MASH compliance commenced 1 January 2020 throughout Australia. The introduction of MASH follows changes to the vehicle fleet, researching of real-life impact conditions and updated criteria for evaluating barrier performance. Most products tested to the superseded NCHRP Report 350 standard do not pass MASH barrier testing.
MASH Compliance - What do these changes mean for Road Safety Products?
Some of the major differences between MASH and NCHRP Report 350 include:
Changes in Test Matrices
- The small car impact angle is increased from 20 to 25 degrees to match the impact angle used with light truck testing
- The impact speed for the single-unit truck test is increased from 80 km/h to 90 km/h to better distinguish the TL-4 test from TL-3
- The impact angle for length-of-need testing of terminals and crash cushions is increased from 20 to 25 degrees to match that for longitudinal barriers
- The impact angle for oblique end impacts for gating terminals and crash cushions is reduced from 15 to 5 degrees
- For small vehicle tests on cable barrier, the target impact point must be at mid-span to evaluate the potential for under-ride, while the target impact point for all other test vehicles shall be limited to 300mm upstream of the post for all test conditions
- Length-of-need tests with the pickup truck are required to meet occupant risk criteria
- A head-on test with the mid-size car is added for staged impact attenuation systems
- The barrier mounting height is recommended to be set at the maximum for small car tests and at the minimum for pickup truck tests
Changes in Test Installations
- Performance-based specifications for soil are added to the existing material-based specifications to help ensure consistency in soil strength
- Any rail element splices that are used in the field are required to be installed in the impact region during testing
- Cable tension for testing of wire rope systems is required to be set to the value recommended for 38 degrees Celsius
- Minimum installation length for testing of wire rope systems is 183m between anchors
Changes in Test Vehicles
- The small car has increased from 820kg to 1100kg
- The pick-up truck (TL-3) has increased from 2000kg to 2270kg
- The rigid truck (TL-4) has increased from 8000kg to 10,000kg
Safe Direction's MASH compliant barriers:
If you are looking for a MASH guardrail or safety barrier, browse our range of MASH compliant products below.