12/15/2023 0 Comments Aluminum guard railsBox beam steel and I-beam steel are other examples of fabricated steel commonly used to make safety guardrails.Īs governments around the world courted the voting power of working people and trade unions in the 1980s, the health and safety rights of workers became of greater importance. Simultaneously, another version of steel guardrail was developed by Kee Clamp Steel for restraining cattle in the agriculture industry, this was released in 1934 and, like Armco guardrail, is still often used in industrial environments. Steel guardrail was originally developed by Armco (The American Rolling Mill Company) in 1933 as highway guardrail but is often used in the factories and warehouses of the industrial sector, despite not being intended for this application. The majority of safety guardrails used in industrial workplaces are made from fabricated steel. This is also done on bridges and overpasses to prevent accidents and suicides.įacility safety Guardrail protecting expensive machinery The guard rails of an observation tower such as the Space Needle or Eiffel Tower become exaggerated to the point of becoming a fence or cage. There are three exceptions according to the 2003 International Building Code Section 1012.3 which allow openings to not exceed 8 or 21 inches (20 or 53 cm) depending on occupancy groups or special areas.Ī major architect imaginatively used handrails representing social stability, Alvar Aalto. Decorative examples are considered ironwork.īuilding codes also require that no opening in a guard be of a size such that a 4-inch (10 cm) sphere may pass. Wrought iron is another choice that is traditional and sturdy. With the increasing popularity of composite lumber for decking, manufacturers, like TimberTech are providing composite railing components. Glass balusters and glass panels open the view while still providing safety, as at the Grand Canyon Skywalk. In the US this is typically built on-site from pressure treated lumber thus featuring a simplistic design of vertical baluster spaced every 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) demonstrating compliance with Building Codes (Standards).Ĭable railings typically use stainless steel cables strung horizontally. An example of a common residential guard rail (US) handrail (Brit.) is a wood railing around a deck or patio. Handrails along stairways may be supported by balusters forming a balustrade, and catwalks (a type of footbridge) and balconies are also lined with them. Guard rails in buildings can be numerous, and are required by building codes in many circumstances. Railings may also be located at scenic overlooks. Environmental guard rails are placed along hiking trails where adjacent terrain is steep. Guardrails in the US are generally required by code where there is a drop of 30 inches (0.76 m) or more.Įxamples of this are both architectural and environmental. Due to this responsibility and liability, rails are placed to protect people using the premises. Any abrupt change in elevation where the higher portion is accessible makes a fall possible. Many public spaces are fitted with guard rails as a means of protection against accidental falls. A cast iron grille of decorative railings interspersed by weighty columns in St Petersburg A handrail leading along a rocky creek crossing A crowd barrier ( guard rail - North America) collapses at a college football game, spilling fans onto the sidelines. Sign in Niagara Falls, Ontario, warning people not to climb over guard rail overlooking the Niagara River. ( November 2017) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Guardrails also apply in a technology context. High security railings (particularly if in flat metal then a type of palisade) may instead feature jagged points and most metals are well-suited to anti-climb paint.Ī handrail is less restrictive on its own than a guard rail and provides support. Park and garden railings commonly in metalworking feature swirls, leaves, plate metal areas and/or motifs particularly on and beside gates. Common shapes are flat, rounded edge, and tubular in horizontal railings, whereas tetraform spear-headed or ball- finialled are most common in vertical railings around homes. Guard rail, guardrails, or protective guarding, in general, are a boundary feature and may be a means to prevent or deter access to dangerous or off-limits areas while allowing light and visibility in a greater way than a fence. Staircase railings in the Degré du roi, part of the Petit appartement du roi, in the Palace of Versailles, Versailles, France For other uses, see Guard rail (disambiguation).
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