GB2207941A

GB2207941A - Road safety barrier

Info

Publication number: GB2207941A
Application number: GB08813700A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Robert Sheffield
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-06-09
Filing date: 1988-06-09
Publication date: 1989-02-15
Also published as: GB8713422D0; GB8813700D0

Abstract

A road safety barrier arrangement comprises a barrier including an apron (10) supported by posts (12), wherein the ground surface adjacent the barrier consists of soft, yielding material preferably maintained moist. <IMAGE>

Description

ROAD SAFETY BARRIER This invention relates to a road barrier.

Barriers to prevent vehicles from crossing the central reservation between one carriageway and another are well known. They are normally in the form of a continuous strip of metal, usually steel arranged horizontally at a height of between two to four feet.

The intention of such a barrier is that it should be strong enough to stop a vehicle which may strike the barrier at high speed without causing the vehicle to rebound back onto the roadway into the path of other vehicles. While the known barriers may indeed achieve this result at least for cars they can still be dangerous in that they may cause vehicles to rebound back onto the roadway and somersault over or be struck by other vehicles with fatal results. In addition the increased weight of commercial vehicles is now such that the known barrier may not be adequate in all cases to stop the vehicle.

The present invention has been made from a consideration of this problem.

According to the invention there is provided a road safety barrier arrangement comprising a barrier adapted to be arranged adjacent a road and being constructed so as to yield when struck by a vehicle the ground surface adjacent the barrier being arranged to yield under the weight of a vehicle.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the barrier is constructed in the form of a net, sheet, apron or the like which is advantageously supported by glass fibre reinforced plastics rods or the like. The barrier can be provided with means to enable the barrier - whole or part thereof - to yield on impact by a vehicle. For example the barrier can be spring loaded or mounted on a shock absorber assembly of the kind described in my Patent No.1249121. An inflatable cushion may be provided on the wall on the side thereof adjacent the roadway.

The ground surface which is adjacent the barrier on the side remote from the roadway is soft and/or yielding so as to impose a braking effect on any vehicle passing over it. Various kinds of ground surface can be adapted to produce this effect, such as particulate material, for example shingle, uncompacted sand, mud, ash, grit and the like. The material forming the surface may, if desired, be graded so that the exposed upper surface is formed of fine grains, for example agglutimated sand, the particle size increasing with depth down to coarse sandstone aggregate. In some circumstances it may be desirable for the said ground surface to be kept moist. To provide for that rainwater collecting means may be incorporated in the barrier and means provided to distribute collected rain from the barrier and/or the road on the adjacent ground surface.Alternatively means may be provided for supplying water to the ground surface, for example a pipe of plastics material , such as polyvinyl chloride, preferably of heavy gauge, connected to a water supply, can extend along one or other side of the barrier, there being points along the pipe, for example outlet holes, from which water can issue. The supply of the water can be regulated by a valve which may be controlled from a remote location, for example in the same manner as fog lights or other traffic control means. Appropriate means can also be provided for responding to variations in water pressure. It is preferred to empty the pipe during the winter months when the temperature may fall below freezing, so as to avoid possible burst.

The said ground surface is preferably such that it will support the weight of a person but will yield under the weight of a vehicle.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig.l shows, in perspective, a part of a road barrier; and Figs.2 to 4 similarly illustrate three further embodiments.

Referring to the drawing a barrier assembly comprises an apron 10, preferably of resilient material, for example, rubber or plastics. The apron is supported by posts 12 which may be of glass fibre.

As can be seen in the drawing the apron is arranged on the posts so as to present a convex surface towards the road. Rainwater may pass through the assembly.

A trough is located beside the barrier assembly and is filled with a soft and/or yielding material kept moist by rainwater from the barrier assembly. Surplus water drains to earth.

In the embodiment of Fig.2 the apron is replaced by rails 14 some of which are of hollow section having a convex outer surface directed towards the road and made of resilient material. The hollow section rails may be used to distribute water over the adjacent ground surface.

As shown in the embodiment of Fig.3 the posts support netting 16 preferably of resilient material reinforced with fabric. The structure operates in the same way as netting provided on an aircraft carrier which arrests a landing plane.

In the embodiment of Fig.4 the barrier comprises a plurality of posts 12. Each post supports at its upper end a generally horizontal member 20 having a convex surface directed outwardly and towards the road. As can be seen in the drawings there is a small gap 22 between and adjacent members.

Claims

1. A road safety barrier arrangement comprises a barrier adapted to be arranged adjacent a road and being constructed so as to yield when struck by a vehicle, the ground surface adjacent the barrier being arranged to yield under the weight of a vehicle.

2. A barrier arrangement as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the barrier comprises a net, sheet, apron or the like.

3. A barrier arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the barrier is supported by rods.

4. A barrier arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the barrier is spring loaded.

5. A barrier arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein an inflatable cushion is provided on the barrier on the side thereof adjacent the roadway.

6. A barrier arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the yielding ground surface is provided on the side of the barrier remote from the roadway.

7. A barrier arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the yielding ground surface comprises particulate material.

8. A barrier arrangement as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the particle size of the particular material is of increasing size in the depthwise direction of the yielding ground surface.

9. A barrier arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein means are provided for maintaining said yielding surface moist.

10. A barrier arrangement as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the means for maintaining the yielding surface moist are incorporated in or fastened to the barrier.

11. A barrier arrangement substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.