End treatments and transitions for water-ballasted protection barrier arrays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9822503-B2
Application number	US-201514831600-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2015
Priority date	Feb 11, 2011
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

An end treatment array for crash attenuation includes a transition barrier module formed of side walls, end walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall, wherein the module walls together define an enclosed interior space. The end treatment array further includes a containment impact sled having an axially extending frame. The frame has a width sufficient to contain the transition barrier module within the frame when in an assembled configuration, and has an axial length which is at least one-half the length of the transition barrier module. The frame defines an interior volume, the purpose of which is to contain a substantial portion of the transition barrier module in the assembled configuration, and to contain debris caused by destruction of the plastic barrier modules in a vehicular impact. The containment impact sled is attached to the transition barrier module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An end treatment array for attenuating the forces generated by a vehicular impact, comprising:
a transition barrier module comprising first and second side walls, first and second end walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall, the module walls together defining an interior space, the transition barrier module having a predetermined width and length; and
a containment impact sled comprising an axially extending frame, said frame having a width sufficient to contain the transition barrier module within said frame when in an assembled configuration, and having an axial length, the frame comprising a first side frame member attached to one side thereof and a second side frame member attached to an opposing side thereof, the frame defining an interior volume;
wherein the containment impact sled is only attached to the transition barrier module in said assembled configuration and is not otherwise laterally or axially anchored.

2. The end treatment array as recited in claim 1 , wherein the interior space is hollow and unfilled with any ballasting material.

3. The end treatment array as recited in claim 1 , wherein said containment impact sled further comprises an upright wall connected to said frame which substantially covers the first front-facing end wall of the transition barrier module when the sled is in said assembled configuration, with the transition barrier module at least partially contained within the frame of the sled.

4. The end treatment array as recited in claim 3 , wherein the containment impact sled further comprises a floor.

5. The end treatment array as recited in claim 4 , wherein the first side frame member is attached to one side of said floor and to the upright wall and the second side frame member is attached to an opposing side of said floor and to the upright wall.

6. The end treatment array as recited in claim 5 , wherein each of said side frame members comprise a bottom frame member and a top frame member, wherein the bottom frame member is disposed substantially horizontally, and the top frame member extends downwardly at an angle from its frontmost end to its rearmost end, with the frontmost end of the top frame member being connected to said upright wall near a top of said upright wall and the rearmost end of the top frame member being connected to a rearmost end of the bottom frame member near ground level, such that each side frame member is triangular in shape.

7. The end treatment array as recited in claim 3 , and further comprising:
apertures in each of said transition barrier module and said sled which are aligned when the transition barrier module and the sled are in said assembled configuration; and
a pin extending through said aligned apertures in said assembled configuration to attach the transition barrier module to the sled.

8. The end treatment array as recited in claim 7 , wherein the transition barrier module comprises a plurality of vertically spaced lugs on the first end wall, each of said lugs having one of said apertures therein for receiving said pin.

9. The end treatment array as recited in claim 7 , wherein one of said apertures is disposed in said upright wall of the sled.

10. The end treatment array as recited in claim 1 , wherein the transition barrier module comprises holes in a lower end thereof to prevent the containment of ballasting material in said interior space.

11. The end treatment array as recited in claim 8 , and further comprising a plurality of vertically spaced lugs on the second transition barrier module end wall, for attaching the transition barrier module to a first end of an adjacent barrier module.

12. The end treatment array as recited in claim 11 , wherein said adjacent barrier module is also a transition barrier module, constructed similarly to the first transition barrier module, and is also unfilled with ballasting material.

13. The end treatment array as recited in claim 1 , and further comprising a barrier module connected at a first end to the transition barrier module which is filled with a ballasting material.

14. The end treatment array as recited in claim 13 , wherein the ballasting material comprises water.

15. The end treatment array as recited in claim 13 , and further comprising a second transition barrier module connected at a first end thereof to a second end of the barrier module, the second transition barrier module being constructed substantially similarly to the first transition barrier module and being unfilled with ballasting material.

16. The end treatment array as recited in claim 15 , and further comprising end treatment hardware for attaching a second end of the second transition barrier module to a fixed structure.

17. The end treatment array as recited in claim 16 , wherein said end treatment hardware comprises a frame which is securable to the second end of the second transition barrier module.

18. A method of assembling an end treatment array for protecting a fixed structure from an impact by a passing vehicle, the method comprising:
securing a plurality of ballast-filled hollow plastic barrier modules together in an axial array;
securing one end of a transition barrier module to one end of the array of ballast-filled hollow plastic barrier modules, the transition barrier module being unfilled with ballasting material;
securing a containment impact sled to the other end of the transition barrier module, wherein the containment impact sled comprises a frame defining an interior space, the securing step including disposing the frame about the transition barrier module so that a substantial portion of the transition barrier module is contained within the interior space, the containment impact sled being secured to the transition barrier module, but not to any fixed ground structure, so that the containment impact sled is free to move axially into the array of hollow plastic barrier modules upon impact of the array by a vehicle;
securing a second transition barrier module to a second end of the axial array of ballast-filled barrier modules, wherein the second transition barrier module is unfilled with ballasting material; and
securing the second transition barrier module to the fixed structure.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the containment impact sled securing step further comprises inserting a pin through aligned holes in both the containment impact sled and the transition barrier module.

20. An end treatment array for attenuating the forces generated by a vehicular impact, comprising:
a transition barrier module comprising first and second side walls, first and second end walls, a top wall, and a bottom wall, the module walls together defining an interior space, the transition barrier module having a predetermined width and length; and
a containment impact sled comprising an axially extending frame, said frame having a width sufficient to contain the transition barrier module within said frame when in an assembled configuration, and having an axial length, the frame comprising a first side frame member attached to one side thereof and a second side frame member attached to an opposing side thereof, the frame defining an interior volume, said containment impact sled further comprising a floor and an upright wall connected to said frame which substantially covers the first front-facing end wall of the transition barrier module when the sled is in said assembled configuration, with the transition barrier module at least partially contained within the frame of the sled, the first side frame

Assignees

• Traffix Devices Inc

Inventors

• Maus Geoffrey B
• Almanza Felipe
• Smith Jeremy

Classifications

• E01F15/146

  fixed arrangements · CPC title

• E01F15/088

  Details of element connection · CPC title

• E01F15/086 Primary

  using plastic, rubber or synthetic materials · CPC title

• E01F15/143

  Protecting devices located at the ends of barriers (E01F15/145 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E01F15/08

  essentially made of walls or wall-like elements (E01F15/10, E01F15/12 take precedence){; Cable-linked blocks} · CPC title