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Bridge collision barriers play an important role in keeping both vehicles and pedestrians safe on bridges. The performance and quality of bridge collision barriers must meet strict standards. Metal Guardrails is an industry-acknowledged manufacturer and exporter of guardrails and has extensive experience specializing in bridge collision barriers that comply with various international standards. There seems to be confusion among many engineering teams and project stakeholders regarding bridge collision barriers. This article aims to identify and explain core standards that apply to bridge collision barriers, and to demonstrate how products from Metal Guardrails meet these standards.
International Core Standards for Bridge Collision Barriers
To enter the international market, bridge collision barriers must meet various international standards, some of which are the most influential. These include the USA’s AASHTO standard which is concerned with the collision resistance rating, structural design, and material specification; and the European Union’s EN standard which focuses on the safety performance, corrosion, and installation of bridge collision barriers. Metal Guardrails designs and manufactures its bridge collision barriers in compliance with the above international standards. These barriers consistently pass all testing, including impact and service life as per the AASHTO and EN standards, which is why they are highly sought after in the international market.
Domestic Key Standards in Major Markets
Along with the international standards, bridge collision barriers must meet the domestic standards for the target market. For instance, in China, barriers must align with the Technical Specification for Highway Bridge and Culvert Design and the Code for Design of Road Traffic Safety Facilities. These standards specify details in height, thickness, and method of connection of bridge collision barriers. In the Southeast Asian market, barriers must adhere to the prescribed local standards for highway safety facilities. Metal Guardrails has trained standards research professionals who meticulously keep updated on shifts in professional standards in all regions to ensure that bridge collision barriers are production-compliant with the domestic standards for the target market and facilitate seamless project acceptance.
Standards for Materials and Corrosion Resistance
Bridge collision barriers face equally rigorous standards for material selection and corrosion resistance. The steel that goes into bridge collision barriers must comply with GB/T 700 and GB/T 1591 for sufficient strength and toughness. With respect to corrosion resistance, metal guardrails must comply with the standards for hot dip galvanizing and powder coating, which are outlined in GB/T 13912. Metal Guardrails gets steel that is nationally accredited for bridge collision barriers and utilizes premier hot dip galvanizing, in addition to powder coating. The product's corrosion resistance is validated through the testing process called salt spray, to ensure that the bridge collision barriers endure extreme conditions, including rain and salt fog.
Safety Standards and Performance in Collisions
At the center of bridge collision barriers is the standard for safety in structure and performance during collisions. Safety collision barriers for bridges must state the level of impact resistance and energy absorbing capacity to minimize the damage and losses incurred during a collision. Furthermore, the barriers must possess enough structural sturdiness to avoid a collapse. Metal Guardrails adopts advanced finite element analysis in optimizing the structural design of bridge collision barriers. Every product is put through rigorous impact testing and collision simulation testing to guarantee that the product meets the safety collision standards and provides optimum safety.
Bridge collision barriers include installation and construction standards. These standard barriers have requirements for position, installation, and fasteners, to guarantee stability and safety. Metal Guardrails has installation standards that govern the construction of bridge collision barriers. These construction standards are compliant with both international and domestic standards. Metal Guardrails has a professional technical team that is able to provide guidance on the construction of bridge collision barriers to comply with construction standards and avoid safety risks that poor construction might create.
Metal Guardrails has established their own internal quality control standards, which are in addition to external standards, for bridge collision barriers. Metal Guardrail’s quality control system for each segment is executed from the intake of raw materials to production to post-production inspection and is documented. Metal Guardrails are ISO9001 certified and condition their bridge collision barriers to full-process quality tracing. Only bridge collision barriers that pass internal and external standards will be constructed, to increase their modularity. These internal standards have created a reputation for Metal Guardrails, establishing their quality and earning the trust of their customers worldwide.
Conclusion
There are numerous standards that a bridge collision barrier must comply with to include, but not limited to, international core standards, domestic key standards, material and corrosion resistance standards, structural safety and collision performance standards, and installation and construction standards. Metal Guardrails bridge collision barrier fully complies with these external standards and also meets the company’s strict internal standards. Thanks to professional technology and abundant experience, Metal Guardrails can offer bridge collision barriers that meet all the requirements for any global traffic project. Metal Guardrails bridge collision barrier offers the greatest safety and reliability, and is the ideal option for any bridge safety barrier project.