Safe System Snippet #121 Wire Rope Safety Barrier – mass and deflection

Basic road safety barrier design parameters (barrier working width, dynamic deflection) and functional parameters (crash severity) depend on two basic factors:
1️⃣ the kinetic energy of a vehicle hitting a barrier (and mainly its lateral component)
2️⃣ the barrier’s designed resistance to impact (stiffness and barrier flexibility)
For flexible systems, the greater the mass of the vehicle, the greater the deflection.