Traffic barrier
They are also installed within medians of divided highways to prevent errant vehicles from entering the opposing carriageway of traffic and help to reduce head-on collisions.
Traffic barriers can also be used to protect vulnerable areas like school yards, pedestrian zones, and fuel tanks from errant vehicles.
[4] To make sure they are safe and effective, traffic barriers undergo extensive simulated and full scale crash testing before they are approved for general use.
[5] Roadside hazards must be assessed for the danger they pose to traveling motorists based on size, shape, rigidity, and distance from the edge of travelway.
In many regions of the world, the concept of clear zone is taken into account when examining the distance of an obstacle or hazard from the edge of travelway.
[8] This section requires licensees to "use physical barriers and security strategies [via strategic planning] to protect against land vehicle borne explosive devices".
The regulation highlights the importance of designing and implementing barriers that are robust enough to withstand various threat scenarios, including different types of vehicles and potential explosive devices.
The NRC's detailed guidelines on vehicle barriers demonstrate its commitment to maintaining high standards of safety and security at U.S. nuclear sites.
The latter is composed of steel-reinforced plastic boxes that are put in place where needed, linked together to form a longitudinal barrier, then ballasted with water.
Road blockers are used to enhance security by preventing unauthorized or hostile vehicles from entering sensitive or protected locations, such as government buildings, military installations, airports, embassies, and high-security facilities.
Road blockers[10] are equipped with mechanisms that allow for quick deployment and retraction when needed, providing a flexible and effective means of traffic control and security management.
In the United States, traffic barriers are tested and classified according to the AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) standards, which recently superseded Federal Highway Administration NCHRP Report 350.
[12] Barrier deflections listed below are results from crash tests with a 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) pickup truck traveling 100 km/h (62 mph), colliding with the rail at a 25-degree angle.
These are referred to as flexible barriers because they will deflect 1.6 to 2.6 m (5.2 to 8.5 ft) when struck by a typical passenger car or light truck.
Box beam systems also spread the impact force over a number of posts due to the stiffness of the steel tube.
Vehicles that struck blunt ends at the wrong angle could stop too suddenly or suffer penetration of the passenger compartment by steel rail sections, resulting in severe injuries or fatalities.
[23] A Fitch Barrier is an energy-absorbing type of impact attenuator consisting of a group of sand-filled plastic barrels, usually yellow in color with a black lid.
[24] Fitch barriers are often found in a triangular arrangement at the end of a guard rail between a highway and an exit lane (the area known as the gore), along the most probable line of impact.
Fitch barriers are widely popular due to their effectiveness, low cost, and ease of setup and repair or replacement.
