A parametric study of the highway cable barrier system and its effect on vehicle redirection has been carried out using the NRC barrier analysis, as programmed for digital simulation in conjunction with an existing analysis of the vehicle-terrain system. Component data sets were obtained from barrier experimental measurements and a vehicle parameter study. A two-part study was performed. The initial phase dealt with barrier response. An evaluation of the effect of design parameters on design response variables was conducted. The importance of post parameters was highlighted. A means of using these characteristics to improve performance was considered. A brief extension of the analysis to other tension barrier systems has also been included. The second phase considered vehicle interaction with cable barriers, straight and curved, over level and sloping terrain. To do this, system components were chosen so as to represent typical upper and lower bound combinations for the private passenger class of automobile. A number of computer tests were performed with the object of evaluating vehicle response performance as affected by critical barrier and terrain parameters. Correlation with such parameters was established for purposes of mapping bounds of acceptable vehicle performance. The most dominant instability found to occur was a vehicle roll-over condition.
Abstract