MASH TL-3 Evaluation of the TxDOT TL-3 Low-Profile Barrier for High Speed Applications

In response to the implementation requirements set forth by the Federal Highway Administration, the Texas Department of Transportation Bridge, Design, Maintenance, and Traffic Operations Divisions reviewed their standards for roadside safety devices and identified those devices that require testing and evaluation to assess MASH compliance. Under this phase of the project, the Low-Profile Concrete Barrier (LPCB-13) was evaluated. The objective of this project was to design a TL-3 low-profile barrier for high-speed applications and assess its performance according to the safety-performance evaluation guidelines included in MASH for Test Level 3 (TL-3) longitudinal barriers. Based on the detailed computer model simulations results, researchers performed MASH full-scale crash tests on a low-profile portable concrete barrier system comprised of 26-inch tall, 30-ft long barrier segments with a T-shape profile. Based on constructability feedback, researchers modified the straight side of the barrier to a 1:18 slope, to allow for ease of construction forming. The TL-3 Low-Profile Barrier performed acceptably as a MASH TL-3 longitudinal barrier.