TRACKING THE ENERGY IN AN ENERGY ABSORBING GUARDRAIL TERMINAL

Energy absorbing guardrail terminals smoothly and controllably decelerate errant vehicles that impact one of these systems. These types of terminals are gaining wide acceptance and appear to offer very good safety performance. When a vehicle impacts a Sequential Kinking Terminal (SKT), the majority of the kinetic energy is absorbed by the kinking of the guardrail (approximately 55% of the energy), and by the friction between the guardrail and the impact head during the kinking process (slightly less than 20% of the energy). If significantly different behavior of the terminal is desired, such as higher or lower rates of energy absorption, then design modifications should concentrate on the kinking process and not on, say, the post breaking mechanisms or other phenomena occurring during the impact event. (A)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/13588265
• Corporate Authors:

  Woodhead Publishing, Limited

  Abington Hall, Abington
  Cambridge,   United Kingdom  CB1 6AH
• Authors:
  • Reid, J D
• Publication Date: 1998

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 135-46
• Serial:
  • International Journal of Crashworthiness
  • Volume: 3
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Taylor & Francis
  • ISSN: 1358-8265
  • Serial URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tcrs20

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Absorption; Crash tests; Energy; Guardrails; Measurement; Speed
• ITRD Terms: 6758: Absorption; 213: Energy; 1648: Impact test (crash); 6136: Measurement; 1686: Safety fence; 5408: Speed
• Subject Areas: Energy; Highways; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00793795
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, ATRI
• Created Date: Jun 15 2000 12:00AM