CABLE BARRIER RESEARCH
This is one of the most extensive collection of research about cable barrier systems on the web that we know of. It was recognized by the FHWA in their write up on cable barriers. The site was originally put together by GSI Highway Products(GSI High Tension Cable Barrier) and was later moved here. Enjoy studying. If there is a paper or link we are missing, please let us know about it, webmaster@nucorhighway.com.

Some links lead to external websites, some open files (PDF and PPT). All links open a new window.

   Be sure to visit our Cable Barrier In The News webpage that highlights stories from around the nation.

High-Tension Cable Barrier Research

• 2007 WSDOT Cable Median Barrier Report July 2007

• 2007 Eliminating Cross-Median Fatalities: Statewide Installation of Median Cable Barrier in Missouri

• NCHRP Project 20-7(210) Update on Guidelines for the Selection of Cable Barrier Systems, Dean Alberson, TTI

• 2006 FLDOT Design Presentation on High Tension Cable Barrier Systems

• 2006  ILDOT High Tension Cable Median Barrier: A Scanning Tour Report (FHWA-IL/UI-TOL-18)   Appendices

• 2006 Ohio's Perspective on Cable Median Barrier (In Service Statistics)

• 2005  Ohio DOT Field Visits to Cable Median Barrier Projects

• 2005 AASHTO Technology Implementation Group on Cable Median Barriers
  This has extensive reports on it from various states that are leading the way in use of cable median barriers.

• 2005 An Analysis of the Safety Impacts and Costs of Crossover Median Crashes in Wisconsin

• 2004  CABLE GUARDRAIL: Monitoring the performance of cable guardrail installed in Colorado

• 2004  GDOT Cable Barrier Plan

• 2004  Safety Barriers and Guard Rails (Cable), Better Roads Magazine

• 2003  CABLE AND WIRE ROPE BARRIER DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS: REVIEW

• 2003 Flexible Barrier Systems Along High-Speed Roads in Victoria Australia (Includes analysis of use of cable median barriers in Sweden)

Low-Tension Cable Barrier Research

• 2005  Keeping Traffic on the Right Side of the Road, North Carolina saved lives by installing cable barriers on freeways where the median width is less than 21 meters (70 feet)

• 2004 Improving Highway Safety: Cable Median Barrier

• 2003  Washington State Cable Median Barrier In-Service Study    Slideshow    Report   WSDOT Cable Median Website

• 2003 Oregon Three-Cable Median Barrier Final Report

• 2003  SAFETY EFFECTIVENESS AND OPERATING PERFORMANCE OF A THREE-CABLE MEDIAN BARRIER ON INTERSTATE 5 IN OREGON

• 2002  CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY BARRIER AESTHETICS (Cost-Analysis)

• 2001  THREE-STRAND CABLE MEDIAN BARRIER IN NORTH CAROLINA: IN-SERVICE EVALUATION

• 1992  SUMMARY REPORT ON SELECTED GUARDRAILS (Low-Tension Cable)

• 1985  CABLE-GUIDERAIL TENSION. RESEARCH REPORT

• 1982  COST-EFFECTIVENESS COMPARISON OF CABLE GUARDRAIL VS. W-BEAM GUARDRAIL
• 1972  IMPROVEMENT IN CABLE BARRIER DESIGN

• 2009 NCHRP 22-21 [Active] Median Cross-Section Design for Rural Divided Highways & NCHRP 22-22 Placement of Traffic Barriers on Roadside and Median Slopes

• 2007 WSDOT Cable Median Barrier Report July 2007

• 2006 Traffic Safety Facts: 2005 Overview
  In 2005, 43,443 people were killed in the estimated 6,159,000 police reported motor vehicle traffic crashes, 2,699,000 people were injured, and 4,304,000 crashes involved property damage only.

• 2006 Large Truck Crash Causation Study Data (FMCSA)

• 2006 Chapter 6: AASHTO Roadside Design Guide PowerPoint Presentation (by Dick Powers, FHWA)
  PowerPoint presenations are active content. File is safe to allow blocked content.
  
• Crash Video showing importance of placement of cable barriers in median (4MB MPEG)
  This video shows the result of placing cable within the 1' to 8' range of ditch centerline.
  FHWA recommends that barrier NOT be placed in the 1' to 8' zone of bottom of median. For more information:

Page 7, 2005 AASHTO Revised Chapter 6: Median Barriers, AASHTO Roadside Design Guide

FHWA Letter to Colorado 2005

Page 2-11, Washington State Report I-5 Marysville Cable Barrier

• 2006 FHWA Summary: Cable Median Barriers

• 2006 PennDOT study shows dividers save lives (Warrant width discussion)

• 2006 Washington I-5: Marysville/Arlington Cable Barrier - Executive Summary

• 2005 AASHTO Technology Implementation Group on Cable Median Barriers
  This has extensive reports on it from various states that are leading the way in use of cable median barriers.

• 2005 AASHTO Revised Chapter 6: Median Barriers, AASHTO Roadside Design Guide

• 2005 TRB 2786 Developing Guidelines for Median Barrier Installation: Benefit-Cost Analysis with Texas Data

• 2005 WISCONSIN DOT Median Crossover Crashes and CODES Data Analysis Final Report

• GUARDRAILS / MEDIAN BARRIERS, A Guide to Standardized Highway Barrier Hardware, AASHTO

• NCHRP Project 17-18(3) Strategy 18.1 B2—Median Barriers for Narrow Medians on Multilane Roads

• 2005  FHWA Letter HDA-CO Cable Barrier Systems in Median

• 2005  NJDOT EVALUATION OF CROSS MEDIAN CRASHES

• 2005  Bayesian Reconstruction of Median-Crossing Crashes and Potential Effectiveness of Cable Barriers

• 2005  EVALUATION OF ALTERNATE CABLE ANCHOR DESIGNS AND THREE-CABLE GUARDRAIL ADJACENT TO STEEP SLOPE

• 1999 Comparison tool for highway improvement projects, VDOT, Excel worksheet

• 1992  Tension Loss in Cable Guidrail

• 1984  GUIDELINES FOR PLACEMENT OF LONGITUDINAL BARRIERS ON SLOPES

Other Useful Links

• MMUCC: MODEL MINIMUM UNIFORM CRASH CRITERIA

Funding Resources for Cable Barrier

Often DOT engineers want to put in barriers but do not know of funding sources or how to go about getting it. We hope the following information can help.

• SAFETEA-LU Planning Provisions Workshop: Final Report
  Summarizes workshop held March 27-28, 2006, in Phoenix, Arizona designed to provide an opportunity for federal and state department of transportation representatives to exchange information and engage in a detailed review of nine planning provisions included in SAFETEA-LU.

• SAFETEA-LU and Guardrail Dollars available to You Slideshow (PPT)

SAFETEA-LU provides $90 million annually over four years as a set-aside under the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP).

• FHWA SAFETEA-LU Website

• ATSSA’s SAFETEA-LU Safety Program Summary

State by state apportionment tables are available upon request

• States must develop a Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) to be eligble for funding under SAFETEA-LU

• CRS overview SAFETEA-LU: Selected Major Provisions, October 18, 2005 (RL33119)
  This gives a look at each of the major provisions of the act, including innovative finance provisions.

• ATTSA's Low Cost Local Road Safety Solutions  (See pages 35-38)

While SAFETEA-LU funds are to be administered by state Departments of Transportation, Congress has directed that they be targeted at rural roads that have fatality rates that exceed statewide averages. ATSSA developed this tool to help you stretch your safety dollars.

• Common Funding Sources for Safety Improvement Programs