What are the concrete barriers?

This article will answer the question “What are concrete barrier blocks?”. It also aims to highlight the importance, applications and advantages of concrete barriers.

What are the concrete barrier blocks?

Concrete barrier blocks are blocks made up of concrete to secure premises. You can protect your property from trespassers, vandals, fly-tippers, and tourists by using concrete barrier blocks or jersey barriers. To prevent vehicles from entering a property, concrete security barriers may be erected across the entrance or around the perimeter. 

It is possible to build an impenetrable concrete barrier by bolting together our state-of-the-art interlocking system with our 1.5m, 2.5m, and 3m concrete sleepers.

What are the concrete barrier blocks used for?

It is possible to find several uses for concrete barriers. Temporary roadblocks, traffic flow control, and risk management are common uses for these vehicles on the roadside. 

Additionally, concrete barriers may be used to prohibit access to abandoned areas, block agricultural gates, protect farmland from flooding, and provide storage bays for combustible bulk commodities and items. 

Loads on vehicles and cranes may be counterbalanced using concrete blocks, as well. Traffic management may benefit from deploying temporary concrete road barriers, which can safely restrict traffic flows. 

Car parks are littered with concrete safety barriers, which delineate lanes for entrance and departure and prevent vehicles from wandering into oncoming traffic. Building and road construction sites may be protected from the public and the workers inside using concrete road barriers.

What are the other applications for concrete barriers?

• Large retaining walls
• Barriers to prevent vehicles from entering an area or running over something important
• Traffic control
• Large bins/bunkers for storing content like mulch, rock, or sand
• Tiered bunkers for goods like telephone poles or long rods
• Weight to retain floating docks in water
• Security device when linked to an item to prevent it from easily being stolen

What are the industrial applications of concrete barriers?

There are various industrial applications of concrete barriers. Roadside traffic control, construction site security, and more are all possible uses for our barriers. The vast range of forms, sizes, and weights allows customers to develop effective barrier solutions that match their demands, such as interlocking components for stacking or attaching to chains. 

Some of the applications are listed below;

• Construction sites need to have designated access and departure points (TVCBs or Interlocking Jersey Barriers)
• Controlling traffic in public areas (Temporary vertical concrete barriers, Jersey Barriers)
• Temporary event crowd and traffic control (Interlocking Jersey Barriers)
• Protecting pedestrians and pedestrians from vehicles (Rock, Jersey Barriers, Marquee Blocks)
• Kentledge or ballast may be used to anchor buildings to the ground (Marquee Blocks)
• Ensuring that the landscape is safe and secure while also being visually appealing (Rock)
• Protecting people, cars, equipment, and other risks from each other (TVCBs)

Are concrete barriers safe?

Yes, concrete barriers are absolutely safe. Concrete barriers may be used in a variety of situations because of their inherent qualities. It is possible to safely prevent landslides by using the massive weight of a concrete step barrier. Water dangers and other hazardous situations may be protected by concrete safety barriers.

What is a concrete barrier wall?

When the concrete barriers, such as “Jersey Barriers” or K-rails, are set end-to-end to redirect the flow of debris away from buildings and other critical infrastructure, in a wall form, it is known as the “concrete wall“. 

Wildfires in the drainage region have raised the danger of floods, requiring the deployment of barrier walls to safeguard houses and other essential locations. 

A costly but long-lasting protective system that may be swiftly and easily installed using heavy equipment. A flood/debris protection system may be created by combining temporary concrete barriers with diversion channels or other measures.

What are the advantages of concrete barriers?

• Concrete barriers are, of course, quite sturdy
• Concrete barriers are sometimes necessary to protect workers and drivers on construction sites.
• Additionally, they are a suitable option for long-term projects due to their durability and worker safety in specific conditions.
• Companies in the building industry must employ concrete barriers in two different circumstances. The first is to prevent cars from slamming into a surface or region that is even more harmful or destructive than the concrete itself. 
• It’s also common for construction workers to need concrete barriers to keep them safe from traffic accidents. Although they may be filled with water or sand, plastic barriers cannot be used to halt fast-moving vehicles as concrete barriers can.

What are the disadvantages of concrete barriers?

• However, concrete barriers aren’t always the best option in every situation.
• Constant maintenance and repair costs are among concrete barriers’ main shortcomings.
• Because of their weight and mass, concrete barriers are almost hard to relocate, reorganise, or reuse for other purposes.
• There will be a lot of time spent on installation and removal if the process takes a long time.
• Poor visibility — Gray or white concrete barriers are harder for drivers to see than bright safety orange plastic barriers.
• In the event of a collision, drivers are more at risk when facing concrete barriers as opposed to those constructed of plastic.
• Oftentimes, it’s not worth it.

Is there any alternative to Concrete barriers?

Yes, the plastic barriers could be used as an alternative to concrete barriers. Barriers made of plastic are both dependable and long-lasting. To survive harsh weather, crashes, and years of usage and wear and tear, most plastic barrier producers employ high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

Other benefits include:

• Portability and adaptability
• Customization; and (color, signage, etc.)
• Good for both indoor and outdoor usage; easy to set up; easy to tear down and store
• the ability to construct a continuous wall
• cost-effectiveness of the product

Most businesses choose plastic barriers over concrete ones because they are more convenient and less expensive to employ.

Can I make retaining walls with concrete barriers?

Yes, retaining walls can be constructed by using concrete barriers. Concrete barriers may be used to rapidly and easily create retaining walls and security obstacles. 

