Vehicle Crash Barrier Design

Advanced technology is pushing the power capabilities of racing cars to the point where the lives of the drivers could be terminated in a split second. Some of the hazards are due to inadequate barriers; caused by sudden impact and by deflections over or under the barrier. This is also dangerous for the thousands of spectators who crowd the track for a better view. By request of the Motor Racing Safety Society, engineering students from over fifty universities took part in a Roadside Barrier Design Contest, resulting in many imaginative and innovative concepts. The engineering students from the University of Guelph were judged the overall winners. This paper is based primarily on their submission.