HYBRID BARRIER FOR USE AT BRIDGE PIERS IN MEDIANS (MODULAR CRASH CUSHION PLUS CONCRETE MEDIAN BARRIER)

A TRAFFIC SAFETY BARRIER FOR USE AT BRIDGE PIERS IN ROADWAY MEDIANS HAS BEEN DESIGNED AND CRASH-TESTED. THE HYBRID SYSTEM CONSISTS OF STEEL DRUM CRASH CUSHIONS THAT HAVE SMOOTH TRANSITIONS TO CONCRETE MEDIAN BARRIERS. THE SYSTEM IS NARROW ENOUGH TO ALLOW INSTALLATION IN RELATIVELY RESTRICTED MEDIAN AREAS UNDER HIGHWAY OVERPASSES. THE CRASH CUSHIONS, WHICH ARE LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE OUTER-MOST BRIDGE PIERS, ACT AS ENERGY ABSORBERS FOR FRONTAL IMPACTS AND AS REDIRECTION BARRIERS FOR ANGLE IMPACTS. THE CONCRETE MEDIAN BARRIER SERVES AS A REDIRECTION BARRIER FOR "INTERIOR" ANGLE IMPACTS. TWO VEHICLES WERE DIRECTED INTO THE SIDE OF THE CRASH CUSHION AT 10 AND 20 DEG TO TEST THE SYSTEM IN THE CRASH CUSHION MEDIAN BARRIER TRANSITION AREA. THE VEHICLES WERE REDIRECTED SMOOTHLY AND SHOWED NO SPINOUT OR OVERTURNING TENDENCY. WITHOUT STRUCTURAL REPAIRS TO THE BARRIER AFTER THE 10-DEG TEST, A LIGHTWEIGHT VEHICLE WAS DIRECTED HEAD ON INTO THE CRASH CUSHION AND WAS BROUGHT TO A STOP IN AN ACCEPTABLE MANNER. /AUTHOR/