Concrete’s long-term durability makes it impervious to the weather and encroaching vegetation, and its logistical ease makes it an ideal material for outdoor projects. 

Using retaining walls, you may block pedestrians and drivers from seeing your construction site if it is a safety hazard. If you’re concerned about spying, an interlocking barrier can keep you out of the way.

How can I secure a vacant area with concrete barrier blocks?

Surely, the concrete blocks may be used in a plethora of ways to enhance site security and privacy, including the following:

• Restrict access by establishing perimeter borders
• Discourage unwelcome cars and people from entering your property
• Barriers to keep big trucks out of restricted areas
• Concrete blocks can’t be moved easily due to their sturdiness, and any effort to break through them and gain admission would fail.
• If there are any possible points of entry, larger blocks may be employed immediately, and interlocking blocks give a stable barrier solution that can be complemented by such as fencing, which further prevents access to restricted areas.

Are concrete barriers used in traffic management?

Yes, the concrete barriers are also used in traffic management. Many businesses, locations, and sectors face dangers from excessive traffic and other moving objects. There are several advantages to using concrete barriers, whether it is to guide traffic and divert vehicles away from dangerous portions of the road, or to regulate the number and position of automobiles.

Worker safety must be ensured when construction zones intersect or are located near a roadway. This is both a legal and a safety need.

Cars are securely kept away from construction sites by stacking, lining, or assembling large concrete blocks to make sturdy barriers.

Concrete blocks may be used for a variety of traffic control purposes, including the following:

• Barricades directing automobiles into designated parking spaces.
• Access to restricted locations is hindered by the presence of barriers.
• Temporary parking or traffic facilities might be set up during road construction to ease congestion.
• Assisting motorists
• Highway construction sites need to have a safety barrier between employees and automobiles.

Can the concrete barriers be used in flood defences?

Yes, flood and fire damage may be prevented with the usage of blocks, which can be found in both residential and commercial settings.

To address a wide range of security concerns from flood defences to traffic control tools to perimeter safety, concrete barriers may provide a long-term, solid answer.

Frequently asked questions (FAQS): Concrete barriers

What is a Jersey concrete barrier?

Jersey barriers are heavy-duty interlocking blocks that provide high security and protection while allowing sections to be removed and repositioned easily in case access is required.

What’s the name of the construction material used to create concrete barriers?

Jersey barrier is the name given to them. Concrete barriers for traffic management and perimeter security on highways are often referred to as “Jersey barriers.” The concrete Jersey barriers are straightforward at first glance.

What is the weight of a concrete barrier?

Concrete barriers typically weigh approximately 4,000 pounds. Reinforced concrete barrier pieces are typically 10 feet long and weigh more than 4,000 pounds each. Precast concrete manufacturers, highway agencies, and highway contractors often provide these materials.

How much does it cost to build a concrete barrier?

With interlocking blocks, the typical cost of a concrete retaining wall is $20 to $30 per square foot, but with poured concrete, the cost is $30 to $40 per square foot. The average cost per square foot for a natural stone retaining wall is between $27 and $35.

What are K-rail barriers?

Precast jersey utility barriers, often known as “K-Rail” or “Concrete Traffic Barrier,” are a perimeter security standard. These concrete separators are designed to protect pedestrians and vehicles from collisions on the roadway.

How much pressure concrete can take?

If a force of 6000 pounds is applied to the barrier at either 1′-6″ or 2′-3″ above the supporting surface, the barrier must sustain the stress.

Will the barriers need to be installed by a professional or can I do it myself?

An articulated truck is, of course, the most cost-effective method of transportation for the concrete barriers. To move the blocks by hand, you’ll need a machine that can raise their weight.

What if I have to move the blocks?

You can lift them up yourself. It is possible to utilise the fork recesses in the bottom of certain blocks if you have a forklift or telehandler at your disposal. To ensure that your vehicle is capable of lifting the obstacles, be sure to verify the lift capability of the vehicle.

Is the usage of concrete blocks to direct traffic common?

When it comes to traffic calming measures, concrete barriers are the strongest and most durable, making them almost impossible to remove even in the presence of heavy traffic. Even if a car bumps into the barriers, they will remain in place.

As long as the barriers can be changed, this is an excellent long-term option for directing traffic around your property.

Is it possible to encircle the area with concrete walls to prevent people from seeing in?

Restricting access to your website might be necessary for a variety of reasons. To begin with, you may choose to keep your works secret or secured, preventing anyone from accessing the site. In certain cases, road users or the rest of the community may be inconvenienced by construction on the site.

An interlocking system of large concrete barriers with screens may be used to form a border or perimeter that acts as a barrier against anyone prying or spying on the activities on your property, as well preventing unwanted entrance. “

Bibliography

McDevitt, C. F. (2000). Basics of concrete barriers. Public Roads, 63(5), 10-14.

Cao, R., Agrawal, A. K., El-Tawil, S., & Wong, W. (2020). Numerical Studies on Concrete Barriers Subject to MASH Truck Impact. Journal of Bridge Engineering, 25(7), 04020035.

Sasse, D. B. (2019). Gray Bat day roosts in concrete barriers on bridges during migration. The American Midland Naturalist, 182(1), 124-128.

Wang, Q., Fang, H., & Yin, H. (2020). Reliability analysis of concrete barriers under vehicular crashes using augmented RBFs. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 61(3), 1215-1228.

Shahriari, V. (2021). Distress Evaluation of Roadway Concrete Barriers and Materials (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Wisconsin-Madison).