Thrie-Beam Vs. W-Beam Guardrail: What's the Difference?

01 Jul.,2024

 

Thrie-Beam Vs. W-Beam Guardrail: What's the Difference?

When it comes to road safety, guardrails play a crucial role in protecting motorists and pedestrians from potential accidents and hazards. Among the various types of guardrails available, Thrie-Beam and W-Beam guardrails stand out as two popular options. Each of these guardrail designs has its unique advantages, making them suitable for different road environments and conditions. In this article, we&#;ll delve into the differences between Thrie-Beam and W-Beam guardrails, examining their construction, applications, and benefits, to help you make an informed decision when choosing the most suitable road safety solution.

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What are Thrie-Beam Guardrails?

Thrie-Beam Guardrails

Thrie-beam guardrails are made of galvanized steel and consist of three waves (or corrugations) instead of the typical two waves found in W-beam guardrails. The addition of the third wave improves the overall performance and strength of the barrier, making it more effective in redirecting and absorbing the impact energy of errant vehicles.

Thrie-Beam Guardrails Construction and Materials

Thrie-Beam guardrails are typically made from high-quality galvanized steel, offering exceptional durability and resistance to corrosion. The galvanized coating helps protect the guardrail from harsh weather conditions, extending its lifespan.

Thrie-Beam Guardrails Applications

Thrie-Beam guardrails are often preferred for high-speed roadways, highways, and locations with heavy traffic, where the potential impact of larger vehicles is a significant concern. The extra containment capability of Thrie-Beam guardrails makes them ideal for roads with a higher risk of severe accidents.

Benefits of Thrie-Beam Guardrails:

  • Enhanced Vehicle Containment: Thrie-Beam guardrails excel in containing larger vehicles, mitigating the risks of crossover accidents and minimizing the chances of vehicles veering off the road.
  • Increased Safety: With improved containment, Thrie-Beam guardrails provide added safety for motorists, reducing the severity of accidents and potential injuries.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Although Thrie-Beam guardrails may have a higher initial cost than W-Beam guardrails, their durability and extended lifespan result in long-term cost savings due to reduced maintenance and replacement needs.

What are W-Beam Guardrails?

W-Beam guardrails are the most common type of guardrails used on roadways and highways. They feature a simple W-shaped design, which makes them easy to manufacture, install, and maintain.

W-beam Guardrails

W-Beam Guardrails Construction and Materials

Like Thrie-Beam guardrails, W-Beam guardrails are also made from galvanized steel, providing excellent strength and resilience against impacts. The galvanized coating ensures that the guardrails remain effective for years, even in harsh weather conditions.

W-Beam Guardrails Applications

W-Beam guardrails are suitable for a wide range of road types, including rural roads, urban areas, and lower-speed highways. They are particularly effective in areas with moderate traffic and a lower risk of severe accidents involving larger vehicles.

Benefits of W-Beam Guardrails:

  • Versatility: W-Beam guardrails are highly versatile and can be adapted to various road configurations, making them a popular choice for a wide range of applications.
  • Easy Installation and Maintenance: The simple design of W-Beam guardrails allows for easier installation and maintenance, resulting in cost-effective solutions for many road safety projects.
  • Standardization: Due to their widespread use, W-Beam guardrails are often subject to established safety standards and regulations, ensuring a consistent level of protection on roadways.

Thrie-Beam vs. W-Beam: Choosing the Right Guardrail

When deciding between Thrie-Beam and W-Beam guardrails, several factors should be considered:

  • Traffic Volume and Speed: Thrie-Beam guardrails are more suitable for high-speed roadways and locations with heavy traffic, as they offer superior containment capabilities for larger vehicles. W-Beam guardrails, on the other hand, are ideal for areas with moderate traffic and lower speeds.
  • Roadway Design and Geometry: Consider the curvature and alignment of the road when choosing between guardrail options. Thrie-Beam guardrails are better suited for curved roads and sections with irregular geometry, while W-Beam guardrails are more adaptable to straight road segments.
  • Budget and Longevity: Thrie-Beam guardrails generally have a higher upfront cost than W-Beam guardrails. However, the enhanced durability of Thrie-Beam guardrails can result in cost savings in the long run due to reduced maintenance and replacement needs.

Guardrail Manufacturers and Suppliers

Guardrails are vital elements in ensuring road safety, preventing accidents, and protecting lives. Thrie-Beam and W-Beam guardrails each offer unique benefits, making them suitable for different road environments and conditions. When selecting the right guardrail solution, consider factors such as traffic volume, road design, and budget constraints.

RoadSky is a high quality guardrail supplier from China, if you are looking for Three Beam Guardrail or W Beam Guardrail for your project, you can contact us directly for more information.

W Metal Beam Guard Rails for Highway and Bridges

W Metal Beam Guard Rails for Highway and Bridges

W-beam guardrail has a section or profile of W shape, it is also named as two wave beam guardrail. This is the major type of beam barriers for highways safety with symmetrical designs on each side of the beam. We supply two kinds of finishes for W beam guardrail panels: hot dipped zinc coating or plastic coating. According to the fabricated shapes, our W-beam guardrails can be divided into two types: the straight line w-beam,or the curved beams.

How to choose straight W beam or Curved Beam used for your uses?

The straight W-beam guardrail can be lined up for transitioning smoothly and is suitable to the curves with a radius greater than 45m. For the radius less than 45m, the pre-curved W-beam guardrail product exploits its advantages to a full.

W beam guard railings can be used in expressway and highways to absorb maximum energy of the impact force when collision occures and reduce harms to cars and people. It can also protect the vehicles against skidding off roads, especially mountain roads and bridges and prevent the pedestrians from the danger of walking across highways.

