Title: Development of an NCHRP Report 350 TL-3 New
Jersey Shape 50-inch Portable Concrete Barrier
State Job Number: 134162
Final Report,
June 2006
(5,602 KB)
Executive Summary,
(313 KB) best printed on 11x17, double sided
Implementation Plan,
( KB) Not available yet
For roadside work-zones in
areas that have opposing traffic flow, safety is enhanced if the
temporary barriers incorporate a “glare-shield” that blocks
headlight glare from opposing traffic. Currently-available
32-inch portable concrete barriers require the use of an add-on
glare shield attached to the top of the barrier. The add-on
glare shields are an extra expense and complicate barrier set-up
and handling. An alternative solution was to develop a 50-inch
high portable concrete barrier which is tall enough to serve as
its own glare-shield. Finite element analysis was used to
investigate various barrier shapes and connection schemes to
identify a successful crashworthy design that would meet
requirements of NCHRP Report 350 Test level 3. A 50-inch
portable concrete barrier design was developed based on the
results of the finite element analyses and was crash tested at
the Transportation Research Center in East Liberty, Ohio. The
system successfully met all safety criteria of NCHRP Report 350
and has been approved by the Federal Highway Administration for
use on the National Highway System as a test level 3 device.
