Curved Armco Barriers – Measuring The Radius

Curved Armco Barriers Measuring The Radius

When you imagine an Armco barrier, you might picture a strong, sturdy, immovable form of crash barrier protection, able to withstand all kinds of extreme impact. That’s exactly what Armco barriers are designed to do.

It may sound surprising that these strong crash barriers can also be curved, but this is necessary in lots of situations.

These tough, durable barriers need to be curved in shape and still be able to do their job, because utility and private property roads aren’t always straight. And it goes without saying that all types of Armco barriers must meet the necessary requirements for your individual project.

Roadside Armco barriers should exactly fit the curve of the road, using the correct radius, in order to give the maximum levels of protection for road users.

It’s for this very reason why an off the shelf solution won’t always work and why we will always discuss your Armco barrier project in depth to ensure you get barriers which are measured to a precise degree, in order to offer the maximum protection.

To discuss your curved Armco Barrier project and find out exactly what you need, get in touch with a member of our expert team today. Call us on: 01530 839955.


How do I measure radius for Armco Barriers?

At Armco Direct, we can fabricate all kinds of curved Armco barriers to meet your requirements, depending on the radius of the road. The radius can be calculated by measuring the width and height of the curve. The exact formula for the radius is this:

Armco Barrier Radius Equation Alternative

In simpler terms, the width is the length of the base of the arc, while height is measured at the middle point of the arc’s base. The formula should then be applied using the principles of BODMAS (brackets, order (power of), division and multiplication, before addition and subtraction).

Another way to look at it is to halve the distance at the base (eg half of W) – then, using this figure and the height (H), you can apply the following equation:

Armco Barrier Radius Equation

Bear in mind that this radius may not be constant and it might mean that you need to take more than one measurement – as a result, Armco barriers of differing radii will need to be created.


Concave or convex? What’s the difference?

You may think that an Armco barrier can be both concave or convex, depending on the way round that you place it. For those who can’t recall their school days, concave is a curve that faces inward, whereas convex curves outward.

However, when it comes to measuring requirements for curved Armco barriers, a convex beam is one where you want the arc to be facing towards the traffic, while a concave beam bends away from it.

The nature of this will be dependent on which side of the road you would like the Armco barrier to be on and which is most appropriate, for a given bend. For example if you want a crash barrier to be on the left hand side of a road which bends round to the right, you will need a concave Armco barrier.  For a barrier on the right hand side of a road that bends to the right, you will need a convex Armco barrier. And remember, that curve will have to be at the correct radius to match the curve in the road precisely.

It’s because of the unique nature of many of our clients’ requirements, why at Armco Direct our crash barriers can be created to satisfy all kinds of scenarios and differing radii which demand bespoke solutions.

Find out more about how we can provide the Armco Barrier protection that’s exactly right for you. Give us a call today on: 01530 839955. 


The other products we sell

In addition to curved Armco barriers, the other products we sell to complement and complete a range of projects include: 

  • Armco barrier end sections – several types, all of which are designed to be as sturdy as the barrier themselves
  • Steel Armco bollards which can be dug in or bolted down to offer resistance against high levels of impact
  • Unlike some safety barrier providers, we also provide the necessary fixings too – these include galvanised floors anchors, bolts and handrail connectors

You can be assured of the complete package when you invest in Armco barrier protection with Armco Direct and the benefit of our expert knowledge will give you the peace of mind that safety is guaranteed.


Take the stress away

If figuring out the amount of crash barrier protection you need to install sounds like a headache you don’t need, why not use our handy online calculator to work out your order requirements or talk to a member of our team? That’s just one of the benefits of buying from Armco Direct.

Others include the following:

  • Years of Armco barrier experience means you can be assured of the right Armco barrier protection for your project
  • We offer excellent lead times for when you need your Armco barrier protection in a hurry and next day delivery is available
  • Steel products are galvanised to make them long lasting and able to withstand all types of weather conditions and they are 100% recyclable
  • All products adhere to industry standards

Get in touch today for further details on our curved Armco Barriers and find out how they could be perfect for you to install.