1 00:00:00,077 --> 00:00:05,077 (light music) (logo swooshes) 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:12,480 - [Narrator] When Hurricane Harvey made landfall in 2017, 3 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:16,710 concrete medium barriers on I 10 and Highway 59 in Houston 4 00:00:16,710 --> 00:00:20,070 led to major repairs before the roads could be reopened. 5 00:00:20,070 --> 00:00:20,970 The reason? 6 00:00:20,970 --> 00:00:23,370 Those barriers acted like dams, 7 00:00:23,370 --> 00:00:26,460 holding rainwater and leading to higher levels of flooding 8 00:00:26,460 --> 00:00:28,800 and damage in some locations. 9 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,830 Working with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, 10 00:00:31,830 --> 00:00:34,200 the Texas Department of Transportation evaluated 11 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,170 requirements for water flow across roads 12 00:00:37,170 --> 00:00:39,141 to design safe and compliant barriers 13 00:00:39,141 --> 00:00:43,483 that benefit the movement of water during severe weather. 14 00:00:43,483 --> 00:00:46,650 - This particular research was needed 15 00:00:46,650 --> 00:00:50,670 because there were major flooding issues due to some 16 00:00:50,670 --> 00:00:54,120 of the hurricanes in the last several years. 17 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:55,920 - During Hurricane Harvey, 18 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:58,320 with the severe rain and flooding that occurred, 19 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,740 we found out that barriers such as these, 20 00:01:01,740 --> 00:01:05,610 they're solid in nature and they can actually act as dams 21 00:01:05,610 --> 00:01:06,780 to the flood water 22 00:01:06,780 --> 00:01:08,790 and raise the level of the flood water up, 23 00:01:08,790 --> 00:01:12,180 which can result in more severe flooding of the roadways 24 00:01:12,180 --> 00:01:13,770 and the surrounding communities. 25 00:01:13,770 --> 00:01:17,760 - [Kenneth] There were instances where the barrier 26 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:22,170 that had been placed there, or even permanent barrier, 27 00:01:22,170 --> 00:01:24,270 was acting as a dam, 28 00:01:24,270 --> 00:01:28,770 and in some instances it actually had to be taken apart 29 00:01:28,770 --> 00:01:31,440 in order to let the water bypass. 30 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:35,940 - [Roger] This research was basically funded 31 00:01:35,940 --> 00:01:37,290 so that we could try 32 00:01:37,290 --> 00:01:39,750 and develop a portable concrete barrier 33 00:01:39,750 --> 00:01:42,300 that can help mitigate those flooding concerns 34 00:01:42,300 --> 00:01:43,620 that were observed. 35 00:01:43,620 --> 00:01:45,930 - Our intention was to get a barrier 36 00:01:45,930 --> 00:01:50,130 that was both hydraulically efficient and crash worthy. 37 00:01:50,130 --> 00:01:53,520 The crash-worthiness had to be called TL4, 38 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:56,378 which means it could withstand the impact 39 00:01:56,378 --> 00:02:01,378 of a 22,000 pound truck at 56 miles per hour. 40 00:02:02,310 --> 00:02:04,110 - [Roger] Texas A&M Transportation Institute 41 00:02:04,110 --> 00:02:05,160 was the lead on the study, 42 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:06,300 but we were partnering with 43 00:02:06,300 --> 00:02:08,160 the Center for Transportation Research 44 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:10,140 at the University of Texas at Austin. 45 00:02:10,140 --> 00:02:11,160 - [Kenneth] There were actually 46 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:13,260 some hydraulic models that were built. 47 00:02:13,260 --> 00:02:15,510 I believe those were over at UT. 48 00:02:15,510 --> 00:02:19,350 And once we determined that there was a barrier designed 49 00:02:19,350 --> 00:02:22,020 that was reasonably hydraulically efficient, 50 00:02:22,020 --> 00:02:25,710 then TTI commenced to basically designing 51 00:02:25,710 --> 00:02:28,320 the structural components of the barrier 52 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:30,210 so that it could withstand the crash test. 53 00:02:30,210 --> 00:02:33,840 And ultimately, they do simulations at TTI 54 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:36,990 to determine whether or not the barrier 55 00:02:36,990 --> 00:02:39,150 is in fact gonna pass the crash test, 56 00:02:39,150 --> 00:02:41,550 and when there's a good likelihood it is, 57 00:02:41,550 --> 00:02:43,620 then ultimately it was crash tested 58 00:02:43,620 --> 00:02:47,190 with the 22,000 pound single unit truck 59 00:02:47,190 --> 00:02:51,660 as well as a 5,000 pound pickup in a small car. 60 00:02:51,660 --> 00:02:54,480 - The hydraulically efficient portable concrete barrier 61 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:55,680 that we developed, 62 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,590 it's basically a precast concrete barrier, 63 00:02:58,590 --> 00:03:02,430 as other portable barrier systems are, 64 00:03:02,430 --> 00:03:05,160 but this one now has a very large opening. 65 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:07,980 It's 12 inches tall by 18 feet wide 66 00:03:07,980 --> 00:03:10,500 in an overall 30 foot segment. 67 00:03:10,500 --> 00:03:12,510 So it allows a tremendous amount of water 68 00:03:12,510 --> 00:03:13,920 to be able to pass through it. 69 00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:18,330 So we were able to permit that opening to be there 70 00:03:18,330 --> 00:03:22,890 and still achieve a very high level of crash-worthiness. 71 00:03:22,890 --> 00:03:25,320 And according to our MASH standard, 72 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:26,880 we were actually able to test that 73 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:29,400 to what we refer to as test level four, 74 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:34,033 which included vehicles up to a large single unit truck. 75 00:03:34,033 --> 00:03:37,680 - This research will basically improve the safety 76 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:40,120 to the traveling public, particularly during 77 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:45,180 heavy rain events and flooding events, hurricane events, 78 00:03:45,180 --> 00:03:47,490 because it allows water to flow 79 00:03:47,490 --> 00:03:49,500 from side to side of the barrier, 80 00:03:49,500 --> 00:03:52,210 and the water will not dam up on one side 81 00:03:52,210 --> 00:03:55,320 when there might be flooding approaching, 82 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,650 or water approaching from the tire on one side 83 00:03:58,650 --> 00:04:00,120 as opposed to the other. 84 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:01,320 - [Narrator] For more information 85 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:03,720 and to find the publication for this project, 86 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,060 please visit the TxDOT Research Library 87 00:04:06,060 --> 00:04:07,260 at the link shown below.