GB2589516A

GB2589516A - Street furniture apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2589516A
Application number: GB2102171.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Stone Mark
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-02-07
Filing date: 2015-02-07
Publication date: 2021-06-02
Anticipated expiration: 2035-02-07
Also published as: GB202102171D0; GB2589516B

Abstract

Street furniture apparatus 10 comprises a structure 12 formed from a plurality of relatively rigid structure members 12 forming a plurality of side walls. A front wall defines an impact area 20 and is joined to a rear wall via a pair of bracing walls. The bracing walls include a diagonal bracing member 48 curved in an arc. A relatively flexible arrestor member 16 is mounted to one or more of the structure members by arrestor member mountings 18. A cover 56 is provided over the structure and includes a recess 64 for plants and planting material. The bracing walls may include a second bracing member 50 and the arrestor member may be formed of wire, wire rope or cable. The arrestor member mountings may permit movement of the arrestor between initial and impact conditions. Ground engaging fixings may be provided for fixing the structure to a foundation. A method of preventing vehicle access using a street furniture apparatus is also claimed.

Description

Street Furniture Apparatus The present invention relates to street furniture apparatus.

Conventionally, street furniture items such as bollards and planters have been used to prevent vehicle access to pedestrian areas and to protect the buildings. In recent years, terrorist threats have focussed attention on the use of such street furniture items to prevent terrorist attack against buildings and areas. In the UK, the Centre for the Protection of the National Infrastructure (CPNI) has defined standards to be met by such items. One such standard is designated PAS 68:2010 Specification for Vehicle Safety Barriers. This specification requires that a 7.5 tonne lorry travelling at 60km/h is brought to rest on impacting the street furniture item being tested.

This a particularly difficult test for a planter which defines a large interior with an upward facing opening which will be filled with non-structural material such as plants and planting material to which access must be maintained. For such planters, it is not desirable to provide bracing across the interior as this compromises space available for and access to the plants and planting material. One solution is to simply provide a suitable framework with relatively massive members. Even so, the planter framework still tends to fail because of the constraints on the framework design and the high shock loading imposed.

In this specification, the terms inner, outer, inwardly, outwardly, internally, externally, upward, downward, front and rear are used in relation to the in-use orientation of street furniture apparatus, in which downward means down into the ground and front is facing towards the direction of impact.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided street furniture apparatus, the apparatus including a structure, the structure including a plurality of relatively rigid structure members, the structure including a plurality of side walls, each side wall comprising some of the rigid structure members, said side walls including: a front wall defining an impact area; a pair of bracing walls which adjoin the front wall; and a rear wall opposite to the front wall, the rigid structure members of each of the bracing walls comprising an upper horizontal member, a lower horizontal member and a bracing member, each bracing member extending generally diagonally from a lower region adjacent to the rear wall to an upper region adjacent to the front wall, each bracing member being curved in an arc the apparatus further including a cover, which overlays said structure, the cover including a recess, for receiving said structure, and the cover including side walls and a base wall, and defining an interior for receiving, in use, plants and planting material.

Optionally, the rigid structure members of each of the bracing walls include a second bracing member, which extends generally diagonally from a lower region adjacent to the front wall to an upper region adjacent to the rear wall.

Optionally, the bracing member and the second bracing member of each bracing wall are fixed together, for example, by welding.

Optionally, the structure includes a base wall.

Optionally, the base wall is comprised by some of the rigid structure members.

Optionally, the structure defines an interior, which has an opening, which, may in use, be upwardly directed, and the interior defines a space which is substantially free of any structure members.

Optionally, the apparatus may further comprise a relatively flexible arrestor member and a pair of spaced arrestor member mountings for mounting the arrestor member to one or some of the rigid structure members.

Optionally, the arrestor member is elongate and is formed of wire, wire rope or cable.

Optionally, the rigid structure members comprise metal sections.

Optionally, said impact area has a height and a width, and which, in use, may be subject to vehicle impact from an external direction. The impact area may extend in a substantially vertical plane.

Optionally, the arrestor member mountings are located at or towards or in the vicinity of opposed lower corner regions of the impact area. The arrestor member may extend from one of the arrestor member mountings generally upwardly in use along or in the vicinity of a side region of the impact area, along or in the vicinity of an upper region of the impact area and downwardly along or in the vicinity of another side region of the impact area to the other arrestor member mounting.

Optionally, the arrestor member mountings permit movement of the arrestor member between an initial condition and an impact condition.

Optionally, each mounting permits pivotal movement of a respective end of the arrestor member around a first axis. The first axes of each of the mountings may extend along a first substantially horizontally direction. The first axes may be aligned along a common first direction, so that the mountings permit rotation of the arrestor member around the first axis; and wherein each mounting permits pivotal movement of a respective end of the arrestor member around a second axis.

