Design & Full Scale Testing Of Gravix Modular Barrier and Retaining Wall System

A new modular concrete traffic barrier with supporting wall units were designed and crash tested for this project. The Gravix traffic barrier unit consisted of a 36-inch high single slope traffic barrier. The modular units were 8 feet long and 7 feet high. In anticipation of the test, extensive analysis was performed to design the steel reinforcement and concrete geometry required to resist the anticipated impact load. The traffic barrier in conjunction with the wall units were designed and tested for this project. The barrier system was crash tested in accordance with Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) Test Level 4 Specifications. The system performed acceptably with respect to these specifications. The retaining wall and traffic barrier system utilizes a gravity type wall structure that uses the soil backfill weight to resist overturning and provide stability. The system uses the common backfill material to resist the at-rest earth forces and impact forces from vehicles. A triangular shaped stem on each wall and barrier unit extends back into the soil to resist the earth and impact loads. The units are precast concrete, a good sustainability material providing one of the longest design lives for buried structures. This paper presents the analytical results, details of the design, and full scale crash test results performed on the traffic barrier. Also, results of the crash test were used to further adjust and improve the barrier detailing.