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K50 Crash Test FAQsTo get answers to the most frequently asked questions about our K50 crash testing and our Metalith™ physical security barriers, please select one of the links below:
What does K50 Crash Testing Entail?There is no “official” K50 crash test guidelines set up by the U.S. Department of State or any other organization. However, the unofficial guidelines indicate a successful K50 tested barrier must stop a 65,000-pound crash vehicle, traveling at 50 mph (80 kph) and that vehicle must impact a wall or barrier at a 90° angle. This test is not certified like the Department of State’s K12 testing.
What were the dimensions of the barrier wall used during the Metalith’s K50 crash testing?We constructed a 12-foot deep x 48-foot long x 12-foot high Metalith barrier and filled it with provided select fill sand.
What did you crash into the Metalith K50 crash test barrier walls?A 1978 Mack RM dump truck was used for the test. Prior to the crash, TTI personnel placed the truck on a scale and added concrete via a pump until the desired truck weight was achieved. TTI personnel filled its dump bed ~75% with concrete and rebar until it weighed ~65,000 pounds. The dump truck was subsequently crashed into the wall at 50 mph guided by a radio control device operated by personnel in a second truck pacing the dump truck.
What were the results of the K50 crash test?The Metalith modular barriers arrested the 65,000-pound truck within about 1 second. According to TTI’s report, “The bed of the truck remained firmly attached to the frame and the truck remained on the impact side. The entire cab of the vehicle was destroyed.” Additionally, the TTI report stated, “The 1978 Mack RM dump truck impacted the barrier at 90.8 degrees, with the centerline of the vehicle aligned with the centerline of the barrier. The Metalith barrier brought the vehicle to a complete stop. The cargo remained onboard the vehicle. The front of the cargo bed did not penetrate beyond the inside edge of the barrier, and came to rest 4.6 feet forward of the inside edge.”
Who oversaw the K50 testing?Sandia National Laboratories’ personnel conducted the K50 crash test for the Technical Support Working Group (TSWG), to determine if the Metalith crash barriers could meet this “K50” standard.
How many people have passed the K50 test?It is our understanding that no freestanding barrier, other than the Metalith, has passed the so-called K50 crash test.
Where was the crash testing performed?The crash testing was performed at the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) located in College Station, Texas during December of 2005.
What kind of crash testing experience does Texas Transportation Institute have?TTI has conducted over 2,000 full-scale vehicle crash tests! Their test facility is one of the premier facilities in the U.S. TTI is the largest university-affiliated transportation research agency in the United States created in 1950 in response to the needs of the Texas Highway Department. Since that time, TTI has since broadened its focus to address all modes of transportation - highway, air, water, rail, and pipeline. TTI employs over 600 people, owns over 150 lab and field-testing devices and conducts over 400 transportation research projects each year. The actual crash testing was performed at TTI’s Proving Ground which consists of a 2,000‑acre complex of research and training facilities situated 10 miles northwest of the main campus of Texas A&M University. The test site, formerly an Air Force base, has large expanses of concrete runways and parking aprons and is very well suited for experimental research and testing in the areas of vehicle performance and handling, vehicle-roadway interaction, durability and efficacy of highway pavements, and evaluation of roadside safety hardware and perimeter security barriers/gates. The site selected for placing of the Metalith barrier was on a wide out-of-service runway. TTI personnel guided the Mack truck into the Metalith barrier using a remote controlled device to regulate speed and direction. View videos of the K50 crash test.
Why did you select the Texas Transportation Institute to perform the crash testing?The test site was selected by the responsible personnel from Sandia National Laboratories. Infrastructure Defense Technologies’ management did not select the test site. Call us today at 1-800-621-5617, email us at sales@themetalith.com, or send a fax using 815-323-1317 to get an immediate quote to solve your anti-crash, anti-blast perimeter security problems. To learn more about Infrastructure Defense Technologies, our products, and our capabilities, please visit www.infrastructure-defense.com or call us at 1-800-379-1822.
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For more information about the Metalith blast mitigation and anti-ram physical security barriers, please request our FREE BROCHURE by mail. Or you can DOWNLOAD it here.
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