Phase I development of a non-proprietary, four-cable, high tension median barrier.

Details

• Creators:
  Wiebelhaus, Mitch J. ; Johnson, Erin A. ; Sicking, Dean L. ; Faller, Ronald K. ; Lechtenberg, Karla A. ; Rohde, John R. ; Bielenberg, Robert W. ; Reid, John D. ; Rosenbaugh, Scott K.
• Corporate Creators:
  Midwest Roadside Safety Facility
• Corporate Contributors:
  Nebraska. Dept. of Roads ; United States. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Median barriers
  • Medians
  • Tension
  • Rope, wire and cable
  • Cables
  • Guardrails
  • Crash tests
  • Acceptance tests
  • Highway safety
  • Ditches Highway safety
  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  TRP-03-213-11
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  Nebraska
• Edition:
  Final report; 2003-2011.
• Corporate Publisher:
  Midwest Roadside Safety Facility
• Abstract:
  During the last decade, the use of cable median barriers has risen dramatically. Cable barriers are often utilized in depressed medians ; with widths ranging from 30 to 50 ft (9.1 to 15.2 m) and with fill slopes as steep as 4H:1V. Although cable barriers have been shown to contain ; and redirect many heavy trucks, a careful review of accident records has indicated that passenger vehicles do occasionally penetrate through the ; standard 3-cable median barrier and enter opposing traffic lanes. As a result, the Midwest States Pooled Fund Program sponsored a research and ; development project to improve the safety performance of existing, non-proprietary, cable median barriers. These safety improvements included ; increased cable spacing, increased cable height, the use of four cables, increased cable tension, and optimized cable attachment to posts. ; Three Test Level 3 crash tests were performed on a four-cable, high-tension median barrier placed in a 46-ft (14.0-m) wide, 4H:1V ; V-ditch. All tests were conducted according to the safety performance guidelines provided in the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware ; (MASH). The first test utilized a 2270P pickup truck impacting the barrier placed on a downslope and 12 ft (3.7 m) laterally away from the front ; slope break point. The vehicle was contained and redirected by the barrier and deemed acceptable according to the MASH guidelines. The second ; test utilized a 1100C small car impacting the barrier placed 27 ft (8.2 m) laterally away from the front slope breakpoint or 4 ft (1.2 m) up the back ; slope of the V-ditch. During the second test, the small car impacted the ditch bottom with a soft-soil condition and began to plow into the soil, ; thus causing moderate decelerations and velocity change before contacting the barrier and a marginal impact performance. The third test utilized ; a 1100C small car impacting the barrier in the same position as used in the second test. During the third test, the small car impacted the ditch ; bottom with a hard-soil condition and was contained by the barrier. However, excessive roof crush resulted when one of the cables slide up the ; vehicle and later snagged on the cable-to-post attachment hardware, thus resulting in a failed test. Design modifications are anticipated in a Phase ; II R&D effort.
  More +
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  SPR-3(017) supplement #36;SPR- 3(017) supplement #35
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/24471/dot_24471_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 36.73 MB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6f919a6db921b1ce63f33a5598c634ec6af21aba661eea6df1b2247f6606ffd616c0d0b861b89d85762fdaed5a5e61fe1afe0d810aa9d3341fab6eba2d0cf5b4