Is there any particular standard necessary for vehicle and pedestrian segregation? We are looking to purchase something and wondered if there was a spec we should be asking for.

For background info, the barriers are to make a fixed semi-permanent barrier (in place for about a year to 18 months) on the edge of a car park (ie the cars pull up to the barrier with the pedestrians the other side. The driver would then need to gain access to the walkway (so it can’t be solid between bays). Its only a small car park, 20 cars, 10 on each side parked up to a building one side and a small wall the other side. So, we intend to move the cars away from the wall 1m or so and put a walkway in. I was thinking posts / bollards or similar, but unsure if they need to be able to stop a vehicle or are only necessary to demarcate. I have so far not found out on the internet any particular spec.

Any guidance or standards you can point me towards relating to this would be appreciated. I am aware of HSG 136, which notes use of bollards but not their spec or if they need to stand up to vehicle impact.

Chris

Yes we thought about that product, but we need for the car drivers to get out of each car and access the walkway, so it cannot be solid, it needs gaps for accessing the walkway once they get out of the vehicle. The drivers are not going to be allowed to get out of their cars and walk down the central part (max 10 car widths). Not a particularly busy car park, 20 cars all day, a few employees may go out lunch time and a shift change in the afternoon, plus about 20 non-employees may walk through it per day (not park in it). Something you would find most places nothing special.

What I’m not sure about when the guidance states bollards / barrier do they mean they need to (Must) be  strong enough to take a vehicle collision or if they are there to just demarcate the two areas. The internet seems to sell both options, ie something that looks like it could take a hit and something that may struggle with a fat bumble bee. So, is there a norm standard practice when putting such things in place. Studied my local supermarket posts but was not sure if they could take a hit or not.

I would rather sacrifice the people’s vehicles, than the people, but we only rent the property so possibly less damage to the car park the better. I guess the other thing is we will want cars to reverse up against them, so they need to be visible when doing this.

A lot of hire companies will supply concrete barriers at a relatively low cost and these can be placed with a gap between each one to admit access for pedestrians to the walkway. These are regularly used on construction sites for the situation you are describing and have an added advantage in that they can't be moved without mechanical assistance.

Edited by user 11 June 2018 19:05:57(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Isn't this overkill? As you say there are only 20 cars and they don't move very often. Has someone been run over or hit by a moving car? 

Would it not be easier and cheaper to paint a pathway along the car park similar to how most multi story car parks are set out? A painted path along the line of vehicles each side. This would mean that the potential for people to be crushed between the wall and a vehicle is removed as well. 

Originally Posted by: A Kurdziel

You touched on it but we need to be clear: are these barriers intended to simply demarcate the pedestrian and vehicle areas or are they actual crash barriers intended to stop a vehicle driving into pedestrians?

Yes, well it seems that is the question, what is the norm? this is not an unusual situation, why reinvent the wheel.

This type of parking arrangement we currently have with people alighting their cars and just walking down the vehicle access aisle is not deemed good enough and now a walkway is required.

All the above comments are good and match the range of thoughts our company have had. From collision resistant to a simple line painted on the ground (MD’s current choice). The chapter 8 barriers were interesting, but I noted that they were very light (0.9 Kg) and are intended to be linked together to aid stability (also weights hanging from them). Not sure how they would stand up to a collision (also generally a bit long at 2m, there were a couple of 1m ones, but didn’t seem intended for this purpose)

Other barriers / post includes flexible ones which will bend at 90 degrees when hit. The extract below from HSG136 seems to suggest they are only there to set vehicle and pedestrian routes apart ie demarcation

49 Effective ways to keep vehicles away from pedestrian areas, and vice versa,

include:

• clear markings and signs to set vehicle and pedestrian routes apart;
• raised kerbs to mark vehicle and pedestrian areas;
• suitable protective barriers or guard rails, particularly:
• at the entrances and exits to buildings;
• at the corners of buildings;
• to prevent pedestrians from walking straight onto roads, especially from

places where they may not be clearly visible to drivers.

There are thousands of parking areas in the country where there is no barriered walkway or indeed a walkway at all. 

Over the weekend I convinced myself a sturdy barrier was the way to go, but now I’m struggling to find anything convincing that anything more than a painted line is necessary when I see this so many other places.

No we have never had any accidents or near misses as far as we know and some long-time employees 30+ years also cannot remember any issues, from us just using the central aisle.

Thanks all for the input and discussion, quite an interesting range of views.

Chris

Would the plastic red/white water/sand fillable barriers not be a solution - can be linked together and/or leave gaps between at suitable intervals? Relatively affordable too

Eg: https://www.theworkplacedepot.co.uk/water-filled-barrier?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-dzw54rQ2wIV55PtCh1LigK7EAYYASABEgKUHPD_BwE#vat?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=G_Shopping_13_Construction%20and%20Traffic%20Barriers

https://starttraffic.uk/1m-evo-water-filled-barrier?language=en&currency=GBP&campaign=856242160&content=200503130560&keyword=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-dzw54rQ2wIV55PtCh1LigK7EAYYAiABEgK8rvD_BwE

I wonder if another option might be to simply install wheel stops as a parking aid rather than full on barriers (a half way house between barriers and line painting and something of use in a car park environment anyway)?

Eg:

https://www.safetybuyer.com/traffic-line-rubber-parking-kerbs-wheel-stops.html?simpleId=11739&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9KnHnsLQ2wIV4bDtCh29XgkUEAQYAyABEgKj6fD_BwE

https://www.pittmantraffic.co.uk/wheel-stops/parking-blocks.html