Why is it called K-Rail?

[Don Plumley]

K-Rail: I'm happy when it protects me from oncoming traffic, and scared of it around the race track. It's originally called a Jersey Barrier (invented in NJ) or Jersey Wall (from Wikipedia).

Does anyone know where the name "K-Rail" came from or what it means?

[dd74]

The parts of the rail that jut up and down on the rail look like a K. If you look at the end of a K rail, you can see why it's called such.

[Don Plumley]

What am I missing? End-on, it looks like an upside down "Y" to me.

[nostatic]

hmmm, found some trivia but not where the term came from

http://www.dot.ca.gov/newtech/operations/roadsidesafety/staking/index.htm

Jersey Barriers or Jersey Curbs.

Many people recognize the "Jersey Curb" as that unattractive and artless piece of concrete that separates traffic lanes and acts as a bridge rail. It is called a "Jersey Curb" since it was actually developed in New Jersey along the Turnpike in the late 1950s and 1960s. Interestingly, it was based on an innovative concrete divider the California Division of Highways placed on Grapevine Grade in the middle of US 99. They called this divider a "parabolic concrete barrier" since it was designed to deflect trucks who had used previous dividers to aid their braking by rubbing against them. It was two feet tall, more squat than the present incarnation and consisted of 20 foot lengths each weighing about a ton.

The value of such a barrier for preventing accidents was immediately obvious and the present form appeared in the mid-1960s. In fact, the first Jersey Curb to be used in California was placed down the middle of the Harbor Freeway (I-110) in the late 1960s. By the end of the 1970s it was used for all bridge rails and for dividing urban freeways. In my estimation, any questions of its effectiveness were addressed when the "tank guy" in San Diego back in 1995 tried to cross one on the SR-163 Freeway to go into oncoming traffic. The sizable tank could not scale it and further caused relatively little damage. If these barriers can stop a tank, then they must be good enough to stop errant cars. Efforts have been made to soften their stark appearance with decorations ranging from a groove on the outside part of the bridge rail to elaborate designs, some of which hark back to the days of the "mission style" concrete guardrails.

Also known as "K" Rail.

some math: http://duteela.et.tudelft.nl/~wout/output/ISCAS2003_Tasic_K_rails.pdf#search=%22%22k-rail%22%20name%22

[dd74]

Originally posted by Don Plumley
What am I missing? End-on, it looks like an upside down "Y" to me.

Hmmm...I see your point...

But could you imagine calling it a "Y-rail"? As in "Y you crash into that, you big dummy?"

I like "K-rail" because after a crash, one can say, "Umm...okay..."

[fireant911]

Don,
There was a recent in-depth article written about these barriers:

Giblin, Kelly. “The Jersey Barrier." Invention & Technology Volume 22 Summer 2006.

A side note: this is my 'most favorite' magazine ever. Articles are written about things that you may have never had any previous interest. By the time you are finished reading you have indeed gained some amazing knowledge about this now fascinating subject matter. Unfortunately, it only comes out quarterly... After re-reading the article this morning to assist with your question I was unable to see any reference to your original question regarding the 'K-rail'. Here is the on-line link to the article:

http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/2006/1/2006_1_26.shtml

[RKC]

That is a cool magazine. And you're right, it can make the story of just about anything really interesting (Barrels and radioactivity detectors this summer).

Really spent some time admiring those "Jersey" barriers after that article.

[legion]

Can we just call it a KY-rail and all agree?

[RickM]

Since they always refer to the K Rail profile I'd agree with DD.

The newer and more effective F Rail is very similar but the bottom slope breaks higher. Trying to figuring where the "F" came from I looked that up as well. Turns out a performance study was done with slightly different configurations.....the designs were designated A - F. The best performance was realized with the "F" design.

[dd74]

It seems that there are two inherent problems with the K-rail. The first is will a person know how to crash into it; that, for the rail to be effective, one needs to continually steer into the rail for it to catch and slow the car. More often drivers simply bounce off the rail and back into traffic, causing an even larger incident.

The second problem: strength. A couple years ago on the Hollywood Freeway, a tractor-trailer crashed right through one and killed, IIRC, about five motorists on the opposite side of the freeway.

In my opinion, the K-rail is another stop gap, at least for SoCal and CalTrans, who have stripped from the freeways the breakdown/crash lane in effort to create more lanes for our increasing freeway traffic - a very bad move if you ask me.

[RickM]

Funny you mention the strength. One article mentions the crazy CA dude in the tank who tried jumping the rail. They state that this incident was a testament to it's strength. Apparently the rail sustained little damage.

[vash]

short for "type-K rail".

there are different types.

[dd74]

Originally posted by RickM
Funny you mention the strength. One article mentions the crazy CA dude in the tank who tried jumping the rail. They state that this incident was a testament to it's strength. Apparently the rail sustained little damage.

Not to mention the K-rail hung the tank up - the treads had nothing to grab too, IIRC, so SDPD and CHP assaulted the tank, opened the turret cover and fired at will.

The thing might be with the K-rail is it is structurally more sound from the top than the sides, which was why a tractor-trailer could crash through it, but an Abrahms M1 could not crush the K-rail.

[RickM]

I take it the TT did a 90 (or close) into the rail.

FWIW, I also noticed that one benefit mentioned of the K rail was the lack of sheet metal damage when grazing along. Obviously the result of the bottom shoulder. However the higher shoulder of the "F" design allowed much less lift.

[dd74]

Sure, they have their benefits. Back in the day, the opposing lanes of our freeways used to be separated by nothing more than a wire fence, which was just stupid safety-wise.

The K-rail will work, but one would have to crash like NASCAR racers who lose control on high-bank circuits, by keeping the front wheels turned into the wall.

But to learn that technique would require, possibly, every driver to take some sort of DE course - you won't learn it in regular old high school driver's training - which, as it is, doesn't seem to be offered any more.

Nonetheless, DE courses for new drivers would be a great idea, though no dobut cost prohibitive in many cases.