TESTS TO DETERMINE THE DESIGN OF ROADSIDE SOFT ARRESTER BEDS

FULL-SCALE TESTS HAVE SHOWN THAT SOFT ARRESTER BEDS SHOULD BE SUITABLE FOR STOPPING VEHICLES WHICH LOSE THEIR BRAKES ON LONG DOWN-GRADIENTS. THE DECELERATION OF PRIVATE CARS AND HEAVY VEHICLES WAS MEASURED AFTER END-ON ENTRY AT HIGH SPEEDS INTO A LONG BED OF LIGHTWEIGHT AGGREGATE MATERIAL (LYTAG). WITH END-ON ENTRY ALL THE VEHICLES WERE STOPPED SATISFACTORILY FROM 72 KM/H WITHOUT THE USE OF BRAKES AT A DECELERATION VALUE OF ABOUT 0.5G. IN THE CASE OF THE DUAL-TRACK BED A 300 MM HIGH CURB WAS REQUIRED ALONG THE FAR SIDE TO ENSURE THAT THE VEHICLES WERE CONTAINED WITHIN IT FOR TYPICAL SIDE-ENTRY ANGLES OF 5 - 10 DEGREES TO THE LENGTH OF THE BED. IN THE CASE OF THE SINGLE TRACK BED, A 300 MM HIGH CURB SURMOUNTED BY A HYDRAULIC CRASH BARRIER WAS FOUND TO BE NECESSARY. THIS ARRANGEMENT DECELERATED VEHICLES AT ABOUT 0.3G ON LEVEL GROUND CORRESPONDING TO ABOUT 0.2G ON A DOWN HILL GRADIENT OF 1 IN 10. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Rrl Rept Lr 376, 10 PP, FIG
• Corporate Authors:

  Road Research Laboratory /UK

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Laker, I B
• Publication Date: 1971

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Curbs; Deceleration; Escape lanes; Lightweight aggregates; Road downgrades; Roadside structures; Subgrade (Pavements)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Hydraulic barriers
• Old TRIS Terms: Arresting /process/; Beds; Deceleration rate; Downgrade; Runaway vehicles
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00221308
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Jun 11 1971 12:00AM