Comparative Crash Tests Conducted on Seven Different Makes and Models of TruckMounted Attenuators (TMA's)

摘要

In June of 1989, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) contracted withthe Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) to develop a set of performance specifications for truck mounted attenuators (TMA's). The objectives of the project were to (1) assess the performance of several truck mounted attenuators and then (2) develop and propose the criteria that define an 'acceptable' TMA. These criteria will be used by the Equipment and Procurement Division (D-4) of the Texas Department of Transportation in setting minimum performance requirements for TMA's purchased by the Department. The report is the second of three volumes. In this volume, the procedures and protocols employed in the 21 crash tests conducted during the course of this project are presented, along with the ways and means by which test data were collected and analyzed. Results of the tests are presented photographically (before-and-after photographs of the TMA's and impacting vehicles; sequential photographs of the crashes) and graphically (vehicle deceleration by time plots; angular displacements by time plots). Performance measures based upon NCHRP Report 230 (occupant impact velocity and occupant ridedown acceleration) and TRB Circular 191 (maximum 50-msec average longitudinal acceleration) criteria are provided.