Roadside Safety Products
Industry leading crash test performance and money-saving benefits begin with the unique design features of Zoneguard® Temporary Steel Barriers, Smart Cushion® Impact Crash Attenuators, and ZoneBloc® Temporary Concrete Barriers. These signature creations offer the road construction industry and roadway workers a revolutionary product that provides superior protection.
The World’s Only Speed-Dependent Crash Attenuators
The Smart Cushion® crash attenuator is a revolutionary, speed-dependent product that varies stopping resistance during an impact. The Smart Cushion® crash attenuator allows lighter and slower-moving vehicles to have longer ridedown distances and lower ridedown g-forces.
Unlike fixed-resistance attenuators, the Smart Cushion® attenuator does not reach maximum stopping resistance unless a vehicle is traveling at the maximum design speed. This fully re-directive, non-gating, bidirectional, impact attenuator was designed for maximum safety and reusability, as well as outstanding durability before, during and after an impact.
The Smart Cushion® is the only attenuator with a reverse-tapered design to eliminate side panel stress during a collapse. It also has an extremely low angle of exit on side impacts to keep vehicles from rebounding back into traffic and causing secondary accidents. Plus, it is the only fully redirective attenuator tested to MASH and NCHRP 350 with no changes!
Features
Specs
SCI70GM / TL2
SCI100GM / TL3
How It Works
The hydraulic porting of the attenuator ensures that the proper resistance is used to stop the vehicle before it reaches the end of the cushion’s usable length. The Smart Cushion® was specifically designed for durability and resetability to enable resets to be performed in less than 30 minutes.
A unique attribute of the Smart Cushion® is that side impacts on the road rarely require any repairs. This eliminates mobilization, repair labor, and parts after side impacts which average of 30% – 40% of the incidents depending on the roadway geometrics.
After an impact, the cushion requires a dual-stage pull-out with the replacement of two 1/4″ shear bolts. The crash attenuator requires a minimal inventory of spare parts because of the new side panels’ durability and the normal requirement of only two shear bolts on the frontal impact reset. Minimal damage means quick resetting and reduced worker exposure to traffic, as well as lower costs for traffic control, replacement parts and labor.
Ready To Install
Smart Cushion® attenuators come fully assembled for a pick-and-set install. A typical installation can be performed in less than 90 minutes.
The Smart Cushion® is self-supporting and requires no additional support for permanent or temporary construction applications.
MASH Test Results
- All MASH tests were performed including the optional midsize car test using an independent accredited testing facility. Once again, the Smart Cushion established records for ridedown g-forces for small vehicles just like it did with NCHRP 350.
- The SCI100GM is a MASH and NCHRP 350 Test Level 3 attenuator.
SAFETY BENEFITS
- Variable resistance (speed-dependent), not fixed resistance, provides consistent deceleration during ridedown.
- Longer ridedown distances and lower sustained g-forces for lighter or slower-moving vehicles.
- Quick and easy resets for reduced worker exposure to traffic.
- Low angle of exit on side impacts to keep vehicle from rebounding back into traffic.
- No mobilization required after side impacts reduces public and worker exposure.
REPAIR COSTS
Based on MASH test results, the SCI100GM required the following parts and labor:
| MASH Test Level 3 Repair Results | Parts | Cost | Man Hours | Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #3-31 2270 kg vehicle 0 degree frontal impact | 2-Shear Bolts | $1 | 2 | $80 | $81 |
| #3-35 2270 kg vehicle 25 degree side impact | 3-Side Panels | $1 | 2 | $80 | $560 |
| #3-37 2270 kg vehicle 25 degree reverse side impact | None | $1 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
Cost Benefits
- Few replacement parts requirement virtually eliminates spare parts inventory and parts costs.
- Thirty minute resets reduces labor and traffic control costs.
- The reverse-tapered design eliminates side panel stress on frontal impacts to reduce damage and system fatigue from multiple impacts.
- Life cycle cost savings increase dramatically as additional impacts occur.
- No damage on side impact combined with low cost on frontal impacts can save you 75% or more on costs including labor, mobilization, and parts
- Systems shipped from factory fully assembled reduce on-site labor.
Technical Documents
Have technical questions? Below are some documents that should help, but don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you don’t find what you’re looking for.