Highway Water Barriers, in Winter?

[l008com]

So I was thinking about those water barriers they put around off ramps and light posts on highways. Here's a pic of a bunch (from the Matrix Reloaded)

So me and my cousin were thinking, what happens in the winter? Hitting a bunch of solid blocks of ice like that would not be good. If it was salt water, wouldn't it eventually separate and the water would still freeze? Do they fill them with some other kind of liquid?

[l008com]

Are they? Oh I thought they were filled with water. That would explain it.

[SleepWarz]

You are right junkie, most are sand.

[l008com]

But if it's sand.... these things usually sit untouched for decades at a time... wouldn't water get in there anyway and turn it into wet sand? And when that froze, wouldn't it be even worse than hitting ice? More like smashing into raw concrete?

[SleepWarz]

if it can get in it can get out. There might be a few exempt cases.

[Rogue Leader]

They are filled with water or sand in some cases.

The water filled ones have some sort of salt additive or something (I really am not sure what its made of but salt makes sense) that prevents them from freezing over.

Also I believe they only use water filled ones in states that generally don't freeze, while sand is used up here in the great white north.

[Brokinarrow]

Originally Posted by Rogue Leader

They are filled with water or sand in some cases.

The water filled ones have some sort of salt additive or something (I really am not sure what its made of but salt makes sense) that prevents them from freezing over.

Also I believe they only use water filled ones in states that generally don't freeze, while sand is used up here in the great white north.

Trust me, these issues were thought of BEFORE they were put on highways. Whatever the contents of the barrels, the government made sure that they wouldn't freeze or cause more safety issues than they solve (cuz the government HATES being sued!)

[CamaroSpike23]

some of them are empty too.

[Brokinarrow]

Originally Posted by CamaroSpike23

some of them are empty too.

Others contain barrel monkeys that pop out a split second before you hit them and proceed to set your car on fire.

[nickmccally]

Originally Posted by Brokinarrow

Others contain barrel monkeys that pop out a split second before you hit them and proceed to set your car on fire.

Hahaha this is great!

[Angrybird 12]

They fill them with Jack Daniels, because after you hit one you are going to want to get drunk.....

[Brokinarrow]

Originally Posted by Skyman 08

They fill them with Jack Daniels, because after you hit one you are going to want to get drunk.....

hmmmm i may have to go 'inspect' these barrels after work today

[305pride]

i thought they were just empty lmao

[wylde1]

Originally Posted by Brokinarrow

Others contain barrel monkeys that pop out a split second before you hit them and proceed to set your car on fire.

hahaha this reminds me of the trunk monkey commercial.... classic

sorta off topic but funny story:

some friends and I were drinking one night and decided we needed mcdonalds drive-thru. We had a sober driver, and he took us there. but before we left, Ryan got in the trunk.... we pull up to the speaker, make our order and when she gives us the total I said "Ok, our trunk monkey will be at the 2nd window to pick it up"

I had to say this 3 times because she didn't understand. eventually I said, "just watch... your gonna want to see this" so we pull up to the first window and pay and she asks wtf we're talking about... we said just watch. so we pull well past the 2nd window, and the 2nd window lady is hanging out of it trying to flag us down with our bag of food.

we stop 10 ft past....... trunk pops open.... Ryan hops out and grabs the bags 'thank you' and hops back in the trunk, closes the lid and we drive away hahaha

the mcdonalds trunk monkey...... we could hear them laughing as we drove away haha


anyhooo sorry to hijack, back to your regularly scheduled program.