Author: curranta

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Where to use Armco Barriers

You might think that Armco barriers or crash barriers are only suitable for use on motorways or near roads. However, these barriers actually provide a fantastic level of security and safety that you will need in a range of different environments. They can be used to protect property, pedestrians and drivers, ensuring that a business is safe for everyone. Let’s explore some of the different places you can use the barriers and why they would be beneficial for your company.

Car Parks

If your business has a car park, it would be beneficial to purchase Armco barriers and provide an additional level of safety and security. In a car park there will always be pedestrians walking around to and from their cars while vehicles drive in and out. It’s important that this process is safe and that pedestrians do not walk into the path of oncoming vehicles. Similarly, it is important that drivers do not hit pedestrians.

With Armco barriers, clear and designated pathways can be set up. This will ensure that vehicles are able to leave and enter safely while pedestrians can walk on the other side of the barrier. It also provides a clear message to pedestrians where they should and shouldn’t be walking. This will keep them on the designated path.

Vehicle Protection

You might be running a business where vehicles are stored or kept outdoors. If that’s the case, then Armco barriers can once again ensure that these vehicles are not damaged from a potential car colliding when coming off the road. They can also guarantee that these vehicles are safe from theft. If your vehicles are left in an open space with no fencing, it may be seen as an opportunity for criminals. Large Armco barriers can act as a deterrent against this.

Building Protection

If your business property is close to a main or busy road, you might be worried about what happens if a car crashes into the side of your property. If this happens, it’s possible that customers, clients and employees could all be at risk while your building could sustain a serious level of damage. Well with Armco barriers, this issue can be avoided completely. Instead, you can make sure that the barrier takes the impact of the crash completely and your building is safe from harm.

Internal And External Loading Bays

Internal and external loading bays have both pedestrians and heavy-duty vehicles constantly moving around in close vicinity to one another. Processes here are often fast-paced and it’s important that everyone remains protected. It’s also crucial that people do not fall off the edge of loading bays and Armco barriers can prevent issues here. Since they are also highly visible, these barriers are great for ensuring that drivers can reverse and navigate around the loading bays safely as well.

Hospitals

Finally, you may want to set up Armco barriers around hospital bays. These are often incredibly crowded with both pedestrians and emergency vehicles. Armco barriers can help ensure that walkways for pedestrians are clear while protecting them from a potential collision.

We hope this helps you understand that there are various business environments where Armco barriers could provide the right solution.

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Armco Barriers in F1

Formula 1 racing is an incredibly dangerous sport. The cars regularly reach speeds of up to 230 mph – that’s travelling at approximately 101 metres per second. Every second counts and the driver’s reaction needs to be lightning quick to respond to their surroundings.

Couple this speed with some of the cityscape circuits that the Grand Prix races take place in – Monaco, Singapore, Melbourne and London – and you can understand why safety is of paramount importance for the welfare of the drivers, spectators and the landmarks that they pass.

This is where Armco barriers come into their own.

From the late 60s, Armco Crash barriers have provided a highly effective protection solution to keep everyone safe in the event of a collision during F1 races. They proved to be so successful at reducing fatalities that they were introduced to the motorway networks as a defence against collisions.

The design of the F1 cars appears to show them to disintegrate on impact, so that injury to the driver is minimised, but the barriers can further disperse the energy of the high-speed impact so that the damage is limited.

The drivers take advantage of the design of the barriers and drive as close to them as possible to ensure that they are reaching the top speed that they can on the track. The safety testing of Armco barriers ensure that, should a vehicle connect with them, they are directed along their line, rather than flipping or turning.

Armco have transformed the safety records of F1 and are the go-to vehicle safety measurement across all areas: domestic, workplace and leisure.

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How do Armco Crash Barriers Work?

Armco crash barriers are used to protect the public in areas where there has been a significant risk of harm to the road user identified, and that the outcome of the moving vehicle colliding with a barrier is far less serious than letting it continue its route.

Armco barriers are not just designed to stop moving vehicles, they are engineered to control and reduce the impact of the collision, but how do they do this?

  • Materials Used

The barriers are made from steel which, although feels very rigid and strong to us, it is flexible through its corrugated profile. The internal structure of steel gives it flexible properties that allow it to bend under impact so that the energy of the collision is absorbed and diverted from the vehicle. The energy of the collision is spread across a wider area and so the force of the impact is reduced.

  • The Design

The design of the barrier ensures that on impact the vehicles are redirected along the line of the barrier. This prevents the vehicle from re-joining the carriageway or turning over, or around. Being able to have some influence on the direction of travel of the colliding vehicle diminishes the risk to other road users that may be otherwise impacted.