General Technical Information of W Beam / Two Wave Guardrail Barriers:

Base Metal Material: steel: Q235 (S235JR / ASTM A283M) or Q345 (S355JR / ASTM A529M )

Standard specification: 380*85*2.75/3/4*/mm or 306*80*2.75/3/4*mm

Surface finishing: Hot dipped galvanized finish or powder coated.

Zinc coating thickness (double sides): 550 g/m2 (40µ) / g/m2 (80µ) / g/m2 (85µ)

Relevant parts required for guard rails: post, spacer (C, U and Sigma types etc) and fasteners

Profile: W-beam / two wave.

Are you interested in learning more about Galvanized Highway W Beam Guardrail? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

Plate Thickness:2.5mm-4mm

Thickness Tolerance: +/-0.015mm

Popular Specification of W Beam Guardrails:
Wave width: 310mm
Wave height: 85mm
Plate thickness: 2.5mm - 4mm
Beam length: mm

Scise Most Popular W Beam Guardrail System ( beams and necessories parts for installing ) for Export is composed as following:

Guardrail W-Beam Galvanized including bolts, nuts and washers;
Guardrail Steel Post, Box Beam;
Guardrail End Units;
Guardrail Terminal Units;
Hot Dipped Galvanized Steel Guardrail W Beam;
Hot dipped galvanized terminal section;
Hot dipped galvanized round steel post;
Hot dipped galvanized post cap;
Hot dipped galvanized black spacer;
Hot dipped galvanized flat plate washer;
Hot dipped galvanized bolts.

Packing 1.)25 pieces metal beam road guardrails per bundle, and then fasten the bundle with wire straps or hemp ropes.
2.)One 20 feet GP will hold about 510 pieces.
3.) Customers' requirements are available, too

 

 

Popular Specifications:

Normal W Beam Specification ×310 × 85 × 2.5(2.67/2.7/3.0 )   × 310 × 85 × 2.5(2.67/2.7/3.0)   × 310 × 85 × 2.5(2.67/2.7/3.0) Profile A Specification × 306 × 80 × 2.5(2.67/2.7/3.0) Profile B Specification × 310 × 75 × 2.5(2.67/2.7/3.0) Zinc Coating 550g/m²(40u)   g/ m² (80u) g/ m² (85u)   Standard   JT/T 281- AASHTO-M180   RAL RG620

Wave Size Applied to W Beam Guardrails:


W-beam Length -mm Wave width 300-600mm Wave height 50-100mm Thickness 2-6mm Notes: Custom length, width, height and thickness are available as your requirements.

Curved W Wave Guardrail Radius Details:

Radius (Feet) H/ Rise (Inches) Radius (Feet) H/ Rise (Inches) 5 (1.5m) 41 55 (16.8m) 4 1/4 6 (1.8m) 36 60 (18.3m) 4 8 (2.4m) 28 65 (19.8m) 3 5/8 9 (2.7m) 26 70 (21.3m) 3 3/8 10 (3.1m) 22 75 (22.9m) 3 1/4 12 (3.7m) 20 80 (24.4m) 3 13 (4m) 18 85 (25.9m) 2 3/4 15 (4.6m) 16 90 (27.4m) 2 5/8 16 (4.9m) 14 95 (29m) 2 1/2 20 (6.1m) 11 5/8 100 (30.5m) 2 3/8 25 (7.6m) 9 1/2 110 (33.5m) 2 1/8 30 (9.1m) 7 3/4 120 (36.6m) 2 35 (10.7m) 6 3/4 130 (39.6m) 1 3/4 40 (12.2m) 6 140 (42.7m) 1 5/8 45 (13.7m) 5 1/4 150 (45.7m) 4 1/2 50 (15.2m) 4 5/8    

W Beam & Pedestrian Barrier Project in Australia

Post and rail barrier for office block area and other sites.

Guardrail Fence:



Optional: W beam guard rail system 900 mm high
These system are going on a concrete floor.
The posts have base plates.
Delivery to Melbourne port.

12 Gauge W Beam Highway Guard Rails

We supply w wave corrugated metal beam 12 GAUGE(2.7P MIN.) for high way guard rails & bridge rails, AASHTO M 180 standard specifications and other international qualities. The system contains W-beam rail element, backup plates, and terminal sections, the 12 gage steel formed into a beam minimum 12 inches ( 300 mm) wide and 3 inches (75 mm) deep. The 6 inch channel rail and splice plate are manufactured in conformance with AASHTO M 183. AASHTO is simplified term of American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Quality meeting Division 12 -- for metal beam guard rail of Kuwait and other other international qualities are also supplied.

Physical properties of the materials is as follows:

Tensile Strength: 483 MPa (min)
Yield Strength 345 MPa (min)
Elongation 12% (min).
Guard rails is supplied with Mill Test certificates of the materials.

12 Gauge Beam Guardrails: Elements and Parts

Steel Quality as per Grade Fe 410 or equivalent for W Beam.
Hot Dip Galvanizing as per AASHTO M180, 550 gm/m2.
Metal beam corrugating type: W beam

Details as below attached for reference:

1. Guard rails straight-3.0mm C/C class 'A' type

Material quality: AASHTO
3 mm thick Guard rails, W beam, in black finish.
Also Bridge Railing post only in aluminium mill finish.

2. Guard rail reflector
Quality: AASHTO

3. Railing Post, M16 x 32 bolt, Nut & Washer

Bulk Head
Finish: Galvanized
Quality: AASHTO

Guard Rails with Steel Post Blocks

   

GUARD RAIL TERMINATION DETAILS

4. M16 x 45 mm,Bolt, Nut & Washer

Bulk head
Finish: Galvanized
Material quality: AASHTO

 

Contact us to discuss your requirements of wide flange vs i-beam. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.