Optionally, the structure includes a plurality of ground engaging fixings, for fixing the structure to a foundation. Optionally, each arrestor member mounting is located in the vicinity of or adjacent to a one of the ground engaging fixings.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of preventing vehicle access to a location, the method including providing street furniture apparatus according to any preceding claim, the apparatus including a structure, the structure including a plurality of relatively rigid structure members, a relatively flexible arrestor member and a pair of spaced arrestor member mountings for mounting the arrestor member to one or some of the rigid structure members.

Possibly, the apparatus includes any of the features described in any of the preceding statements or following description. Possibly, the method includes any of the steps described in any of the preceding statements or following description.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of street furniture apparatus, with a cover partly cut away to show a structure; Fig. 2 is a side view of the structure; Fig. 3 is a rear view of the structure; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the structure; Fig. 5 is a relatively enlarged view of a detail of the structure as circled and indicated by the label V in Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the detail of Fig. 5 from the side and above; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the detail of Fig. 5 from the front and above.

Fig. 1 shows street furniture apparatus 10. The apparatus 10 includes a structure 12. The structure 12 includes a plurality of relatively rigid structure members 14, a relatively flexible arrestor member 16 and a pair of spaced arrestor member mountings 18 for mounting the arrestor member 16 to one or some of the rigid structuremembers 14.

The arrestor member 16 is elongate and formed of wire, wire rope or cable. In one example, the arrestor member 16 is formed of steel wire rope or cable of diameter in the range 15 to 30mm and optimally in the range 20 to 25mm.

The rigid structure members 14 comprise steel sections.

The structure 12 includes an impact area 20, which, in use, in a crash test, is subject to vehicle impact from an external direction. indicated by arrow Z in the figures. The impact area 20 has a height 22 and a width 24 and extends in asubstantially vertical plane.

The arrestor member mountings 18 are located at or towards or in the vicinity of opposed lower corner regions 70 of the impact area 20.

The arrestor member 16 extends from one of the arrestor member mountings 18 generally upwardly in use along or in the vicinity of a side region 72 of the impact area 20, along or in the vicinity of an upper region 74 of the impact area and downwardly along or in the vicinity of another side region 72 of the impact area to the other arrestor member mounting 18. Thus the arrestor member 16 extends up the height 22 of the impact area 20, along the width 24 of the impact area and down the height 22.

The arrestor member mountings 18 permit movement of the arrestor member 16 between an initial condition and an impact condition.

The structure 12 includes a plurality of side walls 34. Each side wall 34 is comprised by some of the rigid structure members 14.

The structure 12 includes a base wall 36, which is comprised by some of the rigid structure members 14.

The side walls 34 include a front wall 38, which defines the impact area 20. Thus the impact area 20 is the same height and width as the front wall 38. The side walls 34 include a pair of bracing walls 40 which adjoin the front wall 38 and a rear wall 42 opposite to the front wall 38.

The arrestor member 16 is located internally of the front wall 38. In the initial condition, the arrestor member 16 substantially abuts at least partially the front wall 38.

The rigid structure members 14 of each of the bracing walls 40 comprise an upper horizontal member 44, a lower horizontal member 46 and a bracing member 48. The bracing member 48 extends generally diagonally from a lower region 78 away from the front wall 38 to an upper region 80 adjacent to the front wall 38. The bracing member 48 curves in an arc which is concave relative to the respective arrestor member mounting 18.

The rigid structure members 14 of each of the bracing walls 40 include a second bracing member 50, which is substantially straight and extends generally diagonally from a lower region 84 adjacent to the front wall 38 to an upper region 82 away from the front wall 38. The curved bracing member 48 and the second bracing member 50 of each bracing wall are fixed together, for example, by welding. Each bracing wall 40 includes a reinforcement member 110 in the form of a gusset at the junction of the curved bracing member 48 and the second bracing member 50.

The curved bracing member 48 and the straight second bracing member 50 define a forward facing tapering gap 100 therebetween. The curve of the curved bracing member 48 results in a varying rate of taper as the gap 100 narrows. Initially, towards the front of the structure 12, the rate of taper is relatively gentle, but, as the gap 100 narrows rearwardly, the rate of taper becomes moresevere.

The structure 12 includes substantially upright corner posts 88 between the bracing walls and the rear wall 42. The rear wall 42 includes an upper horizontal member 44, a lower horizontal member 46 and a pair of crossed straight bracing members 50.

The front wall 38 comprises an upper horizontal member 90, a lower horizontal member 46, the upper horizontal member 90 being supported on a pair of spaced substantially vertical support posts 92 which extend between the upper horizontal member 90 and the lower horizontal member 46.

The base wall 36 comprises a plurality of spaced base members 96 which extend between the front lower horizontal member 46 and the rear lower horizontal member 46.

