Flexbeam Guardrail
Roadside Safety Barrier
Product Manual
Release 09/15
www.ingalcivil.com.au
Flexbeam Guardrail Roadside Safety Barrier
1.0 Introduction 4.0 Barrier Deflection
Roadside barriers have been developed over the years The expected deflection of the barrier should not exceed
to safely redirect vehicles that leave the roadway. Many the available room to deflect. If the available space
different rigid, semi-rigid and flexible designs for roadside between the hazard and the barrier is not adequate, then
barriers have evolved. The most common system consists the barrier can be stiffened in advance of, and alongside
of a steel w-beam rail supported on steel posts with the hazard. Commonly used methods to reduce
end treatments and transitions of various designs using deflection of Flexbeam guardrail include reducing the
similar materials. post spacing, nesting the rail or transitioning to a stiffer
barrier such as Thriebeam guardrail.
Ingal Civil Products’ Flexbeam guardrail’s uniformly high
resistance to impacts is assured by its continuous flexible Table 4: Flexbeam & Thriebeam Deflection Values
beam action. This prevents dangerous pocketing and Dynamic
minimises the ride down deceleration experienced by System Type Post Spacing
Deflection1
the vehicle and its occupants. AASHTO G4 W Beam 2.0m 1.0m
The high visibility of Flexbeam guardrail creates driver Type B Guardfence 2.5m 1.0m
confidence.This is an intangible but exceedingly important AASHTO G9 Thriebeam 2.0m 0.6m
factor. At night or in fog conditions, the excellent visibility 1
Sources: AS/NZS 3845: 1999 & VicRoads Model Drawing SD3501E
of Flexbeam guardrail highlights the limit of safe travel
and reduces dangerous centreline crowding.
5.0 Thriebeam Guardrail
2.0 Standards An important attribute of Thriebeam guardrail is its high
Flexbeam guardrail is manufactured in accordance with level of performance especially for large vehicles. Due to
the following; the greater height of the rail face, Thriebeam guardrail
• AS/NZS 3845:1999 Road safety barrier systems provides reduced deflection and improved resistance to
vehicle vaulting or under running. The reduced dynamic
• AS/NZS 4680:2006 Hot-dip galvanized (zinc) coatings
deflection and maintenance demand makes Thriebeam
3.0 Specifications guardrail ideally suited for major facilities carrying a high
volume of high-speed traffic. Thriebeam guardrail should
Table 1: Flexbeam Panels - 2.7mm base metal thickness also be used in transition from Flexbeam guardrail to more
Nett Laying Length (mm) Ingal Part No. Mass (kg) rigid barriers. This significantly reduces the deflection of
1000 C1364G 14.1 the barrier system at transition to the rigid barrier.
2000 C1373G 25.0
2500 C1381G 30.5
3000 C1195G 36.0
3810 (12’6”) C1355G 44.6
4000 C1351G 46.7
5000 C1356G 57.6
312mm
502mm
Table 2: Charlie Posts 150 x 110 x 4.3mm
Post Length (mm) Ingal Part No. Mass (kg)
700 with Base Plate C1432G 17.2
750 with Base Plate C1409G 17.9
1800 C1402G 23.6
1850 C1415G 24.4
2100 C1444G 27.6
2400 C1458G 31.6
Table 3: U Channel Posts 178 x 76 x 6.0mm
Post Length (mm) Ingal Part No. Mass (kg)
700 with Base Plate C1135G 17.0
1600 C1095G 23.3 Flexbeam Thriebeam
1675 C1090G 24.4
1800 C1100G 26.3 Figure 1: Flexbeam and Thriebeam Comparison
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Flexbeam Guardrail Roadside Safety Barrier
6.0 Installation
6.1 Site Preparation
Flexbeam guardrail should be located at least 600mm
(measured from back of post) in front of embankments
that require shielding. This distance is required to provide
proper post support.
The approach terrain to the barrier must be level. Grading
to 1:20 is preferable and 1:10 maximum slope should
be present. Steeper slopes can result in the vehicle
impacting the barrier at other than the design height.
6.2 Installation Sequence
The following written instructions should be read in
conjunction with Ingal Civil Products’ drawings:
1. Ensure the area has been inspected for underground Figure 2: Attachment of steel blocking piece
hazards and that suitable traffic control is in place.
