-------------------------------------------------------------------- COLLOQUIUM OF THE COMPUTATIONAL MATERIALS SCIENCE CENTER AND THE SCHOOL OF PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY, & COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES (CSI 898-Sec 001 crosslisted with PHYS 703) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Novel Design of a Roadside Barrier Element Dhafer Marzougui Center for Collision Safety and Analysis (CCSA) and School of Physics, Astronomy, and Computational Sciences George Mason University, Fairfax, VA Roadside barriers, such as concrete walls and w-beam guardrails, are deployed along highways to contain and/or redirect vehicles that leave their lanes or the roadway. They prevent head-on collisions with other vehicles or encounters with roadside objects, which may cause severe injuries and fatalities. In this talk I will describe how an energy-absorbing roadside device was developed using computer simulations and full-scale crash testing. Detailed computer models of varied conceptual designs were developed and used to evaluate the barrier performance. Sub-component tests were conducted to calibrate the barrier materials. Iterative simulations of large and small vehicles impacting the barrier at varying speeds, angles, and locations were conducted until an optimum design was reached. The viability of the final design was confirmed by a series of five full-scale crash tests. The tests conformed to national barrier crashworthiness requirements. All five test results met the requirements and indicated adequate performance relative to structural adequacy, occupant risk, and vehicle trajectory. The new device was approved for use nationally on US roadways. February 10, 2014 4:30 pm Room 3301, Exploratory Hall, Fairfax Campus Refreshments will be served at 4:15 PM. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Find the schedule at http://www.cmasc.gmu.edu/seminars.htm