Did you know? The term “Jersey Barrier” is used because concrete barriers were first used by the New Jersey State Highway Department in the 1950s to divide multiple lanes. The Stevens Institute of Technology developed the barrier design, which was first used in New York in 1955 and 1959 and then in California in 1961.
Jersey guardrails are designed to minimize damage to vehicles, yet prevent intersections and in some cases head-on collisions. They are also used to divert traffic and protect pedestrians from motorway construction, as well as protect emergency vehicles.
Interesting Facts about Jersey Barriers
- When most people think of concrete Jersey Barriers, they think of concrete walls as they stand in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Jersey barriers are now commonly referred to as “Jersey Barriers” and are known in Australia as “Jersey Guardrails”.
- The type and use of Jersey Barriers have evolved over the years and are now used in many other situations, including construction projects and emergencies.
- These concrete barriers have been used on roads since the 1940s, but the term “Jersey Barrier” has taken hold. From 1955 on, the U.S. state road construction authorities observed the results and developed the shape of the barrier. By the end of the decade, the size and shape of the barriers had been refined, and in 1955 Jersey Barriers began to be used on federal roads.
- The high concrete barrier is sometimes used as integrated anti-glare protection for concrete medium barriers (CMBs). It should also be mentioned that the same shape is used for individual roadblocks, retaining walls, and other concrete barriers.
- The New Jersey Turnpike Authority has designed and tested barriers with HGVs – a vertical concrete balustrade that can safely enclose trucks – and steer them back into an upright position. The crash tests have shown that it can function as a traffic barrier but has no energy management functions.
- The initial single slope barrier profile, which has an energy management function similar to that of the high concrete barrier, has led to the development of constant slope barriers.
- Each year, international road authorities design and use a series of barriers and examine data to determine which height, width, and angle are best suited to improving safety in real-world accidents.
- The distance between the ground slope and the predetermined breaking point is the most important factor in the construction of a concrete barrier.
- They can also be used to deter traffic and prevent erosion in certain areas and can be viewed in places such as car parks, multi-storey car parks, and other public places.
- Since concrete barriers need to be durable to fulfill their purpose, the most effective manufacturing methods must be used to build these barriers.
- Concrete barriers are often embedded to effectively protect sensitive pipes or underground materials from impact from heavy machinery or moulds on construction sites.
The top manufacturers have established a good reputation in the industry as the world’s leading suppliers of precast concrete elements for concrete barriers and other concrete products.
If you’re in the construction business, finding a precast concrete supplier near you who manufactures and supplies concrete barriers will help make your barrier projects easy to install.