Metal Crash Barriers

Metal Crash barriers are basically Road safety system which prevents vehicles from colliding with obstacles
such as boulders, walls, buildings and also prevents vehicles entering into large storm drains, steep slopes
or deep water.

Features

 Crash barriers ensure minimum damage to the vehicle and its occupants.
 During collision the W beam absorbs maximum energy by flattening out and laterally
restrains the vehicle from veering over.
 Prevents the vehicle from skidding back onto the carriageway by controlled exit angles by
gradual deceleration and effective redirection of the vehicle back onto the road.
 Provides a good visual guide to the drivers especially in the night.
 Enables quick repairs in case of accidents.
 All components are hot dip galvanized for longer life.

Applications

 As restraining barriers on embankments of Expressways & Highways.

 As containment barriers on medians and grade separators of four/six lane roads.
 As protection barriers/containment barriers for hilly terrains and ghat roads.
 As race car crash guards on car racing tracks.
 For interior traffic safety at Airports, Plants handling hazardous chemicals, mines,
collieries, etc.,
 As fencing barriers for country border lines, expanse lands, water bodies, bridge piers,
signposts, rocky areas etc.,

Classification of Traffic barriers:

 by the function they serve

 by how much they deflect when a vehicle crashes into them.

Roadside barriers are used to protect traffic from roadside obstacles or hazards, such as slopes steep
enough to cause rollover crashes, fixed objects like bridge piers, and bodies of water. Roadside barriers
can also be used with medians, to prevent vehicles from colliding with hazards within the median.

Median barriers are used to prevent vehicles from crossing over a median and striking an oncoming
vehicle in a head-on crash. Unlike roadside barriers, they must be designed to be struck from either side.

Bridge barrier is designed to restrain vehicles from crashing off the side of a bridge and falling onto the
roadway, river or railroad below. It is usually higher than roadside barrier, to prevent trucks, buses,
pedestrians and cyclists from vaulting or rolling over the barrier and falling over the side of the structure.
Bridge rails are usually multi-rail tubular steel barriers or reinforced concrete parapets and barriers.

Page 1 of 11
Work zone barriers are used to protect traffic from hazards in work zones. Their distinguishing feature is
they can be relocated as conditions change in the road works. Two common types are used: temporary
concrete barrier and water-filled barrier. 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. These
have an advantage in that they can be assembled without heavy lifting equipment, but they cannot be used
in freezing weather.

Road Restraint Systems Technology and Definitions

Barrier stiffness:
Barriers are divided into three groups, based on the amount they deflect when struck by a vehicle and the
mechanism the barrier uses to resist the impact forces. 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. Barrier deflections listed below

Page 2 of 11
are results from crash tests with a 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) pickup truck travelling 100 km/h (62 mph), colliding
with the rail at a 25 degree angle.

Flexible barriers include cable barriers and weak post corrugated guide rail systems. 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. Impact energy is dissipated through tension in the rail elements, deformation of the rail
elements, posts, soil and vehicle bodywork, and friction between the rail and vehicle. A typical figure is
shown below.

Components of a standard guiderail (A-profile): S – Guardrail, D – Distance piece/spacer, P – Sigma

Post

Semi-rigid barriers include box beam guide rail, heavy post blocked out corrugated guide rail and three-
beam guide rail. Three-beam is similar to corrugated rail, but it has three ridges instead of two. They deflect
3 to 6 feet (0.91 to 1.83 m): more than rigid barriers, but less than flexible barriers. Impact energy is
dissipated through deformation of the rail elements, posts, soil and vehicle bodywork, and friction between
the rail and vehicle. Box beam systems also spread the impact force over a number of posts due to the
stiffness of the steel tube.

Rigid barriers are usually constructed of reinforced concrete. A permanent concrete barrier will only
deflect a negligible amount when struck by a vehicle. Instead, the shape of a concrete barrier is designed to
redirect a vehicle into a path parallel to the barrier. This means they can be used to protect traffic from
hazards very close behind the barrier, and generally require very little maintenance. Impact energy is
dissipated through redirection and deformation of the vehicle itself. Jersey barriers and F-shape
barriers also lift the vehicle as the tires ride up on the angled lower section. For low-speed or low-angle
impacts on these barriers, that may be sufficient to redirect the vehicle without damaging the bodywork.
The disadvantage is there is a higher likelihood of rollover with a small car than the single slope or step
barriers. Impact forces are resisted by a combination of the rigidity and mass of the barrier. Deflection is
usually negligible.

