Additionally, plastic barriers require less storage space (and its associated costs) their ability to be utilized in multiple situations or locations means they spend less time (if any) in storage. The polyethylene material requires less maintenance than concrete and results in a longer life-span. While trucks are necessary to move concrete barriers, two people can easily move plastic barriers, thus reducing transportation costs. For public works entities, they offer benefits in many logistical areas. Most commonly orange and white in color, Plastic Jersey barriers provide higher visibility to motorists, further reducing the potential for collisions.
They have also been used immediately following floods or other natural disasters and they have been used by the National Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers as a portable retaining wall. Plastic barriers are now frequently used not only for road work, construction zones, and water and sewer projects, but also at airports and garages (for access denial).
The fact that they could be used for multiple purposes (traffic, but also special events or security) often enabled entities to reduce their capital expenditures by purchasing Plastic Jersey barriers. In these cases, the use of plastic barriers resulted in time and cost savings, because the product could be moved with relative ease, and was re-usable in a number of different circumstances. Plastic Jersey barriers offered many distinct benefits over traditional concrete barriers.Ī number of small jobs or short-term projects can’t justify the cost of concrete. These barriers are made of heavy-duty, low-density polyethylene, and in use, they are water-filled. Similarly, there was a need for a Jersey barrier-like device for short-term projects in which portability was important.Įnter the “Plastic Jersey” barrier. Successful as Jersey barriers were, there remained a demand for a product that could provide some of the same benefits in circumstances where miles and miles of barriers were not necessary. There are a number of variations of the Jersey barrier, some with slightly different dimensions and angles, but all adhere to the same goals and principles. Test results have shown that a tractor trailer, impacting a Jersey barrier at a 15 degree angle at 60 miles per hour will be successfully redirected. When the vehicle’s wheels contact the lower sloped face, the lift reduces the friction between the tires and the paved surface this helps to bank and redirect the vehicle. It’s been specifically designed to prevent a vehicle from rolling over, careening over the barrier, or being bounced back into traffic.Īt higher impact angles, the vehicle’s front bumper will impact the barrier’s upper sloped face and slide upwards. At low-angle impacts, the barrier’s shape is designed to minimize sheet metal damage by allowing a vehicle’s tires to ride up the barrier’s lower slope. Then the unit will curve to a width of approximately 6 inches at the top. Jersey barriers are generally 32 inches high, and two-feet wide at the bottom.
Why Are Concrete Jersey Barriers Used For Roadside Construction Zone? Engineers at the state highway department analyzed accident results to alter the barriers’ dimension to increase their effectiveness. By the end of the decade the size and shape of the barriers were refined. How Did Plastic Jersey Barriers Get Their Name?Ĭoncrete barriers were used on some roadways in California in the 1940s, but the term “Jersey barrier” stuck because of the structure’s widespread introduction on the highways of New Jersey, beginning in 1955. These barriers are now also used for public safety purposes in many other situations, including construction projects, emergencies, and in defense against potential terrorism threats. And they have moved beyond their traditional purpose of preventing auto accidents. Though they are historically (and still most commonly) concrete, Jersey Barriers are also now produced in a plastic variation. Set up as walls which separate lanes of traffic, they are specifically designed to minimize damage and reduce the likelihood of a car crossing into oncoming lanes.īoth the nature and the uses of Jersey barriers have evolved over the years. Jersey barriers have helped to increase and maintain safety on numerous roadways since the 1950s.
What is a Jersey Barrier? A 50 Year Overview