Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. FHWA/TX-10/0-5609-2 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES FOR CABLE MEDIAN BARRIER February 2009 SYSTEMS IN TEXAS Published: December 2009 6. Performing Organization Code 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No. Scott A. Cooner, Yatin K. Rathod, Dean C. Alberson, Roger P. Bligh, Stephen E. Report 0-5609-2 Ranft, and Dazhi Sun 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) Texas Transportation Institute The Texas A&M University System 11. Contract or Grant No. College Station, Texas 77843-3135 Project 0-5609 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 13. Type of Report and Period Covered Texas Department of Transportation Technical Report: Research and Technology Implementation Office September 2006 – February 2008 P. O. Box 5080 14. Sponsoring Agency Code Austin, Texas 78763-5080 15. Supplementary Notes Project performed in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. Project Title: In-Service Evaluation of Cable Median Barrier Performance URL: http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-5609-2.pdf 16. Abstract Since 2003, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has embarked on an aggressive campaign to install median barriers to prevent cross-median crashes on freeway facilities statewide. In the few years prior to 2003, virtually all fatalities on interstate facilities (96 percent) were the result of cross-median crashes. TxDOT used special safety funding to accelerate projects and decided to primarily implement high-tension cable/wire rope median barrier systems in lieu of concrete so that more roadway miles could be protected. This report documents the development of guidelines for use of cable barrier systems in Texas. The research team performed a comprehensive review of currently available guidance on cable barrier systems. The guidelines review included four broad categories: guidance on barrier selection, guidance on barrier design, guidance on barrier placement, and guidance on general system considerations. The development of guidelines for cable median barrier systems in Texas concentrated on existing information in state departments of transportation (DOT) design manuals and memorandums, manufacturer product manuals, and completed studies – including the results of the in-service performance evaluation in Texas. The development of consistent and practical guidelines for the use of cable barrier systems is necessary so that TxDOT design, operations and maintenance staff can make sound decisions. Since the use of cable barrier systems is still a relatively new practice in Texas, the guidance is timely because many districts continue to look for sites and funding for implementation. This report is written primarily to convey the cable barrier system guidelines. 17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement Cable Barrier, Wire Rope, Median Barrier, Safety, and Guidelines No restrictions. This document is available to the public through NTIS: National Technical Information Service Springfield, Virginia 22161 http://www.ntis.gov 19. Security Classif.(of this report) 20. Security Classif.(of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 88 Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES FOR CABLE MEDIAN BARRIER SYSTEMS IN TEXAS by Scott A. Cooner, P.E. Research Engineer Texas Transportation Institute Yatin K. Rathod, E.I.T. Associate Transportation Researcher Texas Transportation Institute Dean C. Alberson, P.E. Research Engineer Texas Transportation Institute Roger P. Bligh, P.E. Research Engineer Texas Transportation Institute Stephen E. Ranft, E.I.T. Assistant Research Specialist Texas Transportation Institute and Dr. Dazhi Sun Assistant Professor Texas A&M University-Kingsville Report 0-5609-2 Project 0-5609 Project Title: In-Service Evaluation of Cable Median Barrier Performance Performed in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration February 2009 Published: December 2009 TEXAS TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE The Texas A&M University System College Station, Texas 77843-3135 DISCLAIMER The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and/or Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). This report does not constitute a standard or regulation, and is not intended for construction, bidding, or permit purposes. Products mentioned in this report are for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI). The engineer in charge of this project was Scott A. Cooner, P.E. #86225 (Texas). v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Texas Transportation Institute and Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMU-K) performed the activities reported herein as part of a project entitled In-Service Evaluation of Cable Median Barrier Performance, which was sponsored by TxDOT and the FHWA. Mr. Scott A. Cooner, P.E., of the Texas Transportation Institute, served as research supervisor, and Mr. Rohit Parikh, P.E., of the Texas Department of Transportation, Fort Worth District, served as the project director. In addition to the project director, the authors wish to acknowledge the members of the Project Monitoring Committee (PMC), who provided assistance and guidance throughout the project activities. These PMC members were: Ms. Rory Meza, P.E., TxDOT, Design Division – Program Coordinator; Mr. Jimmey Bodiford, P.E., TxDOT, Fort Worth District – Project Advisor; Mr. Brian Crawford, P.E., TxDOT, Abilene District – Project Advisor; Mr. Bobby Dye, TxDOT, Design Division – Project Advisor; Mr. Darwin Myers, P.E., TxDOT, Dallas District – Project Advisor; Mr. Grover Schretter, TxDOT, Fort Worth District – Project Advisor; Mr. Lance Simmons, P.E., TxDOT, Atlanta District – Project Advisor; and Mr. Tom Yarborough, P.E., TxDOT, Research and Technology Implementation Office – Research Management Committee (RMC) Engineer. The authors also appreciate the following important contributions to the research team: Ms. Debra Vermillion (TxDOT Traffic Operations Division) and her staff for providing and assisting in the analysis of crash data for the cable barrier safety evaluation; Ms. Emily Margrett of the TxDOT General Services Division for providing electronic plan sets for numerous projects throughout the state; Ms. Jan Heady (TxDOT Dallas District) for providing timely information and photographs on terminal anchor issues and designs in Kaufman County; Mr. Frank Julian (FHWA) for sharing information on cable barrier deployment status and guidance gained throughout the United States; numerous TxDOT maintenance staff members who participated in surveys and provided key in-service performance data on projects in their jurisdictions; and representatives of cable barrier manufacturers who answered questions on their products’ performance and provided key insights. The authors also recognize the editorial, data collection, and other essential support activities of Mrs. Christy Harris of the Texas Transportation Institute. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. viii List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................x List of Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... xi 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1-1 1.1 Background and Significance of Research ................................................................ 1-1 1.2 Research Work Plan ................................................................................................... 1-2 1.3 Report Organization ................................................................................................... 1-3 References ........................................................................................................................ 1-4 2 STATE-OF-THE-PRACTICE LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................... 2-1 2.1 Background Information ............................................................................................ 2-1 2.2 Approved Cable Barrier Systems............................................................................... 2-7 2.3 Review of State Experiences ................................................................................... 2-11 2.4 Review of Current Guidance on Cable Barrier Systems ......................................... 2-12 References ...................................................................................................................... 2-45 3 GUIDELINES FOR CABLE BARRIER SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION ........................ 3-1 3.1 Guidelines Framework ............................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Guidance on Barrier Selection ................................................................................... 3-2 3.3 Guidance on Barrier Design......................................................................................