Bicycle Railing Height Report - AASHTO - Subcommittee on Design

DETERMINATION OF APPROPRIATE RAILING HEIGHTS FOR BICYCLISTS
NCHRP 20-7 (168)
Table 4 illustrates typical costs of railings that are routinely used along shared use paths.
These costs are for similar railing systems, and are intended to show the relative
differences in the cost of material and the cost of adding an additional rail. The costs of
footings or deck connections are not included in these unit prices.
Table 4 - <strong>Bicycle</strong> <strong>Railing</strong> (non-vehicular loading)
<strong>Railing</strong> Type <strong>Railing</strong> Size Cost per
meter
Cost
difference
Aluminum Pipe 2 rail, 38mm diameter, satin finish $106 $40
<strong>Railing</strong>* 3 rail, 38mm diameter, satin finish $146
Galvanized Steel Pipe 2 rail, 38mm diameter $105 $40
<strong>Railing</strong>* 3 rail, 38mm diameter $145
Wood Board <strong>Railing</strong> 25 x 100mm, 50 x 100mm rails, $63 $7
100 x 100mm posts, No. 1 grade
cedar – 2 rail, 1.2 m high
25 x 100mm, 50 x 100mm rails,
100 x 100mm posts, No. 1 grade
cedar – 3 rail, 1.5 m high
$70
Chain Link Fence 9 ga. Aluminized steel, 50 mm line $55 - -
post 3m O.C., 40 mm top rail - 1.5
m high
* The costs shown are for a railing along stairs, and the height of the railing was not provided.
The typical height of a railing on stairs is approximately 0.9 m (36”) high. As most of the value is
in the rails, the cost of 1.1-m and 1.4-m high railing would be slightly higher than the costs shown.
Relative to the overall cost of a shared use path, the cost of adding railing can be
significant. A linear cost estimate of a 10-foot wide asphalt paved shared use path
through a wooded area with an average existing cross slope of 10% was prepared using
the RSMeans cost data. The cost per linear meter is approximately $150, approximately
the same cost as a three-rail metal railing. The addition of a two-rail metal railing with a
height of 1.1 meters (42 inches) to one side of a shared use path may increase the cost
approximately 70% to $255 per linear meter.
If the railing was increased to a three rail metal railing that was 1.4 meters (54 inches)
high, the linear cost of the shared use path could increase by 95% to approximately $295
per linear meter. The difference in cost between the two height railing is approximately
$40 per linear meter or approximately 15% of the cost of a shared use path with a 1.1
meter (42 inch) high railing.
The cost of vehicular bridge railing is substantially higher than bicycle railing due to the
higher loadings necessary for vehicular traffic. For example, RSMeans provides a cost of
$299 per linear meter for a two-line galvanized steel pipe bridge railing, and a cost of
$755 for a four-line galvanized steel pipe bridge railing.
29