Barrier and shadow vehicles generally provide Caltrans maintenance workers protection from errant vehicles entering the work zones, from the upstream direction of traffic flow. This type of protection does not protect workers from vehicles entering the work zone laterally. In an effort to provide workers with positive lateral protection the portable maintenance work-zone barrier (PMWB) was developed. The PMWB is more commonly know as the Balsi Beam named in honor of a Caltrans maintenance worker who was injured by an errant vehicle while performing his duties. The Balsi Beam consists of a modified tractor truck and trailer. The trailer has two telescoping box beams, one on each side, that connect the front and back of the trailer. To create a positive workspace, one of the beams rotates onto the other beam to create a double beam barrier. The trailer can then be extended to provide 9.1 m (30 feet) of protected workspace. The beams can both be rotated to protect either side of the trailer so that work can be done on median or shoulder areas. The portable barrier has the ability to be moved forward along the highway without any downtime for disassembly and reassembly. It was developed to be quick, easy, and safe to deploy at the work area.


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    Title :

    Crashworthiness Testing of a Portable Maintenance Work-Zone Barrier


    Contributors:
    C. Caldwell (author)

    Publication date :

    2008


    Size :

    69 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English





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