Mobile Barriers MBT-1
Accepted by FHWA for use on the NHS
Under Both NCHRP 350 & the New MASH Update
at TL-2 & TL-3 Levels
Background:
FHWA Policy,
NCHRP 350/MASH Guidelines &
“Movable Longitudinal Barriers”
Under Federal policy, NCHRP 350 & the new MASH guidelines, applicable crash test results must be submitted for review and “Acceptance” by the FHWA prior to use on the National Highway System (NHS). Mobile Barriers MBT-1 has been appropriately tested and Accepted for use on the NHS. The FHWA Acceptance Letter can be found elsewhere on this site. MBT-1 was Accepted both for TL-2 use in low speed situations, where for example, vehicular traffic is moving at speeds of 43 mph or less, and for the even more challenging TL-3 use, such as for the much higher speeds typically encountered on interstates and in many situations.
The FHWA's web site for Roadside Hardware notes "FHWA policy requires that all roadside appurtenances such as traffic barriers, barrier terminals and crash cushions, bridge railings, sign and light pole supports, and work zone hardware used on the National Highway System meet the performance criteria contained in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350, Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features and the new Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH). (See also FHWA site: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/policy_guide/road_hardware/)
Following links under the 350/MASH Guidelines to “longitudinal barriers” and the “movable” subcategory, one quickly sees that nothing truly compares to the Mobile Barriers Trailer (not under current test criteria or even grandfathered in under previous less demanding criteria). Prior to the Mobile Barriers Trailer (model MBT-1), what was classified as “movable” was more what one might think of as temporarily installed permanent barriers (e.g. relatively immobile and temporarily installed concrete barriers). Nothing like MBT-1 has been tested and found to meet the challenging performance criteria contained in NCHRP 350 and MASH for use on the National Highway System. With MBT-1, you have a truly unique “movable longitudinal barrier” that meets the challenging NCHRP 350 (and now MASH) crash test criteria.
From the crash video and report, it can be seen that MBT-1 not only met the NCHRP 350 & MASH criteria for high speed impacts - it did so very well. The crash vehicle’s occupant risk values were calculated at only about one third of allowable limits and there was no damage or intrusions into the passenger compartment. As noted in the test report, the barrier itself “did not experience any structural damage. The wall plates were not torn, punctured or gouged. The test vehicle did not snag … or create any snag points for future vehicle impacts.” The test in general went extremely well.
For the first time, under FHWA policy and NCHRP 350/MASH guidelines, the Mobile Barriers Trailer (MBT-1) offers work crews and the passing public a level of truly mobile protection previously thought possible only with relatively immobile concrete barriers.