In one example, the upper horizontal members 44, 90, the corner posts 88, the front supports 92, and the bracing members 48, 50 are formed of steel rectangular hollow section. In one example, the lower horizontal members 46 and the base members 96 are formed of right angle steel section.

The structure 12 defines an interior 52, which has an in use upwardly directed opening 54. The interior 52 defines a space which is substantially free of any structure members 14 Each mounting 18 permits pivotal movement of a respective end 76 of the arrestor member 16 around a first axis 26. The first axes 26 of each of the mountings 18 are aligned along a substantially horizontal common first direction 28, so that the mountings 18 permit rotation of the arrestor member 16 around the first axis 26.

Each mounting 18 permits pivotal movement of a respective end 76 of the arrestor 20 member 16 around a second axis 30. Each of the second axes 30 extend along a second general direction 32. The second direction 32 extends substantially horizontally and orthogonally to the first direction 28.

Each arrestor member mounting 18 comprises a shackle 102 secured to a mounting member 94 by a clevis bolt 104. The mounting member 94 is in the form of a plate which is fixed (for example, by welding) to the respective lower horizontal members 46 of the front and bracing walls 38, 40 and the second bracing members 50 of the bracing walls 40. The mounting member 94 thus acts as a gusset, providing strengthening, stiffening and reinforcement to the structure 12.

Each mounting member 94 includes a reinforcement member 106 in the form of a pad located above the clevis bolt 104.

Each mounting 18 includes a loop 108 formed in the end of the arrestor member 16 which locates through the shackle 102.

Each shackle 102 could pivot around the longitudinal axis of the respective bolt 104 (indicated by arrow A in the drawings), so that the longitudinal axis comprises the first axis 26 (denoted 26A in the figures). Each loop 108 could pivot around an axis running through the top of the shackle 102 (indicated by arrow B in the figures), so that this axis could also comprise one or another first axis (denoted 268 in the figures).

Each loop 108 could move around the shackle 102 laterally (indicated by arrow C in the figures), around the second axis 30.

The mountings 18 thus permit movement of the ends 76 of the arrestor member 16 in two axes.

The apparatus 10 includes a cover 56, which overlays the structure 12. The cover 56 includes a recess 58, in which the structure 12 is receivable. The cover 56 includes side walls 60 and a base wall 62. The cover 56 defines an interior 64 in which plants and planting material are receivable in use.

The structure 12 includes a plurality of ground engaging fixings 66, for fixing the structure 12 to a foundation 68. Each arrestor member mounting 18 is located in the vicinity of or adjacent to a one of the ground engaging fixings 66.

The ground engaging fixings 66 could include chemical anchors, each comprising, in an installed condition, a bolt located through a hole defined by the structure 12 into a pocket formed in the foundation 69, the pocket being filled with a fast setting material such an epoxy resin.

The number density of the ground engaging fixings 66 is increased along the front lower horizontal member 46 relative to the number density of fixings 66 along the other lower horizontal members 46 of the bracing and rear walls 40, 42.

Each ground engaging fixing 66 includes a reinforcement member 98 in the form of a plate which locates on top of and is fixed to the respective lower horizontal member 46.

In use, in preparation for a vehicle impact test and when installing the apparatus 10, the structure 12 is located on the foundation 68 and secured thereto by the ground engaging fixings 66.

In one example, the structure 12 is square in plan of side 2200mm and height 1100mm.

The foundation 68 is of depth 300mm with a strength of 33.4MPa (measured by testing a sample cube). The structure 12 is secured to the foundation 68 by 24 no M20 high tensile studs with epoxy resin with 100mm embedment depth.

In the vehicle impact test, a 7.5 tonne lorry was driven at 64km/h at 90° onto the front wall 38, in an impact direction, indicated in the figures by arrow Z. The vehicle was halted by the apparatus 10 and disabled. The vehicle penetrated into the apparatus 10 by a distance of 1.8m. The structure 12 remained fixed to the ground and in position.

In the impact, the front upper horizontal member 90, the front support posts 92 and the arrestor member 16 were detached from the structure 12, the rest of which was left intact and in position.

Comparison with similar previous tests shows that the arrestor member 16 has a significant effect in enabling the structure 12 to withstand the impact test. The mechanism for this is not completely understood, but the flexible nature of the arrestor member 16 and the arrestor member mounting 18 which permits movement around two axes is thought to reduce the shock loading experienced by the structure 12. In the impact, the arrestor member 16 will be moved from its initial condition to the impact condition (indicated by a dashed line in Fig. 1), in which the arrestor member 16 is being subjected to an impact force by the impacting vehicle. Importantly, the arrestor member 16 is able to withstand off centre or asymmetrical force components and transmit these to the foundations by the arrestor member mountings 18. However, at this stage the impact force is also being borne in particular by the bracing walls 40.

