AND INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE COSTS ARE TABULATED. INSTALLATION COSTS RANGED FROM $1550 TO $2925 AND MAINTENANCE COSTS FOR HITS RANGED FROM $320 TO $1365. ACCIDENT DATA COLLECTED FOR 35 LOCATIONS IS TABULATED AND SHOWS THAT 8-10 DRIVERS HAVE BEEN SAVED. INFORMATION FROM UNREPORTED ACCIDENTS INDICATES THAT THE NUMBER IS MUCH HIGHER.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
• Corporate Authors:

  Pergamon Press, Incorporated

  Maxwell House, Fairview Park
  Elmsford, NY  United States  10523
• Authors:
  • Jain, R
  • Kudzia, W J
• Publication Date: 1973-9

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 231-41
• Serial:
  • Accident Analysis & Prevention
  • Volume: 5
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0001-4575
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Barriers (Roads); Design; Economics; Equipment; Gore area; Installation; Maintenance management; Performance; Repairing
• Uncontrolled Terms: Attenuation; Barriers; Maintenance costs; Repairs
• Old TRIS Terms: Gore
• Subject Areas: Design; Economics; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00203854
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 11 1974 12:00AM