Crash performance of a novel movable assembled barriers for expressway work zone: Finite element model and full-scale collision test

When carrying out construction on an expressway during operation period, the safety of personnel and equipment in the work zone is critical. There is an urgent need to develop barrier facilities that are suitable for work zone, provide protective capabilities, and have appropriate deformation. A novel barrier system, designated as the movable assembled barrier (MAB), has been introduced, offering the advantage of not necessitating anchoring to the pavement. The upper part consists of steel components, while the lower part is a reinforced concrete base. The barrier's resistance to vehicle impact is derived from the friction force between the base and the pavement. A finite element model, in conjunction with long short-term memory (LSTM) networks and genetic algorithms, was employed to optimize two critical structural parameters of the barrier: the friction coefficient between the barrier and the pavement, and the height of the barrier. This optimization was based on a dataset comprising maximum lift height of the gravity center, roll angle of vehicle and lateral displacement values of the barrier. In accordance with MASH testing requirements, the optimized barrier structure underwent numerical simulations to evaluate its crash performance, with results compared to full-scale crash tests. The research indicates that the MAB structure generates lower ASI values and roll angles during vehicle impacts. Additionally, the lateral displacement values of MAB are minimized, demonstrating good guiding performance for vehicles. Overall, the novel barrier meets the safety standards of MASH TL-4. This innovative barrier structure contributes to ensuring safety in expressway work zone.