Two basic designs of vehicle barrier have been developed in which steel guardrails are attached to knock-down steel posts by means of shear bolts. The tensioned-beam barrier uses conventional w-section guardrail and the open box barrier uses a stiffer guardrail. Both satisfactorily contained and redirected cars weighing about 1400 kg striking at 100-110km/h and at 20degree to the line of the barriers. Maximum wheel penetrations were 0.92m for the w-section barrier and 0.6m for the open box barrier. The double-sided tensioned-beam barrier is intended for use on central reserves. A car striking at 110km/h and 20 degree was satisfactorily steerd back to the line of the barrier with a maximum wheel penetration of 0.69 m. The barrier also contained a passenger coach weighing 5400kg which struck it at 87 km/h and 13degrees with a wheel-penetration of 1 m. Tests on a double rail open box barrier are also described. (A). Details of the barriers are obtainable from the Transport and Road Research Laboratory as follows:- tensioned-beam barrier drawing no. sg.1040.02/c open box barrier (single rail) drawingno. sg.1040.16/b open box barrier (double rail) drawing no.sg.1040.18/b.
Abstract