HIGH TENSION CABLE BARRIER
PART 1 GENERAL
1.1SECTION INCLUDES
A.High tension cable barrier system.
1.2RELATED SECTIONS
A.Section 01554: Traffic Control
B.Section 02056: Embankment, Borrow, and Backfill
C.Section 02890: Retroreflective Sheeting
D.Section 03055: Portland Cement Concrete
E.Section 03211: Reinforcing Steel and Welded Wire
F.Section 05120: Structural Steel
1.3REFERENCES
A.AASHTO M 30: Metallic-coated Steel Wire Rope and Fittings for Highway
Guardrail
B.AASHTO M 268: Flat and Vertical Retroreflective Sheeting for Traffic
Control
C.AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH 2016)
D.ASTM A 36: Carbon Structural Steel
E.ASTM A 123: Zinc (Hot-Dip Galvanized) Coatings on Iron and Steel
Products
F.ASTM A 709: Carbon Structural Steel
G.ASTM A 1011: Steel, Sheet and Strip, Hot-Rolled, Carbon, Structural,
High-Strength Low-Alloy and High-Strength Low-Alloy with Improved Formability, and Ultra-High Strength
High Tension Cable Barrier
H.ISO 12066-2002: Steel Wire Ropes – Determination of the Actual
Modulus of Elasticity
1.4DEFINITIONS Not Used
1.5SUBMITTALS
A.Installation details, parts list, and contacts for information.
1.Furnish the following before physical completion:
a.System installation details and parts list.
b.List and contact information for repair part suppliers.
c.List of Utah-based, manufacturer-trained installers.
B.Certificate of Compliance for Wire Rope for information–
1.Furnish a separate certification from the wire rope manufacturer
stating it meets the cable barrier manufacturer’s requirements if the wire rope is an out-sourced product of the cable barrier system manufacturer.
C.Herbicide submittals for review.
1.Product data sheets and application instructions
2.Safety data sheets
3.License issued by the Utah Department of Agriculture for right-of-
way application
D.Assembly Drawings and Manuals to be submitted at first training session
for information.
1.Provide assembly drawings and manuals.
a.Training Materials
1) Installation manuals. 2) Maintenance manuals. 3) Materials deemed necessary to conduct training for proper installation and maintenance of cable barrier system.
b.Assembly drawings for the installation of the following:
1) Cable Barrier Terminal 2) Typical installation of line posts and cable
E.Tension log for information.
1.Include manufacturer’s recommended tension chart.
High Tension Cable Barrier
1.6TRAINING AND LITERATURE
A.Provide installation and maintenance training and certification.
1.Manufacturer supplying the high tension cable barrier system is
responsible to perform training.
a.Provide one training session no more than 14 days before
installing the system to the following: 1) Contractor (Prime) 2) Installation Contractor (Subcontractor) 3) Engineer and designees
b.Provide one training session before physical completion and
invite the following: 1) Region Maintenance Engineer and designee 2) Region Operations Engineer and designee 3) District Engineer and designee 4) Area Supervisor and designee 5) Local Maintenance Station personnel 6) Engineer for Maintenance (Complex) and designee 7) Representative from the Division of Traffic and Safety 8) FHWA-Utah Division representative
PART 2 PRODUCTS
2.1HIGH TENSION CABLE BARRIER
A.Provide 4 wire rope High Tension Cable Barrier system with the following
requirements:
1.System meeting MASH 2016 Test Level 3 and certified by the
Department for crashworthiness on a 6H:1V or flatter slope.
2.Capable of roadside or median installation.
3.Maximum deflection of 9 ft under MASH 2016 TL-3 conditions with
10 ft post spacing.
4.Capable of post and cable separation during impact.
5.Produce no flying debris capable of vehicle windshield intrusion.
B.Cable Barrier MASH Gating Terminal
1.Cable Barrier Gating Terminal – MASH 2016 Approved
a.Use a terminal required by the manufacturer that will
maintain cable tension after a designed impact and certified by the Department meeting Test Level 3 crashworthiness requirements
C.Provide hardware and miscellaneous items associated with cable barrier
and anchor system.
High Tension Cable Barrier
D.High Tension Cable Gauge capable of measuring cable tension for
Department repairs.
2.2MATERIALS
A.Wire Rope – Galvanized wire rope ¾ inch 3 x 7, construct according to
AASHTO M 30 Type I, Class A coating, with a Modified Breaking Strength Minimum equal to 39,000 lb.
1.Pre-stretch wire rope during manufacturing to exhibit a minimum
wire rope modulus of elasticity of 19,000,000 psi according to ISO 12076-2002, with no bedding or pre-stretching of the rope permitted in testing.
2.Factory swaged ends on each end of typical cable length.
a.Each cable must have a left hand thread on one end and a
right hand thread on the other end, 1 inch in diameter. Ends able to accept a closed body style turnbuckle.
b.Provide galvanized hardware.
