Report Result

TRP-03-209-09

Scott Rosenbaugh, Bob Bielenberg, Ronald Faller, John Reid, John Rohde, Dean Sicking, Karla Lechtenberg (Polivka), Jim Holloway

PUBLICATION DATE

2009-10-29

ABSTRACT

Free-standing temporary barrier designs have been used on our nation's highways for many years. Traditionally, these types of barriers have been designed and tested based solely on impacts in the middle of the barrier system or at the Length-Of-Need (LON). Historically, the assumption has been made that a crashworthy barrier system would perform adequately regardless of where it was impacted along the system length. However, it is believed that impacts closer to the system ends would very likely increase barrier deflections and may result in pocketing, vehicle climb, and/or vehicle instabilities, such as rollovers. This research study developed a termination anchorage for an F-shape temporary concrete barrier system that shortened the beginning of the LON for the system to the first barrier segment. The system was designed for use specifically with the Kansas F-shape temporary concrete barrier. The termination anchorage provided sufficient constraint to redirect vehicles impacting on the first barrier segment in the system, reduced vertical rotation of the end barrier segment to improve vehicle stability, used previously developed anchorage hardware, and could be attached to either end of the temporary barrier segment when placed on the upstream end of the system. The new termination and anchorage system for F-shape temporary concrete barriers was compliance tested according to the Test Level 3 safety requirements set forth in MASH. Full-scale crash test no. TTCB-1 was conducted according to the test no. 3-35 impact conditions as part of these requirements. Test no. TTCB-1 demonstrated a safe and successful redirection of the impacting vehicle, and the test was judged successful based on the MASH safety requirements. The test also showed that the termination anchorage successfully shortened the LON to the first barrier segment in the installation. Conclusions and recommendations regarding the implementation of the design are given in the report.

KEYWORDS

Roadside Safety, Temporary Concrete Barrier, F-shape Barrier, Temporary Barrier Termination, Temporary Barrier Anchorage, TL-3, Crash Testing, Compliance Testing

REPORT

TRP-03-209-09.pdf