Choosing the right type of guardrail

This article will cover all of the pedestrian guardrail we have to offer and their benefits.

 Our standard pedestrian guardrail options are M1 and M2.

An M1 guardrail is a unit panel. This means that you will not need any extra posts, as this is a fully welded system where the rooted legs are integral. It is the most cost-effective option and we have this in stock for quick delivery times. The height of the panel, from top to bottom, is 1372mm with only 1050mm being visible and it is 2000mm wide. The horizontal rails are made of 50x30mm RHS (rectangular hollow section). The in-line welded infills are made of Ø12mm round bar, welded in-line. The vertical legs are made of 50x30mm RHS and can be fixed to another panel using M10 hexagon head fittings. The infills on our M1 are not staggered however we do offer this as an option, the SM1 (click here to view our drawing). As well as this, we offer a baseplate M1. This would be used if you needed to fix the pedestrian guardrail to a flat surface like a concrete upstand.

The only difference between our M1 and M2 options is that the M2 has an extra sight gap on the top, which increases visibility for drivers and pedestrians alike. The baseplated and staggered variable is also available for the M2 system also. As well as this we can provide any of our standard guard rail with 16mm infills (R1/R2) and with 20mm infills (N1/N2).

Optirail.

Optirail would be the correct choice should you be looking for the highest visibility for both drivers and pedestrians. The V2, V4, and V8 options are used for high visibility at different speeds or angles. On all of the options, the horizontal rails are made of 70x8mm RSF (Rolled steel flat). The infills are made of 12x12mm square bars. The standard panels are 1936mm wide with a visible height of 1050mm. Our Optirail is NOT a unit panel, this means you will need individual see-through support posts fabricated from 50x50x3mm SHS and 50x10mm RSF. If you are unsure how many posts you will need, you will need one extra post for each stretch of panels. We also can provide angle posts and corner posts as well as the intermediates and ends.

The type of Optirail you need all depends on the speed of the road you need it for. The V2 Optirail is used on straight roads with a moderate to high speed, so around 50-60mph. Our V4 Optirail is used for moderate to slow roads, so from around 20-40mph. The V8 is to be used on a curve up to a 15m radius. The V2, V4 and V8 all have different staggered infills at different angles to ensure maximum visibility for drivers at all times.

All of our guardrail conforms to BS7818 – Specification for pedestrian restraint systems in metal.

To conclude,

If you would like the standard most cost-effective panel, you need the M1.

If you need an extra sight gap on top, you need the M2.

If you would like either of the above with staggered infills you need the SM1 or SM2.

If you need it to be fixed to a flat surface you need the baseplated M1 or M2.

If you require high visibility guardrail use Optirail V2, V4 or V8 (see above).

If you are still unsure what guardrail you need, call us and we will help you decide – 01623 750 214.