Barrier Types
Fundamentally there are two types of car park safety barriers - column mounted or floor mounted. Each will stop vehicles from breaching the car park perimeter (if correctly specified) and each has its own particular features and benefits. These two main types of barriers then sub-divide into flexible or rigid options.
Flexible barriers are designed to ‘give’, i.e. deflect, on impact absorbing minor knocks without damage to either the barrier or the impacting vehicle. Harder impacts will sustain damage but, in the case of the barrier, this will be limited to easily replaceable or repairable components and structural integrity is maintained. Damage to vehicles is minimised and the driver and any passengers are less likely to suffer injury. The level of deflection by the barrier varies from system to system and space must be allowed for this if any external cladding or other facade is also fitted.
Rigid systems stop vehicles without deflecting but this is largely at the expense of damage to the impacting vehicle and its occupants. Significant impacts will damage the barrier resulting in either repair or replacement even if only for cosmetic reasons. Generally speaking, repairs or replacements of rigid systems are slightly less frequent but more expensive than flexible systems.
Column Mounted Systems.
The main advantage of column mounted systems is that they have little or no footprint in the parking bay thereby releasing more space for parking use. The barrier is mounted directly onto the structural columns with interim posts fitted if necessary, subject to the system chosen. This makes them best suited for new build car parks so that designs can take into account the weight of the system and the forces and stresses transferred from the barrier to the columns in the event of impacts.
The absence of fixings to the deck allows the use of thinner deck substrates and lighter deck materials.
Berry Systems offer 3 flexible systems (Brisafe, System 3 and Flexi-Panel) and a rigid RHS system. Alternatively Berry can design a bespoke system to marry architectural aesthetics with British Standards performance criteria by utilising the wide range of experience, test data and expertise accumulated over the last 40 years.
Column Mounted System
Floor Mounted Systems
For areas away from the perimeter, floor mounted systems are often the only option. Columns are not usually available to affix barriers for ramps, split levels, car park approaches or to protect doorways, walkways, plant or ductwork. Floor mounted systems are also the most common choice for perimeter refurbishments to minimise structural upgrading.
Berry Systems offer two types of flexible floor mounted systems and one rigid system, each with a choice of 3 rail profiles - Berry Beam, Barrier Rail or Open Box Beam.
The Berry Spring Steel Buffer System has been the benchmark, flexible, floor mounted system in UK car parks for nearly 40 years. Over that time it has been improved and developed to incorporate a range of buffer types to suit almost all circumstances and more recent changes to standards and relevant recommendations has led to the development of integral pedestrian handrails and anti-climb mesh.
One of the key features of the Spring Steel Buffer is that they are designed to yield not fail. Deflection during the type of impact defined in the British Standard (BS6399) is typically about 300mm. This means the impact forces are absorbed by the buffers rather than transmitted direct to the mounting bolts or towards the deformation of the rail.
Frequently they only require 1 (or at most 2) x 20mm bolts. Embedment can be a mere 80mm and the pull out loading is just 50kN.Compared to rigid posts, this is a quarter of the number of bolts at half the depth. A major saving in terms of installation time and materials.
The Berry Flexi-Post provides a semi-flexible system. The upper part of the post ismounted into a rubber shock absorber which allows a limited deflection of the post - about 120mm. Flexi-Posts use 4 x 12mm screw anchor bolts, 150mm embedment and a pull out loading of only 75kN.
They are ideal when a limited amount of space is available for barrier deflection, but reduced anchor bolt loading is essential compared to a rigid system.
Berry Rigid Barriers are assumed by BS 6399 to have a zero deflection and deformation of the barrier rail and damage to the vehicle is likely with any significant impact. Because of their solidity, high anchor bolt forces are generated and so they require substantial footings.
The bolt down type of rigid post uses 4 x M20 resin type anchor bolts with 170mm embedment. These have a pull out loading of 100kN and are best used where there is no room for any barrier deflection and minimising damage can not be a priority.
Berry Spring Steel Buffer System
Berry Flexi-Post
Berry Rigid Barriers
