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Proven with the vehicles people drive today.
One barrier design must contain and redirect both a 1,100 kg car and a 2,270 kg pickup, so it is not tuned to light cars alone.
Both standards crash test barriers to prove they work. They differ in the vehicles, the impact conditions and how results are reported.
EN 1317 is the European standard for road restraint systems; its barrier part is EN 1317-2. MASH is the American equivalent. Barriers tested to one cannot simply be assumed to meet the other, because the tests are different.
| Feature | AASHTO MASH (USA) | EN 1317-2 (Europe) |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | AASHTO | CEN, the European standards body |
| Typical highway level | TL-3 | N2 (normal) and H1/H2 (higher) |
| Car test vehicles | 1,100 kg car | 900 kg and 1,500 kg cars |
| Pickup test vehicle | 2,270 kg pickup | None in the standard passenger tests |
| Car and pickup impact angle | 25 degrees | 20 degrees |
| Car and pickup impact speed | 100 km/h | 100 km/h (900 kg), 110 km/h (1,500 kg) |
| Heavy vehicle tests | 10,000 kg truck (TL-4), 36,000 kg tractor-trailer (TL-5) | Rigid truck (H1), 13,000 kg bus (H2) and heavier vehicles at higher levels |
| Lateral impact energy, light vehicles (approx.) | 70 kJ (car), 144 kJ (pickup), minimum | 41 kJ (900 kg car), 82 kJ (1,500 kg car) |
| How a result is reported | Pass or fail against a test level | A containment class, plus a working width class and an impact severity class |
| Occupant risk measures | Occupant impact velocity and ridedown acceleration | Acceleration Severity Index (A, B or C) and head impact velocity |
| Barrier movement | Reported in the test, no class | Working width classes W1 to W8 |
Impact energy figures for EN 1317 are calculated from the published test mass, speed and angle (half the mass times the square of the speed component perpendicular to the barrier). MASH figures are the minimum impact severities in the standard.
a MASH TL-3 test puts more energy into a barrier than the EN 1317 N2 car tests, and adds a pickup truck. EN 1317 is stronger on classifying how much space a barrier needs and on grading impact severity. Neither is simply better in every respect, and the project specification decides which applies.
One barrier design must contain and redirect both a 1,100 kg car and a 2,270 kg pickup, so it is not tuned to light cars alone.
Instruments in the test vehicle record occupant impact velocity and ridedown acceleration, and a system fails if occupant loads exceed the limits.
The barrier has to redirect the vehicle without letting it vault over, break through or roll over, and it must not push into the passenger compartment.
Testing at 25 degrees with heavier vehicles reflects severe crashes that cause serious injury, so a pass carries a larger safety margin for occupants and other road users.
A MASH test level is awarded only when every required test passes, giving engineers a clear, simple basis for specification.
Valmont® guardrail systems supplied by Sallan Metals are tested to AASHTO MASH. Barrier selection on each project follows its approved specification, and we are glad to work with your consultant to match the test level and system to the road.
Sallan Metals is the supply and manufacturing brand of Sallan Industrial Investment LLC.