MASH Test 3-11 on F-Shape Portable Concrete Barrier with X-Bolt Connection

An implementation agreement was adopted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Federal Highway Administration that coincided with the publication of the second edition of the AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). Subsequently, numerous roadside safety devices have been crash tested to evaluate compliance with MASH impact performance criteria. The Texas Department of Transportation used this MASH testing need as an opportunity to improve the design of some devices in its roadside safety standards. One of the devices for which improvements were investigated is the portable concrete barrier with X-bolt connection. The fabrication cost of this barrier has limited its implementation to date. Several changes were made to the design to help optimize its fabrication prior to MASH testing. The modified F-shape portable concrete barrier with X-bolt connection subsequently met the performance criteria for MASH Test 3-11 for longitudinal barriers.