2. Post locations are marked ensuring the hazard to be
protected is located outside the expected dynamic
deflection of the barrier.
3. The post is orientated with no post edges presented
towards the traffic.
4. Posts are driven directly into the ground and should
be vertical. (The post installation process shall not
cause damage to the post, such that it reduces the
effective operation of the safety barrier or its design
life, or introduces sharp tearing edges, nor shall it
cause damage to pavement). Alternately, a hole can
be augured and the post placed in the hole. The
posthole is then backfilled with the material that was
excavated. Material should be placed in layers and
suitably compacted to not less than the density of the
surrounding layers.
Figure 3: Splice Connection
5. Blocking pieces are then attached to the posts using
M16 hex. head bolts. The function of the blocking piece
is to prevent wheel snagging and vehicle vaulting.
6. Rails are attached to the blocking pieces and are
spliced using mushroom head bolts. The holes in the
rails for attachment to the blocking pieces are slotted
to allow for tolerances in post spacing.
7. Rails are spliced together at every second post
using M16x32mm mushroom head bolts. Rails are
orientated so that no leading edges are presented to
the traffic face. At post locations where there is not a
rail splice, a stiffener piece is inserted behind the rail.
Washers are NOT used.
8. It is recommended that posts be installed only a
few metres ahead of rail assembly to ensure correct
post spacing and alignment. On curves, the rails can
be used as a template and laid on the ground to
determine post locations. Figure 4: Delineator
Release 09/15 3
Flexbeam Guardrail Roadside Safety Barrier
6.3 Curving
Flexbeam guardrail may be shop curved to fit any radius H
from 2.4m to 46m. Curves in excess of 46m radii do not
require shop curving as the lap joint accommodates itself
to such installations. Rail may be curved either concave Chord Length (C)
or convex to the traffic face and can be part curved along
its length to suit your needs.
Radius
Ø
6.3.1 Measuring Curvature Figure 5
1. Depending on your length of rail, mark along your arc
at 4m or 5m intervals
2. Measure the corresponding chord length (C) – Refer Convex Concave
to Figure 5
3. Measure the corresponding centre offset (H) – Refer
to Figure 5
4. Use the values for C and H to select the radius from
Table 5
5. Determine the curvature orientation from Figure 6
Figure 6
Table 5: Radius of Curvature
7.0 End Terminals and Transitions
4000mm Rail 5000mm Rail
Guardrail end terminals are designed to provide a soft
Radius Ø C H Ø C H
m Degrees mm mm Degrees mm mm
gating impact to prevent the end rail from spearing
an impacting vehicle. Terminals also introduce tensile
2.4 95.5 3553 786 119.4 4144 1189 and flexural strength necessary to ensure redirection
3 76.4 3710 642 95.5 4441 983 performance of the length-of-need section.
4 57.3 3835 490 71.6 4681 756 Transitions are required when Flexbeam guardrail is
terminated at a bridge abutment or a concrete parapet.
5 45.8 3894 395 57.3 4794 612
The purpose of a transition is to smoothly increase the
6 38.2 3926 330 47.8 4857 513
stiffness of the approach guardrail from the more flexible
7 32.7 3946 284 40.9 4894 442 to the less flexible system.
8 28.7 3958 249 35.8 4919 387
9 25.5 3967 221 31.8 4936 345
10 22.9 3973 199 28.7 4948 311
12 19.1 3982 166 23.9 4964 259
14 16.4 3986 143 20.5 4973 223
16 14.7 3990 125 17.9 4980 195
20 11.5 3993 100 14.3 4987 156
24 9.6 3995 83 11.9 4991 130
28 8.2 3997 71 10.2 4993 112
32 7.2 3997 62 8.9 4995 98
35 6.6 3998 57 8.2 4996 89
40 5.7 3998 50 7.2 4997 78
45 5.1 3999 44 6.4 4997 69
Figure 7: ET2000 Plus
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For more information
contact us on the web
www.ingalcivil.com.au
Head Office: Sydney Our Locations:
57-65 Airds Road, Minto, NSW 2566 • Adelaide • Auckland
Ph: +61 2 9827 3333 • Brisbane • Kuala Lumpur
Fax: +61 2 9827 3300 • Melbourne • Newcastle
Free call (within Australia): • Perth • Sydney • Wagga
1800 803 795
Email: [email protected]
