TY - JOUR
T1 - Development, Crash Testing, and Evaluation of Portable Concrete Barriers Gap-Spanning Hardware
AU - Ruskamp, Riley J.
AU - Pajouh, Mojdeh Asadollahi
AU - Bielenberg, Robert W.
AU - Rosenbaugh, Scott K.
AU - Faller, Ronald K.
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: the Midwest Pooled Fund Program sponsored this project. This work was completed utilizing the Holland Computing Center of the University of Nebraska, which receives support from the Nebraska Research Initiative.
Publisher Copyright:
© National Academy of Sciences: Transportation Research Board 2022.
PY - 2022/9
Y1 - 2022/9
N2 - Portable concrete barriers (PCBs) are commonly used to protect work-zone personnel and to shield motorists from hazards in construction areas. It is not uncommon to encounter longitudinal gaps within PCB installations resulting from the practice of constructing and connecting the barriers from different ends during setup or contractor operations. Longitudinal gaps can also be created by tensioning issues following an impact event. These gaps can range from 6 in. to a full barrier segment length of 12.5 ft. Longitudinal gaps between adjacent installations of PCB systems pose a serious safety concern for the errant motorist. Therefore, a need existed to develop a treatment capable of shielding the longitudinal gaps that occur between adjacent installations of PCB systems. In this research, design concepts for the gap-spanning hardware were conceived, and two design concepts were selected for further investigation and refinement through LS-DYNA computer simulation. Based on simulation results and input from the Midwest Pooled Fund Program member states, the design concept utilizing nested thrie-beam spanning the gap was chosen for full-scale crash testing under Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware 2016 (MASH 2016). Two tests were conducted to MASH test no. 3-11 to evaluate the length of need of the system, as well as the transition from the gap-spanning hardware to the PCBs. In both tests, the 2270P vehicle was contained and safely redirected. Recommendations are provided for system implementation and future installation with current PCB systems.
AB - Portable concrete barriers (PCBs) are commonly used to protect work-zone personnel and to shield motorists from hazards in construction areas. It is not uncommon to encounter longitudinal gaps within PCB installations resulting from the practice of constructing and connecting the barriers from different ends during setup or contractor operations. Longitudinal gaps can also be created by tensioning issues following an impact event. These gaps can range from 6 in. to a full barrier segment length of 12.5 ft. Longitudinal gaps between adjacent installations of PCB systems pose a serious safety concern for the errant motorist. Therefore, a need existed to develop a treatment capable of shielding the longitudinal gaps that occur between adjacent installations of PCB systems. In this research, design concepts for the gap-spanning hardware were conceived, and two design concepts were selected for further investigation and refinement through LS-DYNA computer simulation. Based on simulation results and input from the Midwest Pooled Fund Program member states, the design concept utilizing nested thrie-beam spanning the gap was chosen for full-scale crash testing under Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware 2016 (MASH 2016). Two tests were conducted to MASH test no. 3-11 to evaluate the length of need of the system, as well as the transition from the gap-spanning hardware to the PCBs. In both tests, the 2270P vehicle was contained and safely redirected. Recommendations are provided for system implementation and future installation with current PCB systems.
KW - infrastructure
KW - roadside safety design
KW - roadway design
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U2 - 10.1177/03611981221088204
DO - 10.1177/03611981221088204
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85138239682
VL - 2676
SP - 635
EP - 649
JO - Transportation Research Record
JF - Transportation Research Record
SN - 0361-1981
IS - 9
ER -