  • Testing

To be used on the motorways and high-volume, high-speed roadways, Armco crash barriers must have met the stringent safety regulations that are set by Government. These include tests to confirm that the barrier will not break upon impact, the barrier will not be able to enter the vehicle compartment (where the passengers are) and that the barrier must prevent the vehicle rolling during or after impact.

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What Are the Benefits of An Armco Barrier?

The Armco barrier system has many benefits and has been instrumental in diminishing the effects of collisions through the many ways this safety solution can be used.

  • Reduces Impact of Collision

Armco barriers are designed to reduce and limit the impact of a vehicle collision. This is because the barriers are made from British Safety Standard corrugated steel that helps to absorb the energy from the impact.

  • Inexpensive

In comparison with other forms of safety protection, Armco barriers are an inexpensive solution to gaps in health and safety at the workplace whether in the warehouse, in the car park or on the forecourt.

  • Quick to Install

Armco barriers are made up of standard parts that can be customised to suit your circumstances, this means that installation is quick – there is no need to wait for specialist parts to arrive, there are no complex plans or drawings to be considered.

  • Versatile

Armco barriers are a versatile option for protecting people, assets and property against potential harm and damage from a moving vehicle – either accidental or intentional. The barriers are not just limited to roadside protection, they can also be used to protect utility areas such as electricity pylons, car parks, schools, warehouses – wherever there’s a need for collision protection, Armco barriers can be used.

Armco barriers are a strong and stable protection and security feature that can be adapted to any environment. Made with standard manufactured parts, the barrier system that you need can be assembled and installed quickly and efficiently, and it can be customised to suit the environment.

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How Armco Barriers Protect You and Your Business

You may not be aware of what an Armco crash barrier is, but you will have a Eureka moment once it is defined for you: an Armco barrier is the name of the grey safety crash barriers that you see on the central reservation of motorways or lining the track of racing circuits.

The crash barriers are not just relevant for protecting against high-speed impacts from out of control vehicles, they are also the ideal safety solution for protecting against heavy impact too, whether they be HGVs or forklift trucks.

Armco can also be used in off-road circumstances such as protecting gas tanks, garage forecourts, inside industrial warehousing complexes or in car parks. Although crashes in carparks typically are low speed and low impact, the damage that these scrapes can cause can be expensive to repair and so every step should be taken to reduce the damage that can be caused by a collision.

Armco barriers are also used to demarcate an area that is safe for pedestrians; whether you actively use heavy machinery on site or your building is located near a busy road, the barriers protect and provide security for your business and workforce.

The Armco barriers come in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit your business needs, but all provide the same outstanding level of protection for pedestrians, your employees, your premises and even machinery. Your employees, clients and customers that visit your business site will feel safe, which will help your business too.

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What is an Armco barrier?

Although most people see Armco barriers regularly, many do not know their purpose or even what they are called. Despite this, Armco barriers, also known as crash barriers, could very well save your life or that of someone you love.

Granted Armco barriers aren’t a whole lot to look at, they are made of robust steel & designed to fully withstand the impact of an oncoming vehicle. The crash barriers are often located on motorways across the United Kingdom, keeping our drivers safe from oncoming collisions, however they can also be used for a range of different purposes, including protecting livestock & machinery.

Things to consider when installing an Armco barrier

Before installing an Armco barrier, planners have to decide whether the collision which could occur would be more or less dangerous with the barrier in place. Armco barriers do come in a multitude of different shapes and sizes, meaning that no matter what your requirements, we have a product to suit your needs.

As previously mentioned, Armco barriers can be used on much more than busy roads & motorways. You will often see Armco barriers located in warehouses, yards, car parks, farms, outside schools and loading bays.

On top of the peace of mind you have after installing a crash barrier, they’re also extremely versatile and require very little maintenance once they’ve been installed.

Speak to a professional today

The purpose of this blog is to help our users find the correct product for them. If you have any further questions regarding our Armco Barrier products, we would invite you to email our support team on info@armcobarriersupplies.co.uk or why don’t you pick up the phone and give our team a call.

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Armco Barriers in Farming and Agriculture

Despite originally being invented for protecting racing drivers and crowds on F1 circuits, Armco barriers have become an essential form of protection across a wide variety of industries. Due to the versatile nature of the Armco barriers, their popularity has increased over the past couple of decades. The ease of installation, combined with the ability to tailor length and height, make the barriers an attractive form of protection, both from a labour and financial perspective.

