Pinned-Down Temporary Concrete Barrier with Transition Systems for Limited-Space Work Zone Applications

Abstract

In work zones in which space to place a temporary concrete barrier (TCB) is limited (e.g., zones to expand or repair a bridge), the barrier must be restrained to prevent large, lateral deflection from vehicular impact. This paper presents the development and testing of a restrained, F-shaped TCB that has limited deflections. In addition, two transitions were developed: (a) from the freestanding, F-shaped barrier to the restrained barrier and (b) from the restrained barrier to a rigid concrete barrier. Details of the development and crash testing of these transitions are presented. The restrained TCB and its transitions were developed with the use of a simple pinned-down anchoring method. Steel pins were simply dropped into inclined holes that started from the toe of the barrier and continued a short distance into the underlying bridge deck or concrete pavement, and thus locked the barrier in place. The drop-pin method makes it easy to install the barrier, inspect for proper installation, and remove or relocate the temporary barrier in a work zone. The pinning method also results in minimal damage to the underlying bridge deck or concrete pavement. Thus the method is more desirable to use, as opposed to some anchoring systems that require through-deck bolting, which results in greater concrete damage and is difficult to install and relocate.