Performance of wildlife fence systems under animal impact load

Abstract

Wildlife fence protection systems specifically designed for animal protection are critical in mitigating wildlife-vehicle collisions and preserving animal habitats. These systems are quite similar to rockfall barrier systems, which are well studied and developed, however, few studies are specifically oriented toward investigating structural performance of these systems. Despite the similarities, results of studies related to rockfall barriers may not be directly applicable to design and performance evaluation of wildlife barrier systems due to differences in a range of size, shape, and velocity of impactors and structural details. This study aims to bridge this gap by analyzing performance and capacity of wildlife structures in more detail through parametric study with consideration of a wide range of properties and structural details appropriate for these systems, such as mesh type (square and inclined), mesh size, and wire diameters. The behavior of these systems under impact loads is simulated using nonlinear finite element models with consideration of ductile damage and element removal techniques to accurately capture wire rupture and changes in the impactor-fence system interface. The results demonstrate that the response of the system is highly influenced by factors such as mesh type, opening size, wire diameter, and impactor size. Notably, the system utilizing an inclined mesh type exhibits a 35 % higher failure velocity, 50 % greater energy dissipation, and 21 % less maximum displacement compared to the square mesh system. The detailed results and discussions in this study provide valuable insights into the influence of individual parameters on the behavior of wildlife fence systems, aiding in the design of more efficient wildlife barrier systems with enhanced performance.