Development of a wire rope model for cable guardrail simulation

Abstract

Cable guardrail systems have received increased attention due to their low installation cost and excellent safety performance. This has led to an increase in the use of non-linear finite element modelling for the design and analysis of such systems. However, wire rope models previously used were not validated with physical testing. Thus, an improved non-linear finite element analysis model of 19-mm diameter 3 × 7 wire rope commonly used in roadside cable guardrail installations was developed. Component tests were conducted on wire rope, and consisted of quasi-static tension and cantilever bending tests, high-speed jerk tests of wire rope constrained at one end and perpendicular impacts of wire rope constrained at both ends. Simulation of these tests indicated favourable comparison of bogie vehicle motion and wire rope tension with test results, and was significantly more accurate than previously developed models. Application of the new wire rope model to a full-scale impact on a cable guardrail system indicated good comparison of the new wire rope model with the wire rope reactions in the full-scale test.

Keywords:

• roadside safety
• cable barriers
• crash test
• material model
• simulation
• beam elements

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge researchers at the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility for their contributions to the completion of this project. The authors would also like to acknowledge Livermore Software Technology Corporation for their support. The simulation work performed during this project was completed utilising the Holland Computing Center of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Funding for this research was provided by a grant from the US DOT, University Transportation Centers Program to the Mid-America Transportation Center, at the University of Nebraska.