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Portable Temporary Low-Profile Barrier (PTB) for Roadside Safety

標題

Portable Roadway Barrier

詳細技術說明

None

*Abstract

Invention

More than 1,000 fatalities and 40,000 injuries occur in U.S. construction zones each year. Florida ranked fourth in roadway construction fatalities in 2001, which prompted the Florida Department of Transportation to seek an alternative to its traditional work-zone barrier. They hired University of Florida civil engineering researchers to come up with a new design, and the result has drawn excitement and attention from State transportation agencies across the Nation. The novel barrier can successfully redirect both a small car (1800 lbs.) and a standard pickup truck (4000 lbs.) approaching from a 25-degree angle, preventing it from crashing into the work zone and protecting the passengers in the vehicle. The novel barrier can be broken down into 12-foot segments that are inexpensive, and easy to install and move around. Additionally, the barrier system provides an innovative connection mechanism that permits layouts with both horizontal and vertical curvature. As the crash tests on this new device have shown, this portable temporary low-profile barrier (PTB) is an effective way to increase safety in construction zones.

Applications

Roadway construction barrier to protect construction workers and pedestrians from traffic

Advantages

• The system was built, tested, and certified according to NCHRP-350 Level 2 federal requirements and complies with required highway safety codes, speeding its path to market
• The Florida Department of Transportation already is already specifying this system for its highway projects, and other state agencies from across the nation have shown interest in purchasing the system as well, providing a pre-existing market for the technology
• The low profile design of the barrier provides workers with an unimpeded view of oncoming traffic at points of crossing, dramatically decreasing the chances of on-site accidents to workers and pedestrians
• Each barrier segment is lightweight and does not need to be connected to the pavement, increasing the ease of installation and removal while reducing the time, labor, and costs required for roadway construction
• Multiple individual segments may be connected in straight, concave, or convex arrangements to allow for easy deployment on a range of geometries including uneven surfaces

Technology

With its a low-profile design of just 18 inches in height, the barrier permits increased visibility to both vehicle occupants and roadside workers. A steel channel in each segment is connected via steel bolts, providing a continuous steel path to transfer the load of impact throughout the entire installation.

*IP Issue Date

Jul 27, 2004

*Principal Investigation

Name: Kurtis Gurley

Department:

Name: Gary Consolazio

Department:

Name: Ralph Ellis

Department:

附加資料

Inventor: Consolazio, Gary R. | Gurley, Kurtis Robert | Ellis, Ralph D.
Priority Number: US6767158B1
IPC Current: E01F001508 | E01F001514
US Class: 404006 | 404007
Assignee Applicant: University of Floridainesville
Title: Portable roadway barrier
Usefulness: Portable roadway barrier
Summary: Used for preventing vehicles from entering work zones by redirecting the vehicles back onto a roadway.
Novelty: Portable roadway barrier for preventing vehicles from entering work zones, has key and keyway design and support bracket that couple elongate body with adjacent barriers, and transmit forces to adjacent barriers

主要類別

汽車

細分類別

道路中的應用

申請日期

Jan 13, 2003

申請號碼

6,767,158

其他

Traffic Barrier License

http://www.research.ufl.edu/otl/pdf/PTB Sublicense.pdf

國家/地區

美國