A barrier system adapted from aircraft carriers has already
saved the life of at least one Texas motorist.
Dr. T. J. Hirschand Dr. E. L. Marquis of the Texas Transpor
tation Institute (TTI) took the idea of the barrier to stop aircraft
on a flight deck and installed it on Texas highways.
“There are several areas along roads and highways which are
dangerous to vehicles when leaving the travelway at high
speed,” Marquis said. “In many cases, conventional guardrails
or crash cushions are not effective or economical.
“Some examples are the hole between twin bridges on di
vided highways, the deadend of a road or highway, or barriers to
close off entrance and exit ramps on freeways, he said.
Going in the gap between twin bridges or off the road on the
approach to an overpass could residt in a car running into traffic
below.
The researchers developed a chain link fence vehicle-
arresting system designed specifically to prevent motorists from
entering the gap between twin bridges on divided highways. A
guardrail would be unsafe because the vehicle would be impact
ing almost head-on.
“Each end of the fence is attached to an energy absorber
mounted on a standard wooden guardrail post, Marquis said.
“Similar devices have been used at automobile drag race tracks.
“The net consists of 11 gauge chain-link fence, 48 inches high,
supported by posts driven in the ground. The posts are spliced
with brass screws to provide a breakaway feature.
“For the TTI test, a 214-ton auto was driven into the barrier
three times at 60 miles per hour,” Marquis said. “After it was
over, the damage to the car was minor, not even a broken
headlight.
A letter that Marquis received from the Texas Highway De
partment stated that a test unit of the barrier located on U. S.
Highway 59 in Nacogdoches County had been used over the
weekend.
“Sometime during the weekend someone struck the
dragnet. . . the letter stated. “The dragnet apparently per
formed as hoped, for the driver evidently backed out off the net
and continued on his journey.”
“We have been unable to determine who struck the net, the
letter said. “The Department of Public Safety hasno record of an
accident at this location nor have we found the car that was
involved.
TAMU’s test car was virtually undamaged after three successive 60 miles per hour collisions with
fence-type crash barrier.
Mexican institute aids
computer circuit research
Officials at TAMU were notified
last Friday that the National Insti
tute of Astrophysics, Optics and
Electronics in Puebla, Mexico has
added $12,712 to a joint scientific
program the schools are conduct
ing.
A total of $53,325 has been con
tributed to the cooperative electri
cal engineering program by the in
stitute. TAMU co-organizer Dr. J.
L. Stone said the research will be on
integrated injection-logic circuits
Darlington takes post
as E.D. department head
Robert P. Darlington, a Mas
sachusetts architect with a teaching
and research background, is the
new head of TAMU s Environmen
tal Design Department.
Dean Raymond D. Reed of
TAMU’s College of Architecture
and Environmental Design said the
appointment was effective yester
day.
Darlington succeeds Alan L.
Staeell who resigned from the ad
ministrative post earlier this year to
return to full-time teaching. Assis-'
tant Dean John O. Greer has served
as acting head of the department.
Since 1973 Darlington headed his
own firm in Acton, Mass, he was an
officer or partner in firms based in
Massachusetts and Illinois during
the prior seven years. Before going
into private practice, he was as
sociated with the Building Research
Institute and the Building Research
Adv isory Board of the National
Academy of Sciences-National Re
search Council, in Washington, D.
C.
From 1953 until 1961, he taught
in the Architecture Department at
Washington State University and
was head of the Architectural Re
search Section at Washington State
Institute of Technology. He later
served as a visiting lecturer at Cor
nell.
Darlington holds two under
graduate degrees. One in English
from Swarthmore College and one
in architecture from Cornell. He
also holds a master’s degree in ar
chitecture from the University of Il
linois, Champaign-Urbana campus.
He is a member of the American
Institute of Architects and the
Building Officials Conference of
America. He holds architectural re
gistrations in 15 states and the Dis
trict of Columbia.
The new department head is the
author of two books, “Modular Prac
tice” and “Architectural Research
Reports”. From 1971 until 1974
he wrote a layman-oriented ar
chitectural column which appeared
in several newspapers.
Cbe Battalion
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VICTORS OF COLLEGE STATION
ANNOUNCING TO THE JUNIOR CLASS
SAM BROWN BELTS, SABERS, SPURS, SHOULDER CORDS, JUNIOR
BUCKLES, SENIOR BUCKLES, JUNIOR & SENIOR STACKS.
WIDE VARIETY OF SPURS.
AND THE
VERY, VERY
INEXPENSIVE
SENIOR
BOOTS
FOR THE
FIRST TIME
INTRODUCING
ARMY OFFICERS
CAPS (ACE BRAND)
PACKAGE DEAL $189.95 A
BOOTS ORDERED IN OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER
WILL BE READY BY NOVEMBER OR THE FIRST PART OF DECEMBER
201 COLLEGE MAIN - N0RTHGATE
applied to computer circuits.
Stone said a new concept allows
more information on a single circuit.
The new technique will bring highly
sophisticated computers within the
economic reach of all businesses.
“We re developing fast, ex
tremely small transistor integrated
circuits for use in computer
memories, Stone said. “One use is
in building simpler, longer-lived
solid-state watches. It’s not so much
the extended life of the battery but
rather the circuit is simpler to
make. ”
He speculates the new circuits
will eventually make watches as
cheap as pocket calculators. Stone
said a refining operation makes the
circuit faster.
In this program, discoveries by
one part of the research facility is
passed to the other. This way, staffs
and facilities of the two institutions
complement each other.
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Thursday
Ladies Night
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