Page 3 of 11
 Concrete Crash Barrier

Crash Barriers/ Metal beam crash barrier or precast concrete roadside barriers have been proposed to be
installed along the roadway edge on either side if road stretch falls under the following category as per
NHAI norms:

1. Embankment height >3 m.

2. Approaches of Underpass / Flyover /ROBS

Proposed Barrier Design Criteria: 0inment Level

Containment Level
Factored design forces CL-1 CL-2 CL-3
Transverse Load, FT, kN 40 60 120
Longitudinal Load, FL, kN 20 20 40
Vertical Load, FV, kN 20 20 20
Deflection, mm 350 130 100
Load Application Height, mm 500 500 510
Minimum Barrier Height 500 500 685

1. Minimum capacity of MNRO standard bridge barriers based on UBC testing documented in
“Experimental Evaluation of Concrete Decks with Guard Rail Systems”, April 2011. The Ministry needs
to confirm the magnitude of these forces through further study.
2. AASHTO LRFD specified design forces for TL-1 barrier.
3. AASHTO LRFD specified design forces for TL-2 barrier.
4. Further investigation may allow for the reduction of these loads by 40% to account for dynamic
amplification effects.
5. Height measured from travel surface, as shown in Figure -1

Page 4 of 11
 Figure -1.

As per IRC:6-2014 Cl no. 206.6 Crash barriers are designed to withstand the impact of vehicles of certain
weights while travelling at the specified speed. They are expected to guide the vehicle back on the road
while keeping the level of damage to vehicle as well as to the barriers within acceptable limits.

Following are the three categories for different applications:

Category Application Containment for
P-1: Normal containment Bridges carrying expressway 15KN vehicle at 110 KM/hr &
or equivalent 20deg. angle of impact
P-2: Low containment All other bridges except bridge 15KN vehicle at 80 KM/hr &
over railways 20deg. angle of impact
P-3: High containment All hazardous and high risk 300KN vehicle at 60 KM/hr &
locations over busy railway 20deg. angle of impact
lines, complex interchanges,
etc.

The barriers can be of rigid type using cast-in-situ / precast reinforced concrete panels or flexible type
constructed using metallic hot rolled or cold rolled sections. The metallic type, called semi-rigid type, suffers
large dynamic deflection of the order of 0.9m to 1.2m whereas the rigid type suffers comparatively
negligible deflection. The efficacy of the two types of barriers is established on the basis of full size tests
carried out by the laboratories specialised in such testing. Due to complexities of the structural action, the
value of the impact force cannot be quantified.

Typical shapes and details of crash barriers and their locations are described in IRC:5-1998 Clause
115.4.3. These may be suitably modified and augmented depending on the developments in design and

Page 5 of 11
future functional requirements in individual cases. Crash barriers shall be of metal or reinforced concrete
and their design shall take into consideration the following factors:

i) Impact of vehicles colliding with the barrier.

ii) Safety of occupants of a vehicle colliding with the barrier.
iii) Safety of occupants of other vehicles near the collision site.
iv) Safety of vehicles or pedestrians underneath the bridge.
v) Aesthetics and freedom of view from passing vehicles.

Crash barriers shall provide a smooth and continuous face on the traffic side and shall be suitably extended
into the approaches. Exposed rail ends, posts and sharp changes in the geometry of the railings shall be
avoided. Suitable reflective (luminous) devices shall be provided on the traffic face of the barrier at intervals
to ensure adequate visibility during night and foggy conditions. Steel crash barriers are generally used in
low and normal containment applications.
Typical shapes and sizes of crash barriers over bridges are shown below which are taken from IRC:5-1998.

Page 6 of 11
Page 7 of 11
The metal crash barriers are manufactured in India as per the guidelines issued by MORTH as well as
AASHTO. All sections are cold rolled formed. Raw material grade Fe410/510 conforming to ST42/IS5986
and hot dipped galvanised (550GSM minimum). The post spacing is 1.5 to 2m centre to centre.
Some pictures of crash barriers are given below:

Page 8 of 11
Page 9 of 11
 Metal Crash Barrier(W Beam)

Metal Crash Barrier(Thrie Beam)

Metal Crash Barrier Sections

Page 10 of 11
Components of Metal Crash Barriers
W Beams

 Cold roll formed in thickness of 3.00 mm/2.67 mm

 Raw material conforming to IS 5986 Grade:
Fe 360/ Fe 410/ Fe 510, IS 10748 Grade II or eqvt.
 Hot dip galvanized to 550 gms/sq.m

Posts & Spacer

 Cold roll formed in thickness of 5.00 mm/4.2 mm

 Raw material conforming to IS 5986 Grade:
Fe 360/Fe 410, IS 10748 Grade II or eqvt.
 Hot dip galvanized to 550 gms/sq.m.

End specials

 3 mm/2.67 mm thick turned down end terminals.

 3/2.67 mm thick press formed end terminals (Fish tail)
 3/2.67 mm U shaped terminals as median end terminals

Anchorage

 Anchored in ground as per Clause 810

 Anchored in concrete on shoulders (If specified)
 Anchored in concrete with base frame on bridges

Fasteners

 M20 and M16 fasteners as per IS 1367 Grade 4.6/8.8

 Hot dip galvanized

The approximate consumption of Steel as per IRC: 84-2014 is as follows:

a) W beam Type Crash Barrier 24 mt/Km

b)Thrie beam Type Crash Barrier(used for large 33 mt/Km
vehicle , high volume of high speed traffic)

Page 11 of 11