Researchers from Midwest Roadside Safety Facility on Wednesday are planning to test a new design for a median barrier by crashing a tractor-tanker carrying nearly 6,700 gallons of water into the reinforced concrete wall at the Outdoor Proving Grounds on the western edge of the Lincoln Municipal Airport.
It is the first U.S. crash test involving this type of vehicle in more than 30 years. The new wall design is 62 inches tall, which is 28 inches shorter than the current standard in use on roadways across the nation.
The truck will be pulled by cables for nearly 3/4 mile through a concrete barrier-lined chute until it reaches 65 mph. At a designated point, the cables will be disengaged. The truck is expected to contact the barrier at a spot marked with a black-and-white checkered decal and a vertical stripe.
On Monday, nearly a mile of wires were run from computers in a trailer and connected to the sensors in the barriers. This will allow researchers to take readings from the impact to be used in their assessment of the barrier's performance.
The crash will be live streamed. Those interested in viewing the crash test can register to watch via Zoom – https://matc.unl.edu/mwrsf/crashtest.php (use authentication code MatcCrashTest2021 to register) – and an invitation with a link to watch the test will be sent closer to the test date.
More details at: https://engineering.unl.edu/mwrsf-researchers-plan-rare-tractor-tanker-crash-test-assess-new-barrier/