Highway Guardrailst ADOT guardrails do and why they're so important

Guardrails. You see them all the time, right? But, how often do you really think about the important job they’re performing?

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If your answer is “never,” that’s perfectly fine and, quite frankly, it’s what we expected, because who sits around contemplating guardrails?

But guardrails really do perform a vital task, which is to separate vehicles from a non-traversable slope past the edge of the roadway or any type of fixed object (think power pole or building). They’re also the topic of this blog post, so hopefully your interest in guardrails is now sufficiently piqued!

How they work

First off, there are different types of barrier out on the state’s roads, but what you see on many highways (and what we’re talking about here) is the w-beam guardrail that is secured to wooden posts. Fun fact: It’s called a w-beam because if turned on its side it looks like a W.

When the guardrail is hit by a vehicle, the posts move back and rotate with the force of the vehicle. The wooden posts, the w-beam, the dirt and the vehicle all absorb some of the impact, but the idea is that the w-beam will stay intact and prevent the vehicle from traveling off the side of the road into whatever obstacle the guardrail is there to protect you from.

The energy of the impact is distributed to many of the posts, which are able to hold the w-beam against the vehicle, allowing the vehicle to come to a stop without crossing the barrier or flipping over it.

We don’t use them unless we have to

Guardrails are only used when necessary. If a road can be built to avoid the need for guardrail, that’s typically the way to go. But it’s not always possible.

We won’t get too technical, but engineers do have calculations for determining whether or not to use guardrail that take into account speed, traffic volume and the amount of clear area that there needs to be.

If it is determined that guardrail is needed, engineers also have to figure out how much is necessary. The term “length of need” refers to the length of guardrail needed to shield the motorist from the potential hazard. Again, we’re not going to get technical here, but there’s a formula to calculate the length of need too.

But wait, there’s more!

If a guardrail is hit, there’s some maintenance involved. According ADOT Maintenance Superintendent Craig Cornwell, his crews are out there repairing guardrail hits just about every day.

He says the w-beam railing comes in sections (from 12.5 feet to 25 feet).

“If a section is damaged, we replace that whole section,” said Cornwell, adding that the beams actually overlap and are connected to each other with eight bolts (there’s also a big bolt about 18 inches long that connects the beam to the wooden post.

On top of repairs, Cornwell says his crews perform routine maintenance on the guardrails, which includes regular inspections.

Importance of Guard Rails

Importance of Guard Rails

Highway guardrails are crucial to keeping roadways safe by helping to prevent minor accidents from escalating to major ones. Guard rails are normally placed in safe areas that protect drivers from more dangerous areas along roadways.They protect drivers from areas such as high embankments, dark curves, steep slopes, sharp corners, working to absorb the sudden impact of the collision. This helps to minimize injuries to the passengers and the vehicle, while also protecting pedestrians on the highway.
Guardrail barriers keep drivers safe and are quickly repaired if there is an accident.

Purpose of a Guard Rail

A guard rail’s purpose is to protect drivers who turn off of the road. The rail is used to prevent drivers from hitting obstacles such as steep embankments, hillsides, utility poles, retaining, bridge pillars, etc. It is safer to hit the guard rail than to hit these obstacles. Guard rails work to reduce the severity of accidents and make the roads safer for drivers.

Types of Guard Rails

Highway guard rails are typically either PVC coated or galvanized. A zinc or PVC coating prevents the guard rail from rusting corroding and also helps to protect it from damage caused by harsh weather.

Galvanized guard rails are made from high strength 12-gauge and 10-gauge galvanized steel. This provides the guard rail with effective impact absorption in the event of a collision. The most common guard rails are galvanized W-beam guardrails. These are longitudinal barriers that are designed to help reduce the severity of a vehicle accident.

This type of rail is roll-formed into the shape of a W to help it catch a car bumper. They designed to be effective and economical from their mounting hardware to the wooden blackouts.

Guard Rail Installation Services

Fence by Maintenance Service is experienced in installing guard rails for a wide range of applications, including for primary and secondary roads. No job is too big or difficult for our team to handle. Contact us today to learn more!

Highway Guardrail: What is it's Purpose?

Did you ever give though to what that Highway Guardrail is actually doing?

The main purpose of a highway guardrail along the highway is to form a safety barrier to help protect a motorist who has drifted off the road.

If a car is running off the road for one reason or another, the best thing that can happen is for that car to come to rest unimpeded.

Sometimes, however, that is not possible and that is where guardrails come in.

In certain places on any given stretch of road, the roadway might have steep embankments or side-slopes next to it, or even be lined with trees.

Utility poles, bridge piers and retaining walls are other obstacles. In these cases, striking a guardrail would be greatly preferable to striking the obstacles, so guardrails are usually installed.

They lessen the severity of a potential crash and make the roads safer.

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The guardrail can act in a myriad of ways from deflecting a vehicle back onto the road, slowing it down or stopping it, or in some cases just slowing it down enough and allowing it to proceed past the guardrail.

Guardrails are not a 100% failsafe, but they do help.

Obviously the size of the vehicle and the speed with which it hits the highway guardrail plays a part in how effective the guardrail is in slowing a vehicle.

Before guardrails are installed, engineers weigh all the potential factors to make sure that the placement works as well as possible in all conditions.

