Post and Beam Vehicle Barrier Pinned Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current anti-ram vehicle barriers face challenges in achieving optimal penetration resistance and structural integrity to meet stringent certification standards, such as ASTM F2656 and PAS 68, while also considering varying impact velocities and vehicle types.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a post and beam arrangement with pivoting connections and truss sections, where beam sections are connected to crash posts and end posts using connector plates with pins, allowing for vertical movement and tension distribution to resist vehicle penetration, and is engineered to meet specific crash test criteria like M50-P1 ratings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If rigid fixed connections are used between posts and beams, then structural integrity is improved, but the barrier cannot accommodate varying impact forces and velocities effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between posts and beams is made dynamic through pinned connections that allow rotation and movement. The beams can pivot at the post connections, enabling the structure to adapt to different impact forces and directions while maintaining overall integrity. This dynamic capability allows the barrier to respond to varying impact velocities and angles without requiring rigid fixed connections.
2Strength
If heavier materials and thicker sections are used, then penetration resistance is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier is segmented into discrete components including posts, beam sections, and connector plates. Each component can be manufactured to standard specifications and assembled through pinned connections. This segmentation allows for easier manufacturing and assembly while achieving the required penetration resistance through proper component selection and configuration rather than requiring monolithic heavy structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier employs composite construction using steel posts, steel beams, and steel connector plates working together as an integrated system. The combination of these materials and components creates a structure with optimized strength-to-weight ratio, achieving high penetration resistance without requiring excessive thickness or weight in individual elements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If pinned connections are used between posts and beams, then adaptability to impact forces is improved, but structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple connection elements are merged into a unified pinned connection system. The connector plates are attached to both the posts and beams with pins, creating a combined structural assembly that maintains integrity while allowing controlled movement. The merging of these components at the connection points distributes loads effectively and prevents failure at individual connection points.
Solution Approach 2:
The pinned connections are pre-configured with appropriate pin selections and connector plate configurations before installation. The connections are designed in advance to handle expected impact forces, with pins and plates sized and positioned to maintain structural integrity under anticipated loading conditions. This preliminary design ensures that the pinned connections will perform adequately when impacts occur.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle barrier includes a first post and a second post each having a top end and a planar wall, a barrier beam extending longitudinally in a same vertical plane as the first post and the second post and the barrier beam separating an attack side from an asset side, a first post connection attaching the barrier beam to the first post, the first post connection comprising a first beam plate extending from a first end of the barrier beam, a first post plate extending from the planar wall of the first post, and a first pin vertically disposed in the first beam plate and the first post plate, and a second post connection attaching the barrier beam to the second post.