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W-Beam Steel Guide Rail
W-Beam Guide Rail comes in standard 12’ 6” or 25’ sections.
This is the most frequently used type of guide rail on our nation’s roadway system. It is a roll-formed product that is shaped out of steel coil into the shape of a “W,” and typically galvanized to prevent corrosion and increase the product’s life-cycle. W-Beam Guide Rail can be installed on steel strong posts or weak posts, using a variety of different post spacing options, depending on the specific situation (typically 6′ 3″ spacing). Some states also specify wood posts for installation.
W-Beam Guide Rail can be ordered with the traditional galvanized (gray) coating, Corten (rustic brown) style, or poly coated in a variety of colors to match your specific aesthetic criteria.
The W-Beam, consists of two “humps” and one”valley”. Humps are rises that face towards th traffic (convex surface) lane, while the valley (concave surface) points away from the traffic lane. The W-Beam, guardrail measures 13’ 6.5” in length, 12.25” in height, and 3.25” in depth. The lay length of the 13’ 6.25” guardrail is 12’ 6”. This lay length represents the distance between the outermost post holes. Thus, a 12’6” panel has post holes centered at 6’3” apart. The thickness of the W-Beam, Guardrail is 12 gauge or roughly .125” thick. The W-Beam Guardrail can be purchased for both straight and curved roads.
National Highway Products, Inc. offers several types of end treatments including the single buffer, double buffer, and flared end. Both the single and double buffer ends measure 16.25” in height and 24” in length, with a radius of 6.3125”. A flared end measures 27.5” in length, 15.375” in height, and 9” in depth. Typical installation consists of
a panel of guardrail attached to posts that have been pounded into the ground. These posts are 4” wide, either 6” or 8’ in length, and 6” in depth. The posts are spaced at intervals corresponding to the number of punches in the guardrail panel. Therefore, a 12’6” piece of guardrail at 6’3” post spacing require 2-3 posts, depending on the need for a center post.
Weathering Steel (Corten) Guide Rail
This guide rail is the brown “rust” colored guide rail often seen in parks or places that require an aesthetically pleasing guide rail option.
Guide Rail Reflectors and Delineators
Illuminate invisible guide rails at night with bright reflective markers that provide clear delineation. Guide rail reflectors offer high visibility from great distances, thereby improving roadside safety. Visit our line of guide rail and barrier mount reflectors.
