GB2573745A

GB2573745A - Temporary bridge parapet protection railing

Info

Publication number: GB2573745A
Application number: GB1807424.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Pell Alan
Original assignee: Pell & Baldwin Fabrications Ltd
Current assignee: Pell & Baldwin Fabrications Ltd
Priority date: 2018-05-04
Filing date: 2018-05-04
Publication date: 2019-11-20
Anticipated expiration: 2038-05-04
Also published as: GB201807424D0; GB2573745B

Abstract

A railing system for providing a temporary barrier across a gap in a traffic barrier 1, for example a bridge parapet that has suffered accident damage, comprises a pair of transition members 3 attachable to the traffic barrier at respective sides of the gap. The transition members each comprise front and rear transition plates 4, 5, the front plate having a first portion 4a linked to the rear plate by adjustable clamping bolts 6 such that the plates may be secured together with a portion of the traffic barrier between them. A second portion 4b is spaced further from the rear plate 5 than the first portion and mounts a plurality of vertically-spaced transition connectors 9 receiving the ends of respective rails 13, each rail being secured at each end to a transition connector on the respective transition member. The rails may be attached to intermediate uprights and may comprise a plurality of sections joined together with rail connectors. Also claimed is a method of providing a temporary barrier, including the step of securing front and rear plates with a portion of a traffic barrier between them.

Description

TEMPORARY BRIDGE PARAPET PROTECTION RAILING

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a railing system for use in providing temporary protection where a road traffic barrier has suffered accident damage. It is particularly applicable to bridge parapet railing.

Background to the Invention

Roads are generally provided with some form of safety barrier where the road is elevated, for example when passing over a bridge, to prevent vehicles from falling from the road in the event of an accident. Typically, a bridge parapet will be provided with some form of barrier railing which is designed to absorb energy in the event of an impact. In the process of absorbing energy, the railing will become distorted and will thus not provide further protection against impact. Replacement of the damaged railing cannot usually be carried out straight away, and it is therefore necessary to provide temporary protection at the damaged section. This is often effected by placing concrete barriers around the damaged section, necessitating closure of a road lane. On busy roads, especially motorways where the normally-unused hard shoulder has been used to provide extra capacity, the loss of a lane can lead to congestion and lengthy traffic delays.

It is therefore desirable to be able to provide quickly a temporary barrier at the damaged section that will at least match the strength of the original barrier and will not cause an obstruction to flow of the traffic.

Summary of the Invention

According to the invention, there is provided a railing system for use in providing a temporary barrier across a gap in a traffic barrier, comprising a pair of transition members attachable to the traffic barrier at respective sides of the gap, the transition members each comprising front and rear transition plates, the front plate having a first portion linked to the rear plate by adjustable clamping bolts whereby the front and rear plates may be secured together with a portion of the traffic barrier therebetween, and a second portion spaced further from the rear plate than the first portion, the second portion mounting a plurality of vertically-spaced transition connectors receiving the ends of respective rails

- 2 extending across the gap, each rail being secured at each end thereof to a transition connector on the respective transition member.

The rails may be attached to one or more intermediate uprights securable to a surface on which the traffic barrier is mounted, for example a bridge parapet. Each rail may comprise a plurality of sections joined together with rail connectors.

The rails are preferably tubular in cross-section so as to fit over the transition connectors and are more preferably of rectangular or square crosssection.

The rails may be attached to the transition connectors by means of a bolt or bolts extending through aligned holes in the rail and connector and fastened by nuts.

The invention also provides a method of providing a temporary barrier across a gap in a traffic barrier, comprising attaching a transition member to the traffic barrier at each side of the gap, the transition members each comprising front and rear transition plates, the front plate having a first portion linked to the rear plate by adjustable clamping bolts and a second portion spaced further from the rear plate than the first portion, securing the front and rear plates together with a portion of the traffic barrier therebetween, mounting on the second portion a plurality of vertically-spaced transition connectors, and securing the ends of respective rails extending across the gap to a transition connector on the respective transition member.

The system of the invention enables a temporary barrier to be erected across a damaged section of traffic barrier quickly and simply, minimising the disruption to traffic. The use of a readily-assembled set of components to create the barrier allows the temporary barrier to be adapted to fit into any damaged section without the need to pre-assemble and transport a barrier.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the drawings, which illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a transition member installed on a barrier;

Figure 2 is a front elevation view of the front transition plate; and

-3Figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a temporary barrier.

