Acknowledgements

Support for this project was provided through the Mountain-Plains Consortium as part of the University Transportation Centers Program (UTCP). MPC member universities include North Dakota State University (lead institution), Colorado State University, University of Wyoming, and University of Utah. The UTCP is funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Dr. Jeno Balogh gave excellent advice during the development of this project.

Horacio Garza, Jr., Engineering Research Center shop supervisor is much appreciated for his tireless efforts to build the ramp, and countless ideas to help improve the site. His knowledge and skills were priceless during this project.

Bill Tempero, owner of Safety Barriers Corporation of Colorado, kindly donated his E-Z Barriers to be tested in the trial run. Thank you for your patience and generosity.

Andy Darrow, Engineering Research Center Hydraulics lab manager, donated his time and skills when needed is greatly appreciated. Thank you also to graduate students Steve Babcock and Travis Burgers, and undergraduate student interns Katherine Sednek and Paul Espinoza. Without help from each of these people the task of constructing the ramp and conducting the test would have been nearly impossible.

Disclaimer

The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the information presented. This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation Centers Program, in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the contents or use thereof.

Abstract

A testing facility for temporary longitudinal barriers was constructed at Colorado State University's Engineering Research Center which will allow manufacturer's the opportunity to test their safety barriers prior to full-scale federal testing. This facility enables manufacturers to subject their products to a simplified, yet standard test according to federal regulations at a much lower cost. This simplified test gives the manufacturers the opportunity to observe the likely performance of their product and make any necessary improvements before subjecting their products the federal tests.

The facility consists of a 14.3-meter (46-foot) high ramp built on the side of a hill out of recycled materials and concrete. This facility has room for a line of up to 11 barriers to be placed on a rough concrete pad at the base of the ramp. During testing a vehicle released from the top of the ramp gains speed by rolling down the incline, makes a transition to a horizontal position at the base, and then impacts the barriers. This testing site allows a manufacturer to observe two of three appraisal factors listed in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 350: structural adequacy of the barrier, and post-collision vehicle trajectory.

The test described in this report involved the testing of an "E-Z Barrier," a product of Safety Barriers Corporation of Colorado. The E-Z Barrier is a low-density polyethylene shell that is noted for being lightweight when empty and can easily be set up and filled with water and/or sand with less effort than placing heavy concrete barriers.

The main objectives of the test were to ensure the facility was adequate and sound and to observe how closely the facility came to implementing the intended simplified vehicle impact testing procedures. Overall, the ramp proved to be structurally sound for vehicle acceleration, the trail test exceeded expectations when the test vehicle impacted the barriers at a higher energy than predicted, and the facility allowed enough room at the base of the ramp to observe both the structural adequacy of the barriers as well as the vehicle's path of trajectory after impact. The facility is available and capable of testing roadside safety features. A few minor improvements are being planned as well.