Abstract:

The main element of road safety is the use of protective barriers. Among all barriers can be distinguished non-deformable solid concrete, steel and deformable rope barriers. A new solution proposed in this publication are highly flexible and strength knitted barriers. Through analysis of the barriers’ nature, simulations of typical vehicle collision processes with barriers were carried out. For this purpose, calculations of G-forces which a human experiences during a vehicle collision with the barrier were conducted, and values of human pressure forces on the seat belt, created as a result the vehicle collision, were determined. There were also appointed values of impact energy created at the contact moment of the vehicle with the barrier. It was proved that textile knitted barriers cause a 30-fold decrease in the negative g-forces of the driver and passengers and 12-fold reduction in the pressure force of seat belts on the human body, providing the ability to absorb the impact energy of both cars and trucks, including buses, moving with a speed of 100 to 160 km/h. The publication presents a summary of preliminary research that justifies the desirability of textile barrier use in road engineering.