Detailed Description of the Illustrated Embodiment

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, a traffic barrier consisting of a plurality of horizontal rails 1 secured to spaced uprights (not shown) in turn secured to a bridge parapet for example, having become damaged by impact of a vehicle, has the damaged parts cut away to leave a gap in the barrier indicated generally at 2. A temporary barrier is erected across the gap using the railing system of the invention as follows. A transition member 3 is attached to the each end of the damaged barrier adjacent to the gap. Each transition member 3 is formed from a front transition plate 4 and a rear transition plate 5. The front transition plate 4 has a first portion 4a having an elongate vertical slot formed therein for receiving a plurality of fixing bolts 6 which also pass through a corresponding slot in the rear transition plate 5 to be secured by nuts 7, with washers 8 being used to spread the load. The bolts 6 pass through above and below each of the rails 1 and serve, with the nuts, to clamp the front 4 and rear 5 transition plates firmly on to the rails 1.

The front plate also has a second section 4b parallel to the first section 4a, but stepped outwardly of the first away from the rear plate 5. A transition connector 9 is mounted on the second section aligned with each of the rails 1. The transition connector 9 consists of a square steel tube having a first pair of holes therethrough with threaded nuts 10 welded on the inside of the tube aligned with each hole for receiving a fixing bolt 11 passing through elongate vertical slots 12 in the second section of the front plate. Each transition connector 9 has further holes extending through opposed faces thereof at 90 degrees to the holes with the threaded nuts. A hollow tubular rectangular section rail 13 is slid over the free end of the connector 9, holes in the rail 13 aligning with the opposed holes in the connector 9 to receive fixing bolts 14 to secure the end of the rail 13 to the connector 9 and hence, via the transition member 3 to the existing barrier.

The front transition plate 4 is further provided with a steel tube 4c welded thereto and extending vertically thereon, serving to stiffen the plate 4 vertically.

-4Figure 3 shows an installation in which three rails 13 extend across the gap in the road barrier, mounted additionally on spaced vertical supports 20 which are provided with ground plates 21 bolted to the bridge parapet 22 by suitable fixings 23. The rails 13 are attached to the vertical supports 20 by ad5 justable bolted brackets 24 which attach by bolts 25 to selected ones of spaced holes along the supports 20 on each side thereof and also to pairs of spaced holes along the rails 13 by bolts passing through the rails. Lengths of rails are joined together to provide a continuous barrier rail by the use of rail connectors which are slid inside the tubular rails and secured thereto by means of vertical 10 and horizontal bolts 26 and 27. The temporary barrier section is provided with an additional rail 28 uppermost on the vertical supports 20 to provide additional protection.

Claims

1. A railing system for use in providing a temporary barrier across a gap in a traffic barrier, comprising a pair of transition members attachable to the traffic barrier at respective sides of the gap, the transition members each comprising front and rear transition plates, the front plate having a first portion linked to the rear plate by adjustable clamping bolts whereby the front and rear plates may be secured together with a portion of the traffic barrier therebetween, and a second portion spaced further from the rear plate than the first portion, the second portion mounting a plurality of vertically-spaced transition connectors receiving the ends of respective rails extending across the gap, each rail being secured at each end thereof to a transition connector on the respective transition member.

2. A railing system according to Claim 1, wherein rails are attached to one or more intermediate uprights securable to a surface on which the traffic barrier is mounted, for example a bridge parapet.

3. A railing system according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein each rail comprises a plurality of sections joined together with rail connectors.

4. A railing system according to Claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the rails are tubular in cross-section so as to fit over the transition connectors.

5. A railing system according to Claim 4, wherein the rails are rectangular or square in cross-section.

6. A railing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the rails are attached to the transition connectors by means of a bolt or bolts extending through aligned holes in the rail and connector and fastened by nuts.

7. A method of providing a temporary barrier across a gap in a traffic barrier, comprising attaching a transition member to the traffic barrier at each side of the gap, the transition members each comprising front and rear transition plates, the front plate having a first portion linked to the rear plate by adjustable clamping bolts and a second portion spaced further from the rear plate than the first portion, securing the front and rear plates together with a portion of the traffic barrier therebetween, mounting on the second portion a plurality of vertically-spaced transition connectors, and securing the ends of respective rails

- 6extending across the gap to a transition connector on the respective transition member.