Innovative Walls Protect Drivers
What is strong but flexible, bends but won’t break,
absorbs shock without splintering and is easily
fabricated? Welcome to the latest innovation in
racetrack safety, R.A.C.E. (Restrictive Air Controls Energy)
Wall™ impact barriers by North Carolina-based Safety
Systems, Inc., (SSI). Developed for use at NASCAR racetracks
and utilizing proprietary technology and materials
such as TIVAR®, a polymeric material produced by Poly Hi
Solidur, headquarted in Fort Wayne, Indiana. SSI researchers
have engineered an impact barrier capable of reducing
G-force by at least 40 percent during impact.
According to Tim Smith, Chairman of SSI, the patented
barriers are designed to absorb the force of the impact
and allow the vehicle to slide along the wall instead of
stopping abruptly and then being thrown directly back
into oncoming traffic. “Our goal was to develop a wall with
an external surface that was so slick it allowed cars to
slide along the face while the internal bladder dissipated
the impact’s force,” Smith explained.
R.A.C.E. Wall barriers comprise two essential components
– the face and the bladder. “The face material is
key to how efficiently the bladder system dissipates impact energy,” Smith said. “The stiffer the face material,
the broader the area to which the impact-energy
travels in those first milliseconds of impact, and the
broader the area, the less G-force the vehicle occupants
experience.”
TIVAR was chosen to be an integral part of this patented
technology for its superior physical properties –
tough, impact-resistant, very abrasion-resistant and in
particular, an extremely low coefficient of friction. The
low coefficient of friction means that the external wall
surface or face is extremely slick, which allows the car to
slide along the surface of the wall – which is exactly what
the designers had in mind. TIVAR’s other properties –
impact and abrasion resistance – improves the impact
absorbing ability of the wall so the force of the crash is
dissipated throughout the wall.
The interior of the wall is a rubber and mesh bladder
material constructed using proprietary techniques.
Utilizing CFD (computational fluid dynamics) software
through the North Carolina A&T State University,
Department of Mechanical Engineering to analyze airflow,
SSI has been able to optimize airflow in the air-apertures
both inside and outside the bladder for better regulation
of the air cushion.
Initial physical crash tests performed at MGA
Research Corp. demonstrated that during a crash at 90
mph, G-forces were 40 percent less with the
R.A.C.E. Wall than with other barriers currently in
use at NASCAR tracks. Testing is currently being
scheduled to determine the benefits of the technology
at speeds higher than 140 mph.
SSI contracted with Altair Engineering to conduct
computer-generated crash simulations and Data
Point Labs provided FEA (Finite Element Analysis)
testing. “We sought out companies that were recognized
for the integrity of their test results as well
as being familiar with the racing industry,” Smith
said. “We knew we needed absolutely independent
results in order for us and others to be confident
that the safety issues we were addressing (impact
and G-force) could be reduced through the use of
our product.”
“We not only tested our R.A.C.E. Wall barrier, but
we have also consistently tested a “replica” of
another soft wall product that is currently installed
in many NASCAR racetracks so that we have physical
data to back-up the computer simulated data
under identical crash scenarios,” Smith explained.
“Based on the data, the R.A.C.E. Wall barrier performs
better – and it is reusable, which provides a
strong economic benefit for tracks that incorporate
safewalls into their facilities.”
He added that unlike polystyrene barriers, the
R.A.C.E. Wall barriers with TIVAR won’t disintegrate
after impact, so not only are the walls
reusable, there is no wall debris after a crash.
Smith and his colleagues are also exploring the
use of R.A.C.E. Wall barriers on highways and interstates,
particularly in high-risk, congested areas
where the energy-absorbing capabilities of the
walls could potentially save the lives of commuters,
vacationers and their passengers.
“With just a little more tweaking, we feel we will
have accomplished what we set out to do – make
racetracks safer and transfer the safety technology
to roadways used by everyday vehicles.”
For more information, contact Ron Denoo,
Poly Hi Solidur, Inc., 2710 American Way, Fort
Wayne, IN 46809, 260-479-4263, Fax: 260-478-
1074, E-mail: tivar@polyhisolidur.com, Web:
www.polyhisolidur.com.
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