The guardrail itself functions as an entire system rather than just stand-alone pieces. Each piece serves a different purpose as part of the whole. Everything from the posts that are driven into the ground to the way the guardrail connects to the post is important and plays a part.

The end terminal and the anchoring system at the end terminal is just as important. But overall, the highway guardrail basically consists of two key parts; the guardrail face and the end terminal.

The guardrail face is exactly what it sounds like; the part that extends from the terminal along the road. Its function is simple and always the same: to redirect a vehicle that runs into it back onto the roadway.

The end terminal is the starting and ending point of the guardrail and is also referred to as the end treatment. The end needs to be treated with some kind of energy absorbing treatment because the impact from a vehicle is absorbed and then slides down the rail. The end terminal functions in two ways; if a vehicle hits head-on the impact head slides down the guardrail redirecting it away from the vehicle until the energy from the impact has dissipated and the vehicle has come to a stop. When a car hits at an angle, the impact head may extrude the guardrail or gate out, allowing the vehicle to pass behind the guardrail. So in this instance the guardrail is pushed through, much like the action of a gate opening.

A guardrail system is always put through performance tests before it is actually installed along a roadway. The performance of the system is assessed through crash tests that are done in a controlled environment. You can click here to see more about Highway Guardrail Performance direct from the Federal Highway Administration

Safety professionals use certain criteria to determine if the system meets standards.

The guardrail face test is used to determine if a car is directed back onto a roadway when it meets the rail.

The end treatment tests are then conducted by having a vehicle strike the rail dead-on and also at an angle. This will determine if the system is properly absorbing energy from a vehicle.

For head-on impacts, the end treatment should absorb most of the energy so that the guardrail can gate or extrude, and the vehicle can pass through.

This will slow the vehicle down as it passes behind the guardrail, allowing it to come to rest with minimal damage.

The tests used to test a guardrail system are usually conducted at about 60 MPH, so it is important to understand that if a vehicle hits the guardrail at higher speeds, the system may not operate properly.

Very high speeds are especially troubling because guardrail systems are simply not meant to accommodate vehicles traveling far above posted speed limits.

The faster the vehicle is going when it strikes the guardrail, the more damage might occur because the energy demonstrated is so much more.

Even a guardrail system that is working at peak performance can only absorb so much energy.

Why Galvanized Steel Guardrails are Essential for Road Safety

Galvanized steel guardrail highlights as a basic and necessary element to ensure protection and safety on roads and high buildings. This type of guardrail has unique characteristics that make it a popular choice in various engineering projects. This is thanks to its high strength and durability that comes from corrosion-resistant galvanized steel.

What is galvanized steel guardrail

Galvanized guardrail is an essential element in the design of roads and buildings, as it is used to secure edges and raised ends of walkways, bridges and stairs. It is able to withstand harsh environmental conditions and mechanical impacts thanks to the galvanized zinc coating that gives it longer life and less maintenance. It is available in multiple shapes and designs to suit safety and aesthetic requirements in various engineering projects.

Read more: Outdoor movable fence: The ultimate guide 

Galvanized steel guardrail Uses

Steel guardrail is used in several different engineering applications and projects, including:

• It is used to secure the edges of highways and rural roads. It is also installed on the sides of bridges to ensure the safety of pedestrians.
• Placed on the edges of stairs and overhead walkways to provide support and protection to users.
• It is used in industrial facilities to provide the safety of employees and visitors while moving inside the building.
• It is used in public facilities such as airports and commercial centers to identify safe areas and correct paths of movement.
• It is integrated into infrastructure projects such as tunnels, airports and train stations to enhance safety and determine routes.

Read more: Highway guardrail cost per foot

Galvanized steel guardrail Advantages

Galvanized guardrail has several features that make it an ideal choice in many engineering and construction applications. Among these features:

• Thanks to the galvanized zinc layer covering the steel, road railings have an exceptional ability to resist corrosion caused by variable weather conditions. This ensures that it can withstand harsh weather conditions.
• The steel used in galvanized steel guardrail is high quality steel. This ensures it has the hardness and durability needed to withstand mechanical impacts and repeated use.
• Due to its resistance to corrosion, the steel highway guardrail requires less maintenance which saves long-term operating and maintenance costs.
• Galvanized steel highway guardrail is available in various configurations and designs that suit safety and aesthetic requirements in various construction and civil projects.

Disadvantages

Although the benefits of galvanized steel highway guardrail, however, it may face some disadvantages that must be taken into account:

• The steel used in highway guardrails is durable and strong, but may be heavy for some applications. This may require stronger support structures or additional costs for transportation and installation
• Although low maintenance, galvanized steel highway guardrails are expensive to purchase and install, it may be higher compared to some other options such as aluminum or plastic.
• Galvanized steel highway guardrail may be included in some contexts it is considered visually unappealing compared to other options that may be more designed and elegant.
•  The installation process requires special connections or additional details to ensure strength and stability. This may increase the complexity of the implementation 

Galvanized steel guardrail is an essential and necessary part of the design of roads and buildings. It combines strength, durability and corrosion resistance, which plays a vital role in improving safety and reducing risks. This makes it an ideal choice in urban and industrial infrastructure by addressing its multiple benefits and potential challenges. We must know the importance of choosing the appropriate guardrail and applying the necessary maintenance procedures to ensure its sustainability and efficiency in the long term.

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