The objective of providing safety fences and safety barriers adjacent to or in the central reserve of a highway is to reduce the consequences of vehicles leaving the highway and entering an area where it would be unsafe for them to travel. BS 6579-1 discusses safety fences and barriers for highways.
BS 6579-1 is the first part of the BS 6579 multi-series, and specifies requirements for the components to be used in the construction of the tensioned corrugated beam (TCB) type of safety fence supported on Z posts.
Note: BS 6579-1 does not cover the erection and tensioning of the assembled fence.
BS 6579-1 on TCB safety fences on Z posts for highways is useful for:
Safety fences are intended to absorb some of the energy of impact and to redirect the errant vehicle so that it follows, within a narrow angle, the line of the fence in the direction of the traffic and does not overturn.
Safety barriers are intended to provide containment without significant deflection or deformation under impact and to re-direct errant vehicles along the line of the barrier in the direction of traffic.
The safety fences and barriers for ground mounting which are the subject of BS 6579 are for use in conjunction with parapets on bridges and other structures which are the subject of BS 6779.
BS 6579-1 provides you with requirements for the materials and dimensions of the components and for protective finishes. BS 6579-1 walks you through the components, tolerances, protective finish, and marking of safety fences and barriers for highways.
BS 6579-1 guidelines help you to mitigate risks related to vehicle accidents and also help you to safeguard personnel working on site.