HIPEBA has performed a series of material behaviour tests in order to rank different steel grades based on tensile, strain and formability stress performance. Lab research paved the way for successful real scale crash demonstrations, in cooperation with international industrial partners able to manufacture the high performance safety barriers. The crash tests performed during the project cycle demonstrated how, by using HPS, the weight of the RRS is dramatically reduced by 23-25%, while the energy absorption capability is increased by 40% compared to conventional systems. The HPS developed by the HIPEBA Consortium ensure safe redirection of truck weighting up to 44 tons hitting the barriers at a speed up to 70 km/h. Finally, the HPS allow a reduction of 8-10% in price and ensure life cost reduction of 4-5%. As a follow-up, the HIPEBA Consortium members have committed to disseminate these findings to general & specialised media, decision-makers and industry organisations in order to further promote the use of HPS in road safety barriers.

The HIPEBA Advisory Group -a specialised group of experienced industry and academia professionals in the field of Road Restraint Systems (RRS)- met in Brussels on 22 June 2017 to discuss the final results of the HIPEBA project. This occasion was also the opportunity for the HIPEBA consortium to hold a one-day workshop presenting the project’s findings to an expert group which applauded the benefits of using High-Performance Steels (HPS) in RRS.

The HIPEBA project has published its third and last project brochure, summarising the different phases of the project as well as the results achieved over the last three years. This final brochure is available for download here.