Citation

Fay RJ, Kaplan MA. Highw. Res. Rec. 1973; 460: 20-29.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1973, National Research Council (U.S.A.), Highway Research Board)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A new concept in energy-absorbing highway buffers was developed and tested with scale models. The buffer is made of corrugated-metal elements that deform plastically on impact and absorb the energy of the impacting vehicle. The buffer has a parbolic shape to form a gradual transition between an energy-absorbing buffer for frontal impacts and an energy-absorbing guardrail for glancing, side impacts. The model buffer was found to perform well in a variety of situations including head-on, angled, and glancing impacts. Scale-model testing was found to be a valuable tool; tests were conducted for a small fraction of the cost and time of full-scale tests. Additional scale-model tests and some full-scale tests will nees to be conducted before the design is completed. /author/

Language: en

Keywords

ROADS AND STREETS; ACCIDENT PREVENTION; HIGHWAY SYSTEMS - Median Dividers