The safety barrier used for the impact tests described in this report is different in design from barriers at present in use on roads in the United Kingdom. It consists of one metre high sheet metal bins, 3.2 m long overall, height 1.2 m, jointed end to end resting on hard level ground and filled with sand. Although originally designed to contain cars, North American tests of this Canadian barrier have indicated a relatively high containment capacity. Four tests were carried out in the UK in order to examine the containment limit of the barrier when impacted by British vehicles. These tests showed that the barrier satisfactorily contained and redirected: (a) a small saloon car weighing 0.76 tonne travelling at 110 km/hr (69 mph) and at 20 degrees; (b) a coach weighing 8.5 tonne travelling at 74.5 km/hr (47 mph) and at 15 degrees. The barrier contained, but did not satisfactorily redirect, a coach weighing 8.5 tonne travelling at 77 km/hr (48 mph) and at 20 degrees. The fourth test used a 16 tonne heavy goods vehicle impacting at 82 km/hr (51 mph) and at 15 degrees. This impact resulted in collapse of the barrier section, release of bin lids and sand, and the vehicle rolled over and came to rest acrossthe barrier. Containment and redirection of the vehicle were partially achieved. (A)
Samenvatting