Armco Barrier Supplies

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.