Crash Testing of Car Park Barriers
Traditionally, car park barrier designs were evaluated to Australian Standards using load calculations and engineering analysis. Following on from our extensive experience in the development of roadside crash barrier systems, Safe Direction has pioneered the use of full-scale crash testing to evaluate the impact performance of car park barriers. Safe Direction’s underlying philosophy in the crash test evaluation of its car park safety barriers is that of ‘worst practical conditions.’ Â
When selecting test parameters, such as the test vehicle, impact speed, point of impact, barrier length, and positioning of the barrier on the concrete foundation, every effort is made to specify the worst, or most critical, condition. When the combined effects of all testing parameters are considered, Safe Direction’s car park barrier testing procedure represents the extremes of impact conditions to be expected in real-world situations.Â
Frequently Asked Questions
What Australian Standards reference the requirement for car park barriers?
AS/NZS 2890.1 sets out the minimum requirements for the design and layout for off-street parking facilities, including multi-storey car parks. AS/NZS 2890.1 states that barriers shall not be made from brickwork, unreinforced concrete or other materials likely to shatter on impact and shall be designed structurally to the loading requirements of AS/NZS 1170.1.Â
What are the different loading conditions nominated by AS/NZS 1170.1?
The horizontal imposed action on barriers required to withstand the accidental impact from vehicles during parking shall be taken as follows:Â
a) For light traffic areas (Type F)Â
   i. Barriers – 30 kN.Â
   ii. Barriers at the end of straight ramps exceeding 20 m in length and intended for downward travel – 240 kN.Â
b) For barriers in medium traffic areas (Type G) – 40kN.
The impact force shall be distributed over a 1.5Â m length at any position along the barrier and shall be assumed to act 0.5m above floor level for light traffic areas and at 1.0Â m for medium traffic areas.Â
What is a Light Traffic Area?
AS/NZS 1170.1 defines a Light Traffic Area as parking, garages, driveways and ramps restricted to cars, light vans, etc., not exceeding 2500 kg gross mass.
What is a Medium Traffic Area?
AS/NZS 1170.1 defines a Medium Traffic Area as driveways, ramps, repair workshops, footpaths with vehicle access, and car parking used by vehicles between 2500 kg and 10,000 kg.Â
How is the 30kN Light Traffic Area impact load derived?
The 30 kN impact load is derived from a 1500 kg vehicle travelling at 2 m/s (7.2 km/h). The impact force shall be distributed over a 1.5m length at any position along the barrier and shall be assumed to act 0.5m above floor level.Â
How is the 240kN Light Traffic Area impact load derived?
The 240 kN impact load is derived from a 2000 kg vehicle travelling at 6 m/s (21.6 km/h). The impact force shall be distributed over a 1.5m length at any position along the barrier and shall be assumed to act 0.5m above floor level.Â
How is the 40kN Medium Traffic Area impact load derived?
The 40 kN impact load is derived from a 2000 kg vehicle travelling at 2 m/s (7.2 km/h). The impact force shall be distributed over a 1.5m length at any position along the barrier and shall be assumed to act 1.0 m above floor level.Â
Why does Safe Direction perform impacts with a 2000 kg dual cab utility vehicle on all RhinoStop variants?
The average weight of new vehicle sold in Australia is approximately 2000 kg as the vehicle fleet continues to shift towards SUVs and dual cab utility vehicles. Safe Direction considers it important that all car park barriers should be evaluated to the heavier 2000 kg vehicle in preference to a 1500 kg vehicle. Â
Why is it important to perform vehicle impacts with the barrier positioned on the edge of a 150 mm thick elevated concrete slab?
Car park barriers are primarily installed in multi-storey car parks to prevent vehicles from travelling over the perimeter edge. Therefore, a barrier promoted for use in a multi-storey car park should be assessed in a real-life configuration.Â
Safe Direction’s range of RhinoStop car park barriers are full-scale crash tested when installed on the edge of a 150 mm thick elevated concrete slab. This crash test configuration is designed to evaluate vehicle impact behaviour, potential for concrete edge failure and the suitability of the anchor embedment depth.Â
How can I compare the impact capacity of a Safe Direction car park barrier system?
The severity of an impact is normally measured in terms of the kinetic energy of the vehicle collision and is an indicator of the magnitude of loading on a crash barrier system. The Crash Test Evaluation provided on each RhinoStop webpage provides the impact energy of the corresponding crash test allowing designers to compare the capacity of each RhinoStop system. Â
