Revision of Austroads Crash Barriers Manual

The use of guard fencing is a key means by which roadside hazards are safely managed. To assist road designers and road safety practitioners, in 1987 the National Association of Australian State Road Authorities (NAASRA, now Austroads), released a guide for the provision of safety barriers.

Since that time major developments have taken place in improving the design of barriers and crash cushion systems worldwide. New types of barriers, such as flexible systems incorporating wire ropes, have also come into use in many areas. Furthermore, it has come to light that some barrier treatments once thought to provide protection (as detailed for use within the NAASRA publication) have since proven themselves to be hazardous (eg. turned down end treatments, which can result in impacting vehicles ?vaulting? the barrier).

This report presents work to date on a draft Austroads Guide for the installation and maintenance of roadside safety barriers. Research to this stage has involved a literature review to identify best practice worldwide and a summary of current practice across Australasian road authorities.