DEVELOPMENT OF ROAD BARRIER USING GLASS FIBRE COMPOSITE

Textile Engineering

In recent times, advanced materials such as composites are being extensively tested across various geotextile applications, and their use has expanded into road safety systems like barriers. A composite road divider/barrier has been developed with the ability to efficiently absorb impact energy, thereby lowering the severity of injuries during accidents. One widely used example is the crash barrier, which is primarily designed to control and redirect out-of-control vehicles. Textile waste materials are utilized as the primary base in the fabrication of the composite barrier, along with reinforcements and fillers such as glass fiber, coir pith, crushed stones, and marble waste. The current focus of roadside safety barrier development is on the efficient use of natural and recycled resources. This objective can be achieved through improved design approaches, selection of suitable materials, and effective manufacturing techniques. The composite barrier is fabricated using the hand lay-up technique with E-glass/epoxy bidirectional laminates. In this process, the required thickness is obtained by successively applying layers of fiberglass and liquid resin. A Charpy impact test was conducted to evaluate the impact resistance of the barrier surface, and the impact strength was found to be 38 Nm. When compared to conventional concrete barriers, the composite barrier exhibits a 64% higher factor of safety and is approximately 75% more economical. Additionally, the use of composite materials resulted in a weight reduction of about 53.8% without compromising the structural strength.

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