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2 <br />Road tubes have long been considered so benign as to not require crash testing when affixed to <br />the pavement. Your combination device creates an entirely new device or system, a longitudinal <br />ehannelizer, that is covered neither by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices <br />(MUTCD) nor NCHRP Report 350. Because of our concerns about the performance of a device <br />in this new category of longitudinal channelizers we developed a crash test matrix that you <br />agreed to follow. <br />Testing <br />A brief description of the tested device follows: <br />The Qwick Kurb is a series of individual, one -meter long, raised separator units that are <br />interconnected to form a continuous Iongitudinal appearance. Vertical channelizers mount <br />integrally into the raised separator units, and reflectors in the shape of an arc depict the raised <br />character of the separator at night. A drawing of the system is enclosed for reference. <br />Full-scale automobile testing was conducted on your company's devices. A unique crash test <br />matrix was developed for this device to answer concerns FHWA expressed in our letter of <br />May 21, 2001, Our first concern was that the curb could cause errant vehicles to be redirected or <br />thrown out of control upon impact with the raised separator. Our second concern was that the <br />individual sections of the modular system might be dislodged by an impacting vehicle and <br />become airborne and potentially hazardous to other traffic. <br />Four tests were performed to address these concerns. In all cases a live driver drove al996 <br />Honda Civic over the test installation at a speed of approximately 65 miles per hour (mph). As <br />the Qwick Kurb system has no significant effect on the speed of the test vehicle, no speed change <br />instrumentation was used. <br />Travel Test 1A-Vaulting- while crossing <br />At an approach angle of approximately 14°, the car was driven, at 65 mph, over the separator <br />with the right front tire making first contact with the separator. The steering wheel was <br />maintained in the straight -ahead position, using a light touch. There was no input required to <br />maintain directional control of the car. The tire and rim was not damaged. The event was <br />recorded using a high-speed digital camera and a high-speed film camera. Review of the <br />high-speed digital image and the high speed film showed no vaulting occurred, unloading of the <br />tire did occur and the tire did not follow the backside contour of the separator. <br />Travel Test I B — Crossing a Vee in front of an Attenuator <br />Phase 1: <br />The car was driven, at 65 mph, across a 30-degree Vee of separators. The steering wheel was <br />maintained in the straight -ahead position using a light touch. There was no input required to <br />maintain directional control of the car. The tire and rim was not damaged. Review of the <br />high-speed images show no vaulting occurred, unloading of the tire did occur and there were no <br />control problems with this car. <br />