Craig Waterson, marketing director at Rocla said, “Rocla decided that the best option to enter the Road Barrier industry would be to partner with the current international market leader and benefit from their knowledge, development and expertise.”
“This versatile and flexible system enhances the safety of drivers and passengers inside both light-weight vehicles and heavy trucks in the event of an accident. Rebloc products have been subject to real impact tests in accordance with European Standard EN 1317 and have proven to meet all the requirements of a modern vehicle restraint system, both effectively and efficiently. The safety of motorcyclist is also increased due to the smooth, closed surface of the barriers.”
Safety barriers, irrespective of the material used, must be crash tested in order to demonstrate their ability to contain and then safely redirect moving vehicles. Rebloc barrier systems have been tested and approved for containment level, impact severity level (ASI value), THIV, PHD and the active deformation of the barrier system.
The Rebloc systems offer permanent and/or temporary barrier separation on the sides and in the median of roads or placed as required during road works. With no loose parts, the barriers allow for quick and accurate installation as the patented coupling (fastening component) is fixed to and protrudes from either side of each element.
The barrier has a specifically designed full length steel tension bar inside the concrete, near the top, which assists the other design components in preventing heavy vehicles from breaking through the barrier chain. This tension bar is connected to both couplings, on either end, and the entire element is cast into the concrete making the system vandalism proof as nothing can be stolen. This coupling/tension bar element joins the individual barrier elements together to form a high strength continuous chain that safely absorbs energy and force applied from the impact of a vehicle while enhancing the safety of drivers and passengers.
Rocla’s Rebloc is the first system to offer eight and twelve metre long units, (depending on the product range), which minimises the time taken to complete work on site. This length also makes Rebloc more cost effective than other systems due to the increased length between the costly couplings. Elements are also available in two and four metre lengths to form narrow curves as and when required.
REBLOC elements in South Africa use the F-Shape profile, which is well established all over the world and conforms to SANRAL’s standard profile requirements. Rebloc is available in three product ranges with varying heights of 600mm, 800mm and 1000mm.
A major benefit of these barriers is low maintenance and ease of repair to a damaged barrier section. On most occasions, following a collision, the barriers will just be moved back into their original position, (if required), with the use of a truck-mounted crane. In the event that an element is badly damaged, this element can simply be lifted out from the continuous chain and a new one slotted back in, further improving road safety by facilitating the repair to be completed within hours of the collision.
Justin Kretzmar, sales engineer at Rocla added, “We will be offering contractors and customers the option to purchase the Rebloc barriers, opposed to the traditional method of hiring the barriers over extended periods of time, making it more cost effective for businesses.”
These barriers are also suitable for many other uses and environments, such as security barriers protecting people or assets, placed at the base of mountains to control mudslides, preventing illegal dumping, blocking entrances to areas with health and safety access requirements and as a fast, temporary or permanent and cost effective way to separate bulk materials or minerals.
The Rebloc barriers will be available at Rocla’s 11 plants throughout southern Africa which are all SABS and ISO accredited and will be available from June 2011. |