B.Hardware and Miscellaneous Items
1.Meet manufacturer’s requirements for hardware and miscellaneous
items as outlined in the manufacturer’s specifications for the installation of the cable barrier system. Items to include but not limited to the following:
a.Anchor and terminal fittings
1) 1 inch diameter fittings required
b.Turnbuckles, rigging screws, field splice connections
1) 1 inch diameter fittings required
c.Parts used to separate and hold cable barrier at designed
height.
C.Line post, sleeve sockets – 3 ft, 5 ft, and 10 ft post spacings.
1.. Line posts
a.Meet all manufacturers’ specifications.
b.Posts meets the requirements of ASTM A 1011 or ASTM
A 36.
c.Galvanize according to ASTM A 123, after fabrication.
d.Post is able to hold the wire ropes at the design height.
2.Line post sleeve
a.Steel sleeves to manufacturers’ specifications.
b.Steel sleeves constructed using material according to
ASTM A 1011 or ASTM A 36.
c.Galvanize according to ASTM A 123, after fabrication.
High Tension Cable Barrier
D.Cast-in-place foundations.
1.Concrete class AA(AE) – Refer to Section 03055
2.Reinforcing Steel
a.Coated. Refer to Section 03211
E.Cable Barrier MASH Gating Terminal
1.Meet manufacturer’s specifications.
a.Supply specialty posts and hardware.
2.Cast-in-place concrete foundation.
3.Object marker delineation using AASHTO M 268 Type IX
retroreflective sheeting.
4.Construct marker post 60 inch long and 2 inch OD using black
polyethylene material.
a.Close top of marker post
b.Drill three 7/16 inch mounting holes.
c.Apply three 4 inch bands of yellow sheeting. Refer to
F.Herbicide
1.Bare-ground or total vegetation grade.
G.Delineation
1.Sheeting Requirements
a.Refer to Section 02890
b.Application
1) Line Post – Refer to this Section, Article 3.4 paragraph A.
H.High Tension Cable Gauge
1.Furnish gauge capable of measuring cable tension during initial
installation.
PART 3 EXECUTION
3.1PREPARATION
A.Site Considerations
1.Begin installation of cable barrier post foundations and terminals
after final grading is complete as shown. Clear approach areas of any fixed objects or hazards.
High Tension Cable Barrier
2.Apply a bare-ground treatment to 2 ft on each side of the cable
system.
a.Apply after cable barrier foundations have been installed and
the excess material has been removed or graded into surrounding area.
b.Follow product-labeling requirements for selected product.
3.2CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS REQUIREMENTS
A.Do not over excavate hole or use a tubular concrete form for foundation
casting.
B.Install manufacturers’ required reinforcing steel as shown.
C.Install post sleeve no greater than ½ inch above finished grade of
foundation.
D.Fill the excavated hole with concrete. Refer to BA 5 Series Standard
Drawings.
1.Align post sleeve to within ¾ inch alignment from the posts on
either side.
a.Sleeve alignment can be adjusted to meet placement
requirements on a horizontal curve.
b.Meet manufacturer’s requirements if supplied system uses
offset posts.
2.Install foundation in such a manner that the post will stand vertically
and be no greater than ½ inch from plumb.
E.Allow concrete to cure a minimum of seven days and until it achieves
4,000 psi before installing cable.
3.3POST AND CABLE INSTALLATION
A.Install posts according to manufacturer’s height requirements to provide
proper cable height.
1.Install o-excluder cap.
B.Install cable according to manufacturer’s requirements.
C.Tension immediately after initial installation to manufacturer’s
requirements.
1.Recheck and adjust tension 5 days, 10 days, and 15 days after
initial tensioning.
2.Maintain tension log showing time, date, location, ambient
temperature, and final tension reading signed by the person performing the tension reading. High Tension Cable Barrier
.
3.4DELINEATION
A.Sheeting
1.Install appropriate sheeting on:
a.First line post
b.Last line post
c.Intermediate line posts spaced no more than 50 ft from
nearest post with sheeting.
2.Sheeting color – White or yellow, color to correspond with the
adjacent edge line.
3.Install so that sheeting is on approach side of nearest lane of traffic.
a.Medians width less than 25 ft and barrier system within 15 ft
of any travel lane. 1) Install a minimum 10 in2 on approach side of nearest lane of traffic.
a.Install a minimum 10 in2 on approach side of
nearest lane of traffic.
b.Install a minimum 8 in2 on backside side of
nearest lane of traffic. 2) Medians width greater than 25 ft.
a.Install a minimum 10 in2 on approach side of
nearest lane of traffic.
END OF SECTION
High Tension Cable Barrier
High Tension Cable Barrier in other states
Utah revises spec sections through supplementals and new editions. We check this one every week and email you the day it changes. Free, no account.
Source: Utah Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, 2026 Edition. Pages 742–748 of 1,331.
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