If you are searching for the perfect concrete road barrier supplier, then this is for you. The function of a road barrier is to separate traffic, to protect a work zone, or to contain and redirect a vehicle in the event of impact – and those are its only functions – and it must perform those functions every time, without any possibility of failing 50% of the time and getting half credit for the job. If it does, then no one knows. If it doesn’t, it’s not a problem of using concrete barriers, it is a problem of the supplier who designed and manufactured the barriers. This guide reviews the selection of the concrete road barrier supplier and the result is delivered with the right kind of barriers, that is actually suitable to real traffic, and not just what looks the part.
A Choice of Supplier Is Not Solely Based on Length and Price per Metre
When buying a barrier, the first thing most customers look at is its length, weight and price per metre. It’s a good place to start when it comes to budgeting, but it neglects an important factor in evaluating whether a barrier is functioning when a vehicle crashes into it: the way the supplier designs and reinforces the barrier; and the degree to which they produce the barrier to the exact design in each unit made in an order.
Road barriers only serve one crucial moment and then there’s no effort to catch up and correct the errors later. A supplier that takes the manufacture of barriers as a performance-verified process – not simply “a heavy precast shape” – designs and builds with that in mind from the beginning. A person who doesn’t will sell you a barrier that appears to be a proper road barrier, but which wasn’t designed or tested to function as a road barrier in, say, a real impact.
Understand the Different Types of Road Barriers Available and Select the Appropriate One
It’s important to understand that traffic speeds, volumes and applications vary significantly based on the containment needs, and knowing this helps in comparing suppliers.
An Area Separating the Travel Lanes from the Sidewalks
Permanent median barriers are used to keep traffic separated on highways and major roads for an extended period of time. These require containment performance that is matched to the road traffic volume and speed, and a design appropriate to permanent, undisturbed installation.
Temporary Work Zone Barriers for Temporary Barrier Installations
Work zone barriers are used to keep workers safe, keep traffic out of the work area, and may be set up and taken down multiple times during a project. They must be more easily handled and be practical in their use, yet still be effective in containment if hit, given that they need to be moved far more often than permanent barriers.
Interlocking and Modular Barrier Systems
Interlocking systems join individual units together in a continuous run with a pin, key or shear connector joint to provide longer runs from standard units. The quality of their connection system is a major determinant of their performance because barriers that are disconnected on impact will fail at the time they are most needed.
Low-Profile and Constrained-Site Barriers
Low profiles barriers are intended for locations which have sight-line, visibility or space restrictions, where a standard height barrier cannot be installed. They work differently than traditional barriers and must be properly matched to the traffic speed rating.
Once you have determined which category (and containment level) is right for your project, you can reduce the number of suppliers you consider to manufacturers who have proven actual documented compliance for that category and containment level.
Request That They Be Certified with Their Design Standard and Crash Test Rating Concrete Road Barrier Supplier
A supplier who has “gone the extra mile” to be aware of a road safety barrier benchmark will be able to answer the questions, “What benchmark has our road safety barrier been designed to and crash tested for?” and can produce the actual documentation. This is not something to take on blind faith based on the general assurance – it is what the barrier is meant for.
Explicitly ask if the barrier is certified to a containment level or standard and which testing organization has confirmed the containment level or standard and if they can give the certification documentation that applies to the specific product you’re purchasing. If a supplier can readily provide this, they are a supplier worth working with. If a supplier is imprecise, gives certification for a different product line or isn’t able to provide documentation, don’t trust them with this important structure.
Review Their Manufacturing Consistency with the Certified Design Concrete Road Barrier Supplier
The barrier need not be the same barrier design that has been tested and certified; crash test certification is applied to a particular tested barrier design only. Inquire about how the supplier insures that each one of the products coming off the line is precisely the same size, reinforcement and connection detail as the one that was tested for the original design and what their procedure is if a batch should vary from it.
A supplier with true quality discipline will view any deviation from the certified design as disqualifying for that unit in that way the barrier does not have the same level of performance as the tested design, even if it appears to be identical on the surface. What is the process for checking each batch before it ships to ensure that it conforms to the certified specification?
Examine the Manufacturing Quality Control in a More Comprehensive Way
In addition to the certified design, there is a factor of general manufacturing discipline that will have an impact on actual performance. Inquire about the casting method, the curing procedure and time, the quality control procedures before the shipping of a batch.
With road barriers that are installed in continuous runs, consistency of order is just as important as the strength of each barrier, as the whole system is as strong as its weakest barrier or unit. Ask what checks are made to ensure that each unit in a large order is of the same standard as the originally tested and certified unit.
Ask Students to Define ‘Connection Systems’, and ‘Continuity Between Units’
Most road barrier applications are based on units that are connected together in a string, and the connection detail is paramount to the success of the total system, as one unit can fail to function if another unit experiences impact and separates or misaligns. Inquire about how the units are connected, if the connection system was originally designed to be crash-tested and what are the installation tolerances for maintaining intended crash test performance.
A supplier that is able to provide an explanation about why they were specifically added to the tested and certified design is showing genuine engineering rigor. Discussing the connection as an afterthought doesn’t fill the real void in system performance that it leaves.
Ensure That All Installation Requirements Are Met with the Certified Design
The level of containment performance is usually certified by particular installation requirements, such as free-standing installation, anchoring or minimum run length, which were included in the original crash testing. Inquire about any installation requirements that the certification is based on, whether your installation will meet those requirements, and what will happen if it doesn’t.
It is possible that the installation outside the conditions under which it was tested can be different from the tested installation, even if the physical installation is the same as the tested installation, the performance of the certified installation is not necessarily applicable. Please verify this directly with your supplier and, as appropriate, your project’s traffic engineer or safety engineer.
Look at Their Track Record and References Concrete Road Barrier Supplier
A supplier’s barriers are intended to achieve what they are documented to do in their certification. Furnished projects inform you what they have actually provided and how much. Request examples of other road barrier installations, especially those with similar traffic speed and volume conditions to yours, and the length of time the installations have been in service.
A supplier who has a history of supplying barriers that are consistent with their certification report is more reliable than a test report.
Things to Look Out for if You Are Considering Buying a Property in the BDC Market
A few common red flags appear in many less reliable road barrier suppliers:
- Failure or unwillingness to provide crash test certification for the product being sold.
- Inconsistent or unclear responses as to which containment standard applies.
- No clear process to ensure batch consistency with the certified product.
- Being priced significantly lower than other certified suppliers with no justification for this difference.
These warning signs should not be taken lightly, given that barriers are there to serve a purpose of a critical, high-consequence moment—two or more of these warning signs are a good reason to not walk through.
Connecting Ideas, Processes and Materials to Create a Whole Concrete Road Barrier Supplier
The key considerations when selecting a concrete road barrier supplier are ensuring that the barrier is actually designed, crash tested and certified to a recognized standard for your specific traffic conditions and ensuring that the supplier has the discipline to manufacture to the certified design for each individual barrier, not just the one that was tested.
Do this properly, and the barrier does precisely what it’s intended to; it remains in place and is effective the one time it is necessary.