Research on High Crashworthiness Level Bridge Barrier with Limited Working Width

Abstract

The distance between barriers of lower deck and bridge piers of upper deck is small in Luotang River Double-Deck Viaduct. And so impact accidents with barriers of lower deck will result in vehicle frontal impact with bridge piers of upper deck, which will cause serious consequences for the main structure of bridge. So it is necessary to design a special barrier for bridge pier protecting. A kind of composite barrier is put forward considering safety performance, landscape, economic and other factors. This barrier adopted impact resistant steel as upper part and reinforced concrete wall as lower part. The barrier safety performance was evaluated by means of computer simulation with simulation models checked through full-scale impact tests results. The analysis results indicate that this barrier can protect bus with impact energy of 520kJ, unit truck with 650kJ and tractor-trailer truck with 894kJ, far higher than the highest impact energy 520kJ in current standards, and the entire performance index can meet standard requirements. It can be sure that during the impact process the deformed barrier and incline-out vehicles cannot collide with bridge piers of upper deck.