Simulating barrier crashworthiness with high certainty and ensuring safety in design

Roads and Maritime Services of NSW (RMS) design, accept and manage barriers for use on classified roads and bridges. Crash testing of a system of barrier units is infrequently performed due to high costs and a myriad of impact conditions that needs to be considered. The safety of these structural elements can be checked or greatly enhanced by carrying out explicit analysis, taking into account parametric variations in problem definition such as vehicle types, vehicle speed, impact angles and barrier geometry/material composition.