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TCB reflectors

Question
State IL
Description Text
 We have an odd question but wanted to see if Midwest could provide their expertise and thoughts on the following.

Maintenance of TCB reflectors can be very challenging specially when TCB is being used for the separation of head to head traffic. A contractor is proposing using a steel mounting saddle to rivet the reflectors to and mounting this to the top of the barrier the saddles will be mounted every 25 ft for the length of the barrier. The devices is composed of 1/8” x 2” flat steel cut to a length of 24” and bent to fit snuggly over the top of the TCB. Attached are pictures of the system, material properties of the metal being used, and narrative submitted by the contractor with the proposal.

The questions are the following.
• Will the saddle affect the performance of the barrier system by acting as a snag point if the saddle is mechanically attached to the barrier with a single Topcon screw?
• If free standing, would it be likely for the saddle to come loose after impact?
• Would this be considered a non-significant modification to the barrier?

If you have any questions please let us know. Thanks! 


Portable Barriers


Date March 14, 2019
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Attachment Exhibit A.pdf Attachment Exhibit B.pdf Attachment Narrative.pdf
Response
Response
(active)

I have reviewed the information you provided.

 

We have some concerns regarding the steel strap.

 

  1. We would not recommend the strap be used unanchored due to the size and mass of the part and the potential for it to disengage when impacted
  2. Only using a top anchor would not be recommended either as impacts could peel the side outward and cause a hazard.
  3. You may be able to anchor the steel saddle on the top and both sides with concrete anchors to eliminate these concerns. This would not be a significant snag hazard if anchored sufficiently.
  4. If you use multiple anchors, it may be simpler to just attach each reflector separately with small concrete anchors. This will eliminate the cost and complexity of the steel saddle piece.

 

Thanks

Date March 15, 2019
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