Risk-based life expectancy of highway guard cables

Abstract

[EMBARGOED UNTIL 12/01/2024] Starting in the mid-late 2000's, Missouri began phasing out low-tension cable barriers in favor of proprietary high-tension cable systems due to the improved safety characteristics of high-tension cable barriers. High-tension barriers have had very limited use in the United States; thus, the long-term viability is still unknown. Utilizing crash records, field inspections, surveys, mechanical testing, and finite element modeling, a life expectancy assessment of the current cable barrier inventory was conducted. To mitigate uncertainties regarding the repair history, crash history, and overall capabilities of cable systems, a risk-based assessment was utilized to estimate the relative risk and future performance of high-tension cable systems. The end goal is to establish effective asset management strategies based on relative risk of segments in the state. Segments were evaluated based on the estimated probability of cable corrosion, cable degradation, and splice slippage. At the end of this procedure, recommendations will be made to the state regarding the prioritization of high-risk segments as well as methods to continually evaluate the condition and risk of failure of high-tension barriers.