General points
Road restraint systems comprise all safety products that serve to restrain an errant vehicle.
The best-known product in this category are safety barriers, better known as guardrails. But certified products also include crash cushions, connections between safety barriers, terminals and motorcycle restraint systems.
The PTV 869 document, prepared by a COPRO working group, contains all the technical prescriptions for these products in steel, wood and concrete poured on site. It is continuously being supplemented and optimised. The requirements for prefabricated concrete elements for road restraint systems are included in PTV 124, prepared by a PROCERTUS working group.
These documents are managed by a Sectoral Committee composed of producers, public institutions, experts and users. This group meets on a regular basis to elaborate qualitative and necessary requirements for restraint systems as well as to draw up the certification requirements that producers must meet.
New?
Certification previously consisted of two parts, namely a COPRO certification of components and a BENOR certification of restraint systems. Because restraint systems comprise different materials and subproducts, it was decided to split up and clarify the BENOR certification. This way, users can use the COPRO Extranet to find their product more easily via subproduct and material. The following 5 products now form the basis of the certification:
1) Parts for non-tested safety barriers from steel
These components serve to restore old, untested safety barriers and consist for the most part of posts, spacers and guardrails.
2) Safety barriers from steel
This is the certification’s main product and also includes the connections between safety barriers and the installation of motorcycle protection systems.
3) Crash cushions and terminals
The purpose of these products is to protect an underlying obstacle or the start of a safety barrier to avoid or reduce a potential frontal impact.
4) Safety barriers from in situ concrete
This concerns certification of the type testing of the product and not the execution thereof, which will be covered in an execution certification.
5) Safety barriers from wood-metal
This is a niche market, but it remains important that all components meet the durability requirements in order to function optimally.
Products such as crash cushions, terminals and motorcycle restraint systems can contribute significantly to road user safety. COPRO notes a positive trend in the specification of these products by specification writers. COPRO hopes to further meet the needs of the market through certification, inspection or batch testing of these new products.
A list of certified products can be easily accessed on the COPRO Extranet here.
