• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.19-28
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• 2014

PURPOSES : This paper evaluates, using LS/DYNA-3D software, the vehicle impact performance of flexible barriers made of steel W-Beam supported by four different types of post configurations. These types include circular post, H-shape post, C-shape post, and square post. METHODS : The post-soil interaction has been investigated according to different impact angles. For this purpose, energy absorption, maximum displacements of post and rail, and occupant risk index of THIV have been compared each other. The three dimensional soil material model, instead of the conventional spring model based on Winkler and p-y curve, has been used to increase the correctness of computational model. RESULTS : It is noted the crash energy absorption has been increased with respect to the increase of impact angle. CONCLUSIONS : In particular, a post with open section(H-shape, C-shape) shows the greater crash energy absorption capability as compared with a post with closed section under the same level of impact conditions.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.10-19
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• 2014

Despite the movement of safe traffic by the Korean government to reduce deaths in traffic accidents, the casualties increase year by year. In particular, more and more accidents and casualties are reported from car collisions from the back of the vehicles parked for managing traffic accidents on the road, cleaning main roads and medial strips, repairing roads. In order to response to these accidents, the government should take protective measures for road users. In the last decade, seventy-one cases have been reported to occur during highway repair and maintenance. As a result, eight persons were killed and seventy-six were injured, showing the high death rate of 11.3 percent. Therefore, it seems urgent to take some actions against it. The United States and European countries legislate that vehicles of road repair and maintenance should be mandatorily equipped with shock absorber at the back. Korea, however, does not have such legislative measures, which are needed at this time to protect workers on the road. This study compares the performance of the traditional shock absorber for road maintenance vehicles with that of the rear safety guard using air bag, manufactured in accordance with related laws in Korea. Based on the results of the 60km/h rear collision test, this paper proposes improvements in related laws and regulations in an attempt to reduce casualties.

• Journal of Korean Society of Transportation
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.115-125
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• 2003

The concrete median barriers are the most popular safety appurtenance that can be installed on narrow medians and are effective in keeping uncontrolled vehicles from crossing into opposing lanes of traffic. It is necessary to install and maintain median barriers because it is very difficult to reserve enough room required for medians in KOREA. Also, concrete median barriers are accepted as the actual alternatives for median barriers, mostly because they require almost no maintenance even after serious collisions. Typical concrete median barriers are 810mm high and have 596mm high glare screens on top of them. However we have experienced a number of "climb" and "roll-over" accidents of heavy vehicles and most of all, there have been some serious accidents caused by the part of broken glare screens. So the improvement study of concrete median barriers started. Prior to this study, a new type of concrete median barrier was suggested which is 1,270mm high and has no glare screens on top of it. So it was required to compare the properties of various types of concrete median barriers including the new type to find the optimal type of concrete median barrier. In this study, we have evaluated the characteristics of four types of concrete median barriers (New Jersey type, F type, constant slope type, and wall type). We have performed many computer simulations for the evaluation of the crashworthiness of them, and through the simulations we have tried to find a proper type of concrete median barrier. Through the computer simulations, we evaluated the structural stability and safety of the four types of concrete median barriers. We confirmed the structural stability and safety of them But in regard to the probability of "roll-over" of heavy vehicles, the higher concrete median barriers showed better performances than the lower. As the result of this study a new type of concrete median barrier was recommended.