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Crash Barriers
Crash Barrier is a means of restraining an errant moving vehicle, generally by the use of a horizontal beam mounted on vertical posts. It can be designed to give preference to the protection of the occupants of a vehicle, for example on a Highway, or to the protection of whatever is behind the barrier such as a building.
Crash Barriers work by absorbing the forces of an impact with a vehicle and transferring the load to the Crash Barrier. Some systems use a strong, more rigid posts to transfer the load to the posts as well as the horizontal beams so they do not deflect so much under impact. Other types use weaker posts that give way and the load is mainly transferred to the horizontal beam meaning it deflects more but is safer for the occupants of the vehicle.
Crash Barriers can be installed by either bolting shorter base plated posts down to a suitable concrete surface or by digging out a foundation hole and concreting longer straight posts into them. Alternatively, a socket can be cast into the foundation and the post is dropped into the socket if a removable system is required. Whichever system is used the posts are normally installed first at suitable centres, then the beams are hung from the posts and joined together with bolts. Finally suitable end terminals are fixed.
Crash Barriers are used on Highways for opposite direction carriageway separation and around static objects with the potential for devastating collisions, such as overbridge structures. Crash barriers are used in other situations such as industrial sites for separation of people and property from moving vehicles such as forklift trucks.
There are so many different kinds of Crash Barrier designed for different applications that it can be confusing as to what you need for your situation. For example, even expert specifiers often specify a Highway system designed for high speed glancing impacts when they really need one for low speed 90° impacts. Compass Protection Manufacturing Ltd have a wide knowledge of all types of Crash Barrier and can offer solid advice as to what best suits your needs, even if that is a product that we don’t supply we can point you in the right direction of where to look.
Bollards
Bollards are generally used to prevent vehicular access to an area but allows access to pedestrians. The spacings that they are fitted at determines the size of vehicle that is prevented egress, but the bollards maybe removeable or rise and fall to allow controlled access for larger vehicles such as refuse trucks or deliveries.
Bollards are usually made of either Steel, Stainless Steel, Cast Iron, Concrete or Plastic such as Polycarbonate.
There is not a single “one size fits all” height for bollards, it very much depends upon the application and they are available in all sizes from 400mm to 1800mm high. Popular sizes range between 600mm and 1100mm, with 900mm being aa good all round height.
Retractable Bollards are Bollards that fall from their upright position down into the ground to allow for unhindered access. Retractable Bollards can be either automatic & powered or manually operated.
Security Bollards are often thought of as Anti-Ram Bollards and are usually heavy duty construction and are installed in front of a vulnerable point, such as a shop front, to prevent vehicles being driven into it to gain access.
Handrails
A Handrail gives firm support to assist you when ascending or descending a stair or ramp. It also offers an edge protection to prevent falls around any kind of drop-off.
A Handrail should be fitted alongside, and following the slope of, any stairs or ramp, including landings, to provide assistance to users and prevent falls from edges.
There is not a single “one size fits all” height for bollards, it very much depends upon the application and they are available in all sizes from 400mm to 1800mm high. Popular sizes range between 600mm and 1100mm, with 900mm being aa good all round height.
On Stairs a Handrail should extend the width of one stair tread and then level out for 300mm.
On Ramps the Handrail should extend parallel to the walking surface by 300mm past the top and bottom of the ramp.
The Handrail ends should be rounded or return smoothly into a floor, wall or post.
A Handrail can be installed to rise from the top surface of a stair or ramp, or it can be side-fixed to maximise the available width of the stair or ramp. Modular handrail systems have individual parts such as side(palm) plates and socketed base plates to allow for easy fixing in either location.
Some installations will use posts of extended length which will require the surface to be cored out and for the posts to be concreted or grouted into place at appropriate centres.