At some stage in the impact, the arrestor member 16 breaks away from one or both arrestor member mountings 18 and the impact force, which has now been significantly dissipated, is substantially wholly applied to the bracing walls 40. The tapering gaps 100 channel and capture the movement of the vehicle and bring it to a halt, progressively causing deceleration of the vehicle.

Thus the arrestor member 16 acts as a sacrificial element of the structure 12.

In the impact, the arrestor member 16 and the bracing walls 40 contact the vehicle at or towards the upper region 74 of the impact area 20. This prevents the vehicle from riding up and over the apparatus 10 in the impact.

Advantageously, the arrestor member 16 permits the design of a planter which meets the PAS 68 specification economically without the use of bracing members which intrude into the interior 52.

In a normal installation, for example, outside a public building, the structure 12 is installed as described above. The cover 56 is then located over the structure 12 and plants and planting material located in the interior 64.

Various other modifications could be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The apparatus and the various components thereof could be of any suitable size and shape, and could be formed of any suitable material (within the scope of the specific definitions herein).

There is thus provided street furniture apparatus with a number of advantages over conventional arrangements. The apparatus is formed of standard components by fabrication and is economical to manufacture. The relatively flexible arrestor member is effective in enabling the apparatus to resist high energy vehicle impact forces.

Claims

Claims 1. Street furniture apparatus, the apparatus including a structure, the structure including a plurality of relatively rigid structure members, the structure including a plurality of side walls, each side wall comprising some of the rigid structure members, said side walls including: a front wall defining an impact area; a pair of bracing walls which adjoin the front wall; and a rear wall opposite to the front wall, the rigid structure members of each of the bracing walls comprising an upper horizontal member, a lower horizontal member and a bracing member, each bracing member extending generally diagonally from a lower region adjacent to the rear wall to an upper region adjacent to the front wall, each bracing member being curved in an arc, the apparatus further including a cover, which overlays said structure, the cover including a recess, for receiving said structure, and the cover including side walls and a base wall, and defining an interior for receiving, in use, plants and planting material.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the rigid structure members of each of the bracing walls include a second bracing member, which extends generally diagonally from a lower region adjacent to the front wall to an upper region adjacent to the rear wall.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, in which the bracing member and the second bracing member of each bracing wall are fixed together, for example, by welding.
4. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the structure includes a base wall.
5. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which the base wall is comprised by some of the rigid structure members.
6. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the structure defines an interior, which has an opening, which, may in use, be upwardly directed, and the interior defines a space which is substantially free of any structure members.
7. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a relatively flexible arrestor member and a pair of spaced arrestor member mountings for mounting the arrestor member to one or some of the rigid structure members.
8. An apparatus according to claim 7, in which the arrestor member is elongate and is formed of wire, wire rope or cable.
9. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which the rigid structure members comprise metal sections.
10. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said impact area has a height and a width, and which, in use, may be subject to vehicle impact from an external direction.
11. An apparatus according to claim 10, in which the impact area extends in a substantially vertical plane.
12. An apparatus according to claims 7 or 8, in which the arrestor member mountings are located at or towards or in the vicinity of opposed lower corner regions of the impact area.
13. An apparatus according to any of claims 7, 8 or 12, in which the arrestor member extends from one of the arrestor member mountings generally upwardly in use along or in the vicinity of a side region of the impact area, along or in the vicinity of an upper region of the impact area and downwardly along or in the vicinity of another side region of the impact area to the other arrestor member mounting.
14. An apparatus according to any of claims 7, 8, 12 or 13, in which the arrestor member mountings permit movement of the arrestor member between an initial condition and an impact condition.
15. An apparatus according to any of claims 7, 8, 12, 13 or 14, in which each mounting permits pivotal movement of a respective end of the arrestor member around a first axis.
16. An apparatus according to claim 15, in which the first axes of each of the mountings extends along a first substantially horizontally direction.
17. An apparatus according to claims 15 or 16, in which the first axes are aligned along a common first direction, so that the mountings permit rotation of the arrestor member around the first axis; and wherein each mounting permits pivotal movement of a respective end of the arrestor member around a second axis.
18. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, in which the structure includes a plurality of ground engaging fixings, for fixing the structure to a foundation.
19. An apparatus according to claim 18, when dependent upon any of claims, 7, 8 or 12 - 17 in which each arrestor member mounting is located in the vicinity of or adjacent to a one of the ground engaging fixings.
20. A method of preventing vehicle access to a location, the method including providing street furniture apparatus according to any preceding claim, the apparatus including a structure, the structure including a plurality of relatively rigid structure members, a relatively flexible arrestor member and a pair of spaced arrestor member mountings for mounting the arrestor member to one or some of the rigid structure members.