Optimization of a temporary road traffic steel barrier using explicit finite element method and laboratory testing

•Paper describes a methodology that was successfully applied for the development of a temporary road traffic steel barrier in compliance with T1/W1 level according to EN 1317;•A simplified theoretical analysis of 178 barrier, laboratory test of three types of barrier connectors (for two types of barrier), explicit FEM modeling of four chosen barrier, and a full-scale crash test for final barrier are presented;•The stiffness of barrier connector was established based by laboratory barrier test (the FEM model was validated based on laboratory tests);•The chosen final barrier alternative passed the crash test for T1/W1 (TB21) containment level, performed by certified laboratory [35], which proves that the presented procedure could be used successfully for traffic barrier development. Over a million people die in road crashes and tens of millions result injured or disabled each year, globally. Hence, there is a constant concern for improving the safety of the roads to protect road users, and those at the most risk, the road workers. Construction, maintenance, and utility work are constantly needed to ensure safety and functionality of roads and highways. Temporary road traffic barriers are used to separate passing traffic from the workspace and protect the workspace from an errant vehicle intrusion. Steel barriers are light, and their major advantage is rapid installation. These barriers are not anchored to the ground, and their behavior relies on the base-pavement friction, mass inertia, and stiffness of the system. The paper describes a methodology that was successfully applied for the development of a temporary road traffic steel barrier in compliance with the European specification EN 1317. The study included a simplified theoretical analysis of 178 barriers, static laboratory tests of three types of barrier connectors, development of explicit finite element models (EFEMs) of four selected barrier designs, and a full-scale crash test of the final barrier design. It is shown that static laboratory tests of complex connector systems can help to improve the design process and reduce the cost. The analysis and use of EFEMs was enough so that just a single full-scale crash test was sufficient for certification of the barrier design for use in Europe. The final barrier is compliant with the EN 1317–2 requirements for T1/W1 (TB21) containment level, which was confirmed by a full-scale crash test.