Title:
Structural Behavior of TL-4 Recycled Tire Chip and Fiber Reinforced Concrete Single Slope Barriers
Author(s):
Grace Darling, Stephan A. Durham, and Mi G. Chorzepa
Publication:
Symposium Paper
Volume:
347
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
176-190
Keywords:
Single Slope Barrier, Rubberized Concrete, Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC), Dynamic Impact, Recycled Tire Chips, Steel Fibers, Concrete Median Barrier (CMB), MASH Testing
DOI:
10.14359/51732664
Date:
3/1/2021
Abstract:
Concrete median barriers (CMB) are installed to decrease the overall severity of traffic accidents by
producing higher vehicle decelerations. In 2016, an update to the AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware
(MASH) saw a 58% increase in impact severity of test level 4 (TL-4) impact conditions when compared to the NCHRP
Report 350 testing criteria. This study investigates the use of fiber-reinforced rubberized CMBs in dissipating the
impact energy to improve driver safety involved in crashed vehicles. Two full-scale barrier prototypes with shear keys
were constructed and tested under impact conditions in a laboratory setting. Compared to the Georgia Department of
Transportation specified single-slope barrier, the fiber-reinforced rubberized concrete mixture, a design with 20%
replacement of the coarse aggregate by volume with recycled rubber tire chips and a 1.0% steel fiber addition, was
evaluated based on its performance in toughness, energy absorption capacity, and its recoverable deformation. It is
concluded that the TC20ST1 barrier performed as well as the control barrier at the impact load of 150.0 kips (667.2
kN), with neither barrier experiencing any visible damage.