Guardrails are a crucial factor in road safety. They assist in keeping individuals safe while driving and can possibly work to avoid accidents altogether. Choosing the best guardrail solution for you can be difficult. The main criteria you should take into account while selecting a guardrail solution will be covered in this blog post.
Guardrails act as a safety barrier between a person or a vehicle and the dangers lying ahead. Guardrails are not just installed on highways but at various other places like construction sites to keep the workers safe while working at a height, house rooftops, office rooftops, on bridges to keep people from falling off, at parking lots to keep cars from hitting pedestrians and around pools keeping the people from drowning. Despite the location it is installed, the main purpose of a guardrail is to ensure the safety of the people. The type of guardrail that you will choose will depend on the project you are using it for. Things to consider while choosing a guardrail
Purpose of the guardrail
The type of guardrail that you will choose will depend foremost on the location where it will be installed. The guardrail you will choose for a construction site will differ from the one you will choose for your home’s rooftop. You should first be clear about the intention of placing a guardrail in any location.
Read our blog: How Highway Guardrails Are Installed: The Process Explained
Location of the guardrai
The location of the guardrail is another important thing to consider. Before installing the guardrail a number of factors are considered. You would want to place a guardrail in such a place that it will fulfill the purpose of its installation.
Type of guardrail
Often, guardrails are made of plastic, steel, or aluminum. Although they are the most expensive option, steel guardrails are the strongest. Guardrails made of aluminum are a great compromise. They are more resilient than plastic but not as sturdy as steel. The least priced alternative, plastic guardrails are also the least resilient. Another choice is guardrails made of pre-cast concrete. They are constructed using precast concrete that has been shaped into a guardrail. Preformed concrete guardrails are strong and long-lasting, but they are also heavy and challenging to construct.
Size of the guardrail
The size of the guardrail is also an important thing to consider. They are available in various sizes, from small posts that are only a few feet tall to large posts that are several feet tall. The size also depends on the location where it is going to be placed.
Level of Protection that is needed
Guardrails can provide from low-level to high levels of protection. A low level of protection is suitable for residential applications but commercial and industrial applications require high levels of protection. The type of fence or wall you are installing the guardrail on will also determine the level of protection you need. A chain link fence will require a different sort of protection than a brick wall.
When deciding the amount of protection you require, take the following into account:
• The fence or wall’s height.
• The style of the wall or barrier.
• The area’s intended use.
• The anticipated number of users of the region.
If you are not aware of the level of protection you need, then consider consulting a professional. They will assess your need for protection and advise you with an appropriate solution.
Ward off Fatal Accidents with the Right Guardrail
Road accidents can be extremely lethal and cause losses of tremendous lives. One way to prevent road hazards from happening is installing the right guardrail at the right location. Highway guardrails prevent drivers from veering off the roads, falling into roadside ditches, or crashing into embankments. There are several kinds of guardrails available with their own benefits.
An important factor to take into account is the type of traffic that will be using the region. If the location will be used by large vehicles, such as trucks or buses, a heavy-duty solution will be necessary. If the region is frequented by smaller vehicles, such as cars or motorbikes, a lighter-duty solution will be enough.
Conclusion
There are many different guardrail systems available, so it’s critical to pick the best one for your requirements. You can focus your search and identify the best highway guardrail manufacturers by taking into account the local geography, traffic volume, danger of crashes, and traffic type. You can make sure that everyone in your neighborhood is safe by putting the ideal solution in place.