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Bridge & culvert barriers are specifically designed to provide safe vehicle containment and redirection when installed on an elevated structure. Designers should consider the barrier containment level, the impact loads transferred to the structure and the ease of repair and replacement when selecting the most appropriate safety barrier system.

Safe Direction bridge and culvert barrier solutions are crash tested in accordance with MASH TL3 or MASH TL4 to comply with the impact loads described in AS 5100.1. Our barrier options include systems featuring surface mounted posts, side mounted posts or guardrail beams that can span up to 16m between posts.

When upgrading the safety of an existing bridge or culvert structure an important design consideration is the impact loads transferred to the structure. Our innovative crash tested designs provide options that reduce or eliminate these loads extending the life of the bridge or culvert structure.

Bridge & Culvert Barriers FAQs

What is a culvert?

A culvert is a structure or pipe that channels water under a roadway. Culverts present a significant hazard to road users as they typically feature a steep vertical drop along the edge of the roadway. Typically, a road safety barrier is required to shield the culvert.

How do I select the most appropriate safety barrier for my culvert project?

The selection of a safety barrier should consider the span of the culvert, depth below road level and structural integrity of the culvert. In addition, designers should consider the design vehicle and speed of the roadway.

What are the key performance features of a bridge or culvert barrier?

It is important the chosen safety barrier system can demonstrate safe vehicle containment and redirection when installed along the edge of an elevated structure.

Traditional road safety barriers are typically evaluated when installed in natural ground and are not intended for bridges or culvert applications

How are bridge and culvert safety barriers assessed?

The crash test performance of a bridge & culvert barrier is documented in AS 5100.1 Bridge Design. This standard classifies barriers as Low Performance Level, Regular Performance Level, Medium Performance Level and Special Performance Level.

The selection of the performance level is based on an assessment of the risks relevant to the site and considers road alignment, vehicle speeds and type, traffic volume and the consequences of the vehicle penetrating the barrier.

The Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) is a performance standard that describes the crash test conditions to evaluate compliance of a bridge & culvert barrier.

What is the crash test criteria for a Low Performance Barrier?

A Low Performance Barrier shall be crash tested to the requirements of MASH TL2, demonstrating containment of a 2270kg pick-up truck travelling at 70km/h and 25 degrees.

What is the crash test criteria for a Regular Performance Barrier?

A Regular Performance Barrier shall be crash tested to the requirements of MASH TL4, demonstrating containment of a 2270kg pick-up truck travelling at 100km/h and 25 degrees and a 10,000kg rigid truck travelling at 90km/h and 15 degrees.

What is the crash test criteria for a Medium Performance Barrier?

A Regular Performance Barrier shall be crash tested to the requirements of MASH TL5, demonstrating containment of a 2270kg pick-up truck travelling at 100km/h and 25 degrees and a 36,000kg articulated truck travelling at 90km/h and 15 degrees.