Compact Profile Highway Barrier

Abstract

A roadway barrier system includes a plurality of compact profile highway barriers preferably which are of a height which does not obstruct the viewing lines of a vehicle drivers on the road and permits them to see, for example, cross-traffic situations, work sites, and pedestrians. The barriers have tapered side walls which help maintain a crash on the roadway. Hooks are used to connect barriers end to end, and the hooks are positioned within a channel groove at the end of each barrier. When connected, the hooks of adjacent barriers are largely within the channel grooves of the two adjacent barriers which enables superior lateral deflection prevention. In addition, when connected a V shape section between the ends of adjacent rigid concrete sections of the plurality of rigid concrete sections extends upward from a base of the adjacent rigid concrete sections at an angle of five degrees or less.

1 . A compact profile highway barrier, comprising:
 a concrete body comprising a first end, a second end, a left side, a right side, a top side, and a bottom side,
 wherein the first end and the second end each have a confinement vertical channel groove in a center of each of the first end and the second end which extends from the top side to the bottom side, and 
 wherein the first end and the second end each have a flat top region and an inward taper bottom region which tapers from a bottom of the flat top region to a bottom of the concrete body; and 
   a hook connector comprising
 a hook portion which extends out of the confinement vertical channel groove, 
 a base portion which extends into and is embedded in concrete of the concrete body at a base of the of the confinement vertical channel groove, and 
 a connector angle member positioned between the hook portion and the base portion, 
 wherein the hook connector is positioned in the inward taper bottom region of the concrete body. 
   
     
     
         2 . The compact profile highway barrier of  claim 1  wherein the left side, the right side, the top side, and the bottom side form inverted trapezoid in cross section, with the top side being 1%-20% wider than the bottom side. 
     
     
         3 . The compact profile highway barrier wherein one or more of
 a width of the bottom side measured from the left side to the right side of the concrete barrier is between eighteen and thirty six inches, or   a height measured from the bottom side to the top side is between sixteen and twenty six inches,   
     
     
         4 . The compact profile highway barrier of  claim 1  wherein the connector angle member has a top and a bottom, and wherein the connector angle member is oriented on the hook connector such that the top of the connector angle member is skewed at an angle of 1 to ten degrees inward from the top of the connector angle member to the bottom of the connector angle member relative to a top edge of the hook connector and a bottom edge of the hook connector. 
     
     
         5 . The compact profile highway barrier of  claim 4  wherein the angle of skew of the connector angle member is approximately equal to an angle of the bottom inward taper of the concrete body at the first end or the second end. 
     
     
         6 . The compact profile highway barrier of  claim 1  wherein the top side of the concrete body is flat. 
     
     
         7 . The compact profile highway barrier of  claim 1  wherein the bottom side of the concrete body is flat. 
     
     
         8 . The compact profile highway barrier of  claim 1  wherein the width of the bottom side of the concrete barrier ranges from twenty three inches to thirty inches. 
     
     
         9 . The compact profile highway barrier of  claim 1  wherein a distance between the top edge of the hook connector and the bottom edge of the hook connector is approximately twelve inches. 
     
     
         10 . The compact profile barrier of  claim 1  further comprising at least two energy dissipating components positioned at each of the first end and the second end of the concrete body, wherein a first of the at least two energy dissipating components is positioned at a first side of the confinement vertical channel groove and a second of the at least two energy dissipating components is positioned at a second side of the confinement vertical channel groove, wherein each of the at least two energy dissipating components includes a plate positioned adjacent the first or second end of the concrete body, and a bar extending from the plate into the concrete body. 
     
     
         11 . The compact profile barrier of  claim 10  wherein each of the at least two energy dissipating components is positioned in the flat top region of the first end or the second end of the concrete body. 
     
     
         12 . A roadway barrier system comprises of a plurality of rigid concrete sections each in the form of a concrete highway barrier as recited in  claim 1  wherein the plurality of rigid concrete sections are connected together end to end from one section to a next section in the plurality of rigid concrete sections in an interlocking relationship by the hook connector at the first and second ends of each concrete barrier. 
     
     
         13 . The roadway barrier system of  claim 12  wherein the J-J hook mode formed connection coupling of one section protrudes out of the confinement vertical channel groove three quarters of an inch to 1 and one quarter inches into the confinement vertical channel groove of the adjacent section and vice versa. 
     
     
         14 . The roadway barrier system of  claim 12  comprising a V-shaped section between the ends of adjacent rigid concrete sections of the plurality of rigid concrete sections which extends upward from a base of the adjacent rigid concrete sections at an angle of five degrees or less.