Skip to main content

Durisol barrier passes MASH TL-4 crash test

The aluminium noise wall barrier is prefabricated and has tongue and groove assembly.
By David Arminas February 23, 2021 Read time: 2 mins
The test used a 10,206kg box truck at a speed of 93km/h and a 15° impact angle

Durisol reports that its aluminium noise wall barrier has passed the MASH (Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware) TL-4 crash test in the US.

The structure-mounted noise barrier was first designed by the roadside safety experts at Safe Roads Engineering, a safety engineering consultancy based near Toronto, Canada. A mock wall was then erected at the test site, and the crash test was completed in early December, conducted by third-party provider Texas A&M Transportation Institute at their proving ground in College Station in the US state of Texas.

The MASH TL-4 testing criteria is dictated by AASHTO - the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. To replicate worst practical conditions, the crash test is conducted with a 10,206kg (22,500lb) box truck at speeds of 93km/h (58.5mph) and at a 15° impact angle. A link to the crash-test video can be viewed here.

“Durisol’s aluminum noise barrier system provided excellent vehicle stability,” said Dean Alberson, senior research engineer at Safe Roads Engineering. “Despite the severity of the impact of the crash, the wall panels remained in place and intact, without flying debris and minimal damage.”

“By completing these tests, we can pass that peace-of-mind onto our customers,” said Mark Van Bakel, president of Durisol.

The lightweight, ready-made system is prefabricated, with the additional installation advantage of a tongue and groove assembly. When working alongside live traffic lanes, a quicker installation means a safer job for installers.

The barrier is built with perforations and a sound-absorbing mineral wool interior to respond to specific noise absorption and/or reflection mitigation requirements. It has double-sided noise absorption up to NRC 0.90. The product has also been tested for freeze-thaw and scaling.

The company offers other precast and transparent MASH-compliant TL-3 and TL-4 crash-tested noise barrier systems. Durisol has an in-house engineering team to design all noise barrier systems alongside its client partners.

Related Content

  • Bridges in Sunderland and Poland are being slid into place
    February 6, 2017
    Sunderland sees a bridge slide into place and two bridges inch their way across a Polish highway Slowly but surely, a 2,500 tonne section of a new bridge deck was eased out from the banks of the River Wear near Sunderland in northern England. It now straddles the water, pointing towards the opposite bank which it will eventually reach after another sliding operation likely to take place next year. The project to build the New Wear Crossing is now halfway through with the first half of the steel deck b
  • Road safety concepts aimed at developing nations
    October 31, 2012
    In this second of a two-part interview, Rohit Baluja introduces the work of the Delhi-based Institute of Road Traffic Education that he established in 1991 by way of practical response to the particular challenges of road safety in a developing world context Despite the alarming trends outlined in the first part of this article (World Highways: Vol.21, Issue No.6), Rohit Baluja remains optimistic that, if only the proper foundations of traffic management systems can be established, there is no reason why dr
  • US adopts minimum retroreflectivity standards
    September 12, 2022
    The US Federal Highway Administration has announced the standards required for maintaining minimum levels of retroreflectivity for pavement markings.
  • Mabey Hire supports the Whorlton Bridge
    June 10, 2025

    Whorlton Bridge in England’s County Durham has had to be closed to traffic while a major programme of works is carried out. Every component is to be removed, refurbished and replaced.

    To facilitate the works, a bespoke catenary system has been installed, with Mabey Hire’s adaptable and modular propping equipment used to construct the temporary structure.