Work Area Protection SMART CUSHION INNOVATIONS SCI70GM User manual

The World’s Only
Speed-Dependent
Crash Attenuator
Corporate Office:
2500 Production Drive •St. Charles, Il 60174
Telephone: [phone]
workareaprotection.com
SMART CUSHION INNOVATIONS
®
NCHRP 350 Approved
WORK AREA PROTECTION
SCI70GM AND SCI100GM
DESIGN & INSTALLATION MANUAL
MASH and

TABLE OF CONTENTS
OVERVIEW ...........................................................................1
Product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Maintenance ........................................................................................1
Crash Performance ....................................................................................1
SPECIFICATIONS ......................................................................2
Description ..........................................................................................2
System Dimensions & Weight ...........................................................................2
DESIGN CRITERIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
General.............................................................................................2
Foundations .........................................................................................2
Support Structure .....................................................................................3
Location ............................................................................................3
Transition Design .....................................................................................4
Drawing List .........................................................................................5
INSTALLATION......................................................................6-9
Installation & Performance Statements ....................................................................6
Safety ..............................................................................................6
Equipment List ...............................................................................Appendix B
Site Preparation ......................................................................................6
Foundations .........................................................................................6
Placement of Crash Cushion.............................................................................7
Anchor Installation ....................................................................................7
Delineator Panel Attachment ............................................................................8
Transition Installation..................................................................................8
Final Inspection ......................................................................................9
RESETTING CRASH CUSHION AFTER IMPACT ..........................................9-13
Site Preparation ......................................................................................9
Re-Extension & Inspection After Frontal Impact............................................................9-10
Side Impact Inspection & Repair ........................................................................11
Cable Inspection Procedure ............................................................................11
Cylinder Inspection...................................................................................12
Anchor Bolt Inspection ................................................................................12
Side Panel Inspection .................................................................................12
Side Guide Inspection.................................................................................12
Final Inspection .....................................................................................13
Non-Repairable Impacts...............................................................................13
Periodic Maintenance.................................................................................13

APPENDICES
SCI ATTENUATOR PARTS LIST ......................................................... A
EQUIPMENT LIST..................................................................... B
ATTENUATORS
SMART CUSHION®, TEST LEVEL 2 ........................................................................C
SMART CUSHION®, TEST LEVEL 3. .......................................................................D
FOUNDATIONS
Test Level 2 Foundation ...............................................................................E1
Test Level 3 Foundation ...............................................................................E2
LAYOUTS
Gore Assembly .......................................................................................F
Gore Assembly Calculations ...........................................................................F3
TRANSITIONS
Jersey/F Shape Barrier.................................................................................G
Concrete Block, 24 Inch (610 mm) ........................................................................H
Concrete Block, 30 Inch (762 mm) .........................................................................I
Concrete Block, 36 Inch (915 mm) ........................................................................J
Concrete Block, 30 Inch (762 mm), Flared ..................................................................K
Concrete Block, 36 Inch (915 mm), Flared................................................................... L
Thrie-Beam (Bidirectional Traffic Design) .................................................................. M
W-Beam (Bidirectional Traffic Design) .....................................................................N
Jersey/F Shape, 30-38 Inch (762-965 mm), Variable Width Base.................................................O
Median Barrier, Single Slope 24-26.75 Inch Base (610-679 mm) ................................................P
W-Beam 28 Inch Tall (unidirectional traffic design) ...........................................................Q
W-Beam 32 Inch Tall (unidirectional traffic design) ...........................................................R
Wide Block Spanner ...................................................................................S
Offset Wide Concrete Block ............................................................................T
Concrete Block, 36-44 Inch (914-1118 mm), Flush Mount .....................................................U
Concrete Block, 46-48 Inch (1168-1219 mm), Flush Mount ....................................................V
Concrete Block, 50+ Inch, Flush Mount Reverse Direction Side ................................................ W

1
OVERVIEW
Product
The SMART CUSHION®impact attenuators are manufactured by SCI Products, Inc./Work Area Protection Corp. They are NCHRP
Report 350, Test Levels 2 and 3 (TL2 and TL3) compliant (Models SCI 70 GM and SCI 100 GM, respectively) and are fully redirec-
tive, non-gating, and bi-directional. SMART CUSHION®impact attenuators are used to help protect motorists from hazards in both
permanent and work zone locations. They can be attached to most types of median and roadside barriers.
The SMART CUSHION®attenuators use a patented system for stopping vehicles. The system is speed dependent and stops small
and large vehicles by automatically regulating the stopping force exerted on a vehicle. Essentially, the system provides the neces-
sary forces based on the speed of the vehicle automatically compensating for the mass of the vehicle.
The SMART CUSHION®attenuators are slightly tapered from front to rear. This allows the side panel sections to collapse over the
next section without stress or damage. During collapse, the parts move freely past each other and do not become wedged during
the impact.
Wide temperature variations and temperature extremes do not affect the performance of SMART CUSHION®impact attenuators.
Temperature driven changes in viscosity of the fluid in the shock-arresting cylinder does not affect performance.
Maintenance
SMART CUSHION®impact attenuators are low-maintenance units. In a two-year in-service evaluation report submitted to the
Federal Highway Administration, the average cost of parts to repair the SMART CUSHION®impact attenuator was $39, excluding
two catastrophic impacts. More than four out of five of the reported repairs only required two shear bolts costing under $2. A
trained, two-person maintenance crew can return most impacted SMART CUSHION®attenuators to full service within 30 minutes.
This short repair time reduces the maintenance workers’ exposure to traffic and minimizes motorist inconvenience. Side impacts
rarely require a repair which eliminates exposure by 40%.
Crash Performance
The SMART CUSHION®broke new ground during NCHRP Report 350 crash testing. In the high-speed test, 100 kilometers per hour
(63 miles per hour), the small vehicle’s deceleration rate was significantly lower than any previously recorded value (-9.8 G’s as
compared to previous low of –13.4 G’s). This means less impact forces on the vehicle’s occupants and a reduced risk of injury and
severity.
All the tests were conducted on the same SMART CUSHION®unit over four consecutive days with no damage to non-expendable
parts. The only parts replaced after each crash test were the two shear bolts, costing less than $2 for each reset.