Flex-Beam Guardrail Accessories - Armtec

FLEX-BEAMGUARDRAILSteel Guardrailfor Highways

Shock-absorbing qualitiesFlex-Beam Guardrail is a widelyacceptedhighway safety product,used the world over as a safetysystem providing not only trafficdelineation, but also protection inthe event of vehicular loss of control.Installed in the median of a dividedhighway, or along the curb lanes ofhighways and two-lane roads, thecontinuous steel guardrail absorbsthe shock of vehicle impact andguides the vehicle in the directionof the traffic flow. The net result ofthis system is to reduce the tendencyfor out-of-control vehicles torebound into the path of followingor on-coming traffic.Longitudinal strengthIn addition to its ability to absorbimpact at steep angles of incidence,the continuous nature of Flex-Beamalso provides great longitudinalstrength, thus minimizing the chanceof a break-through occurrence. Railsare spliced with a 160 mm overlap,and joined with 8 16 mm highstrengthbolts. Button-head boltsprovide protection against tearingdamage, and preserve the continuousribbon-like quality of the system.Low maintenanceOnce installed Armtec Flex-Beamrequires minimum maintenance.All steel components are hot-dipgalvanized after fabrication. Postsare either of pressure-treated woodor of galvanized steel. In heavy saltuseareas, periodic washing of theguardrail will prolong the usefulservice life. As service life of at leastthirty years can be expected undermost conditions.EconomyArmtec’s Flex-Beam guardrail offerseconomy not only in the materialcosts of the system, but also ininstallation costs. No specializedequipment or heavy liftingequipment is required for themajority of installations. Differentpost configurations can be suppliedfor installing Flex-Beam in confinedspaces, on bridge decks or onbridge approaches. Removal andreplacement of damaged sectionscan be easily undertaken due tothe lightweight, modular layout andbolted connections used. Significantquantities of rail can be carried onstandard trucks.AcceptanceFlex-Beam guardrail has been widelyaccepted by highway departmentsand municipalities across Canadafor many decades.Table 1 of Sectional Properties* and WeightsThickness Area of Moment of Inertia (mm 4 ) Section Modulus (mm 3 ) Weight of galvanizedx-section Horizontal Vertical Horizontal Vertical G.R. per piece (kg)2.8 1284 mm 2 0.96 x 10 6 12.5 x 10 6 2.25 x 10 4 8.03 x 10 4 45.43.5 1652 mm 2 1.24 x 10 6 16.1 x 10 6 2.88 x 10 4 10.30 x 10 4 57.6Steel Post and SpacerNote: Bolt holes not considered. Dimensions are nominal, subject to manufacturing tolerances.* per unit sectionCross Section of Guardrail2

VersatilityFlex-Beam can be supplied invarious configurations with anumber of accessories designedto suit particular site conditions.These include:Varied post spacing – 3.81 mand 1.90m are standard spacingsVaried lengths – 3.81 m is thestandard, with 4 m and 7.62 mlengths availablePost design – can be attached towooden or steel posts, with orwithout offset blocks (spacers).Straight rails are standard –curved rails are available. (See table 1)Steel thickness – 2.8 mm isstandard, 3.5 mm is availableEnd sections - in a variety ofconfigurations to suit specificapplicationsAdditional impact resistanceFor additional low-level protection,a 152 x 54 ‘C’ channel in 3.8 mmsteel can be provided, for boltingto the posts, below and parallel tothe Flex-Beam rail.DurabilityFlex-Beam guardrail is hot-dipgalvanized after fabrication toCSA G164. Standard galvanizingis 610g/sqm (total).Flex-Beam GuardrailAccessoriesEnd Shoes*End Sections* Other types of special end sections may be specified by differentProvincial Highway Departments. Inquire for availability.3

Flex-Beam Guardrail–Installation DetailsL = 3810 mmRTypical Splice at PostGUARDRAILCURVING OPTIONSHead Office: 15 Campbell Road,P.O. Box 3000, Guelph, ON N1H 6P2 www.armtec.comSales Offices: Nanaimo, Prince George, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Lethbridge, Grande Prairie, Saskatoon,Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, London, Guelph, Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Chesterville, Forest,Orangeville, Comber, Montreal, Quebec City, St. Clet, Sackville, Halifax, Bishop’s Falls, and St. John’s.FBG/BP/30C/0402