An innovative approach on the renewable hybrid barrier: Combined use of wood and sand

Abstract

Background: Wooden materials have been among the basic materials used in many different areas due to some advantages throughout the history. Roadside barriers, which are called passive safety structures, can be produced with different materials such as wood, steel, concrete, and plastic. In this study, Renewable Hybrid Barriers (RHB), a new type of barrier that is used wood in terms of aesthetics, renewability, high shock resistance, and used sand in terms of impact absorption capacity and low cost, produced by taking into account some of the disadvantages of other barrier types. These barriers are planned to be used especially in historical/touristic areas, scenic roads, and in urban areas as urban furniture. Real-time crash tests in accordance with EN 1317 (Road Restraint Systems) standard require high cost and long time. Therefore, the pendulum crash test mechanism frequently used in the literature was manufactured at which the experiments were carried out. Results: The results revealed that the RHBs which has 2 cm thick timber and sand used together, were sufficient and suitable in terms of both cost and necessary safety criteria. It was observed that impregnation and heat treatment applications did not have a considerable negative effect on the performance of RHBs which provide an opportunity to use RHBs for outdoor conditions. Conclusion: In the light of the results of the study, the optimum wood timber thickness was determined as 2 cm regarding TB 31 test criteria. It is proposed that the crash tests for different wood species, timber thickness, and/or barrier dimensions should carry out in future studies. This study can serve as the basis for the next step, real-time real crash tests. Since the study includes an interdisciplinary subject, it is thought that it will inspire different studies.