Three temporary construction zone traffic barriers were crash-tested to determine their performance. A 12-in. timber curb, with steel splice plates connecting adjoining sections and steel pins driven into a gravel base, was unable to redirect vehicles in very minor impacts. A 16-in. high timber curb, with a corrugated-beam steel rail bolted to the face, was successfully tested at 43 mph 17° and 38 mph 14° New York's standard portable precast-concrete median barrier using pin-connected pints contained an impacting vehicle at 55 mph 25°, and appears suitable for high-speed work zones.
Abstract