The versatility of the barriers have made the barriers a success within the farming and agricultural industry. Ideal for segregating livestock, as well as protecting heavy and expensive machinery, the relatively low cost barriers are an effective form of protection.

The durability of the barriers also mean that once installed they can last for decades, whilst still remaining effective. The galvanised finish also means that they are less likely to rust and can withstand harsh weather conditions.

The extensive manufacturing process and testing that each barrier goes through means that they can withstand vast amounts of pressure from both livestock and machinery. The relatively easy installation process that allows installers to adjust height gives farmers and agricultural workers further opportunity to use the barriers to meet their specific needs.

Armco Barrier Supplies can also manufacture barriers to specific dimensions, making them an ideal form of protection for both small and large areas. This is essential within the farming industry where there can often be vast areas of land that needs segregating or protecting.

All of the Armco barriers provided by Armco Barrier Supplies are manufactured to industry standards, with all barriers fabricated to BS 4872 standards, and galvanised to BS 1461 standards. This thorough production process ensures that all of the crash barriers that come out of Armco Barrier Supplies are built to the highest standard and capable of enduring the highest levels of stress and impact.

Armco Barrier Supplies can deliver barriers throughout the UK. Despite the ease of installation, which may result in many customers opting to install their own barriers, Armco Barrier Supplies also provide an installation service when delivering the barriers and posts.

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How Armco Barriers are Made?

Due to the protective nature and lifesaving capabilities of a certified Armco barrier, it is essential that all barriers are manufactured to the highest standards, meeting all build and quality guidelines that ensure the barriers are fit for purpose.

All of the Armco barriers provided by Armco Barrier Supplies are manufactured to industry standards, with all barriers fabricated to BS 4872 standards, and galvanised to BS 1461 standards. This thorough production process ensures that all of the crash barriers that come out of Armco Barrier Supplies are built to the highest standard and capable of enduring the highest levels of stress and impact. Originally invented by the Sheffield Steel Corporation of Kansas USA in 1933, the design of the crash barrier has largely remained the same to date. The one major change being the transition from the originally painted crash barriers to the modern day galvanisation, protecting against rust and corrosion, typically extending life expectancy of the barrier by several years. As we manufacture all of our barriers in-house, we are also able to finish the barriers in a variety of colours to suit our customer’s needs.

The intensive manufacturing process means that our Armco barriers can be used across a multitude of areas. Barriers are not only suitable for road protection, but also carparks, agriculture and building protection.

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How Armco Barriers Are Protecting The Public

Armco crash barriers can be used to protect an almost endless amount of valuable objects, machinery and buildings, however none more important than protecting the public. Here at Armco Barrier Supplies our barriers are often being used to save the lives of pedestrians across the UK. The strategic placement of Armco crash barriers along the motorway hard shoulder is saving countless lives per year.

Did you know, that Armco crash barriers can be installed almost anywhere? With their multiple height and length options it is almost impossible to find a place where they can’t be installed to protect the public. From adopting the use of crash barriers, Britain is now one of the safest places to travel in the world. The British Government and UK Highway Agency should be praised on the heavy investment made in protective crash barriers and the lives, which are now being saved, because of this.

As well as protecting the public, the investment in crash barriers has also helped reduce the strain on the emergency services. Fewer ambulances and fire trucks are being called out to emergencies, producing massive and much needed savings, which can be invested across other areas.

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The Introduction of Crash Barriers

Crash barriers first rose to prominence after their introduction to the sport of Formula 1 as part of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association’s ongoing safety campaign of the late ’60s and ’70s. Installed across numerous F1 circuits, the investment in Armco barriers quickly paid off, saving the lives of both racing drivers and spectators.

Originally invented by the Sheffield Steel Corporation of Kansas USA in 1933, the design of the crash barrier has largely remained the same to date. The one major change being the transition from the originally painted crash barriers to the modern day galvanisation, protecting against rust and corrosion, typically extending life expectancy of the barrier by several years.

After their success in F1, the barriers where later added to motorways across the UK. Used on roadsides and central reservations, the barriers were erected to contain accidents and reduce the risk of cars colliding with oncoming traffic on the other side of the carriageway.

Quick to manufacture and easy to install, crash barriers have been successfully implemented on motorways and roadsides up and down the UK. Also extensively installed across the rest of Europe and parts of America. The invention of safety barriers and their comprehensive use has undoubtedly resulted in the prevention of countless fatalities. Barriers not only protect drivers and passenger, but pedestrians as well.

Since their introduction to UK and European roadsides, crash barriers have also been put to good use across a wide range of industries including agriculture and construction. Their strength and durability means that they are very effective for protecting buildings, livestock, and expensive machinery.