Cable median barrier failure analysis and prevention.

Details

• Creators:
  Stolle, Cody S. ; Sicking, Dean L.
• Corporate Creators:
  Midwest Roadside Safety Facility
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Federal Highway Administration ; United States. Dept. of Transportation. Research and Innovative Technology Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Traffic accidents
  • Medians
  • Median barriers
  • Cables
  • Highway safety
  • Impact tests
  • Accident analysis
• Publication/ Report Number:
  TRP-03-275-12
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  Nebraska
• Corporate Publisher:
  Mid-America Transportation Center ; Midwest States Regional Pooled Fund Program
• NTL Classification:
  NTL-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATION-Design ; NTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Accidents ; NTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Highway Safety
• Abstract:
  Cross-median crashes have been identified as one of the highest injury or fatality risk crash types. Although crossmedian ; crashes account for only 2% to 5% of all median crash events, they are disproportionately represented in the number ; and frequency of fatalities on interstate roadways. Many states have utilized cable median barriers to reduce the risk of ; cross-median crashes, frequently with great success. ; However, cable median barriers are also fixed obstacles to errant vehicles. Cable median barriers can place ; occupants at increased risk of severe injury or fatality if the barrier fails to adequately contain and redirect errant vehicles, ; resulting in a vehicular penetration through the barrier or rollover. As total cable median barrier mileage continues to climb, ; there is an opportunity to prevent many penetration, rollover, and serious injury or fatality crashes by improving barrier ; design, installation guidelines, and crash-testing guidelines to more adequately address crash concerns with these barrier ; types. More than 6,000 cable median barrier crashes from 12 different states were analyzed to determine causes of barrier ; containment failures, and new crash test conditions which were reflective of these impact conditions were identified. ; Further crash testing and barrier redesign should reduce the frequency of barrier penetrations and rollovers.
  More +
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/25828/dot_25828_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 10.80 MB]
• Collection(s):
  University Transportation Centers ; US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6f29d53259b6e46219dcbe777580248b71aeb5ab3459c7f9151eaac4cfc68d80c21d72c87193aef58f644f9e18d093fcd4f7d0e30c143a85e20637cf73aea029