MASH Barrier FAQs
What is MASH?
The Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) is an update to and supersedes NCHRP Report 350 for the purposes of evaluating new safety hardware devices and is the basis of crash testing as stated in AS/NZS 3845.1 Road Safety Barrier Systems.
What is a MASH barrier?
The Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) provide crash test guidelines for the evaluation of roadside guardrail barriers used in Australia and NZ.
Why was MASH introduced?
The introduction of MASH follows changes to the vehicle fleet, researching of real-life impact conditions and updated criteria for evaluating barrier performance.
What are some of the differences between MASH and NCHRP 350?
Changes in Test Matrices
- The small car impact angle is increased from 20 to 25 degrees.
- The impact speed for the TL4 truck test is increased from 80 km/h to 90 km/h.
- The impact angle for length-of-need testing of terminals and crash cushions is increased from 20 to 25 degrees.
- The impact angle for oblique end impacts for gating terminals and crash cushions is reduced from 15 to 5 degrees.
Changes in Test Installations
- Any rail element splices that are used in the field are required to be installed in the impact region during testing.
- The minimum length for testing of wire rope barriers is 183m between anchors.
- Wire rope cable tension is required to be set to the value recommended for 38 degrees Celsius.
Changes in Test Vehicles
- The 820kg small car is replaced with an 1100kg passenger car.
- The 2000kg pick-up truck is replaced with a 2270kg pick-up truck.
- The TL4 truck mass is increased from 8000kg to 10,000kg.
What are the MASH test levels?
There are six (6) MASH Test Levels for the evaluation of longitudinal barriers:
| Test Level | Test Vehicle | Test Conditions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed, km/h | Angle, degrees | ||
| 1 | 1100kg Passenger Car 2270kg Pick-up Truck |
50 50 |
25 25 |
| 2 | 1100kg Passenger Car 2270kg Pick-up Truck |
70 70 |
25 25 |
| 3 | 1100kg Passenger Car 2270kg Pick-up Truck |
100 100 |
25 25 |
| 4 | 1100kg Passenger Car 2270kg Pick-up Truck 10,000kg Rigid Truck |
100 100 90 |
25 25 15 |
| 5 | 1100kg Passenger Car 2270kg Pick-up Truck 36,000kg Tractor-Van Trailer |
100 100 80 |
25 25 15 |
| 6 | 1100kg Passenger Car 2270kg Pick-up Truck 36,000kg Tractor-Van Trailer |
100 100 80 |
25 25 15 |
Must barriers installed in Australia be MASH compliant?
All Australian state road agencies have commenced implementation of MASH. Approvals for many non-MASH systems have been discontinued.
Do I need to replace non-MASH road safety systems?
No, non-MASH systems may be maintained, however, if they are damaged and require replacement, it is recommended they are replaced with a MASH compliant barrier.
