Barricades are an important part of all crowd or traffic control events. Barricades are available in different forms to serve your purpose effectively.
Most of us have seen portable event barriers like those sold by large national companies like this such as, portable fences, crowd control barriers, and traffic barrels. However, all these serve the same purpose of protecting drivers and crowds from potential dangers.
Barricades are often considered ubiquitous as they are present almost everywhere. From obstructing an exit ramp that is under construction to protecting the event performer from the crowd, barricades are universal.
The purpose of any barricade is to provide a safe environment. The combination of physical barriers and visual cues is to prevent the chances of accidents or injuries.
The omnipresence of barricades has familiarized people with its use. Often businesses are not required to put up crowd control signs to dictate to people the dos and don’ts.
Drivers slow down instinctively on the highways when they see a setup of traffic barrels. Pedestrians and parade spectators know that they are not allowed to jump over the metal barricades of police.
By getting acquainted with the various types of crowd control barricades, you will know which one will work the best for you. To ensure the smooth operation of your business, you need to find the right equipment. Read on to find out more about the types and uses of barricades.
Types of Barricades
Barricades are usually divided into three main types – Pedestrian, Traffic, and Expanding Length Barricades. These barricades are further categorized depending on the construction and use.
1. Pedestrian Barricades
These barricades are usually positioned in areas where you need to control the crowds or traffic. Businesses, public service organizations, and schools use pedestrian barricades to control crowds.
Most businesses and organizations rely on these barricades as they are more cost-effective than mob controllers. Hiring people to keep the mob in check is usually more costly and less effective than pedestrian barricades.
You can easily set up portable or permanent barricades. You can choose from a variety of barricades available at different prices. Pedestrian barricades are further categorized into –
- Metal or police barricades
- Plastic barricades
- Sports Panel PVC
- Vinyl event fencing
2. Metal Barricades
Most people are familiar with the interlocking heavy-duty metal barricades known as bicycle barricades or bike rack. These barricades are usually dipped in hot galvanized steel or coated with a waterproof powder. However, while opting for a traditional steel barricade, you must consider the following cases –
- Do you need Bridge Feet or Flat Feet?
- Does your traditional barricade setup require a swing gate?
3. Bridge Feet Barricades
Bridge Feet are metal barricades that come with feet that firmly grips the ground from both ends. If you are conducting any event in a place with uneven grounds, then the bridge feet barricades are ideal.
The feet will latch on to jagged surfaces. These barricades are available in heavy-duty and standard varieties.
These barricades come with two different sets of feet. You will get one large and one small set of bridge feet. This allows you to create a perpendicular corner barricade setup.
4. Flat Feet Barricades
Most of us have seen a Flat Feet barricade in some rallies, parades, or concerts. These barricades have a heavy-duty steel construction with a hollow center. Flat feet barricades are structurally sound, lightweight, durable, and weather-resistant.
Standard flat feet come with an interlocking system to link the barriers. These barricades are ideal for sidewalks and flat streets of the cities. The flat feet of these barricades are capable of gripping flat surfaces.
5. Barricade Swing Gates
Metal barricades have interlocking features that allow you to create a fortified line of barriers. However, if you try to remove any part of the barricade line, the whole segment will get messed up.
Often you need to let objects or people pass through the barricade. In such cases installing barricade swing gates will serve your purpose.
These gates allow people, machinery, or vehicles to move through the barricaded zone. You will find barricade swing gates in two sizes – extra wide and standard width.
You can opt for barricade swing gates with a standard width if you need to create a passage for public service officials or small groups.
However, if you need to create a passage for machinery, vehicles, or large groups, then opt for the extra-wide ones.
6. Plastic Barricades
Plastic barricades are your last-minute solution to control crowds. These barricades are made of hollow, lightweight polyurethane plastic.
Plastic barricades are easy to assemble, take down, or move around. However, you can also fill them with sand or water to make them heavier.
If you don’t have much time or space for your event, plastic barricades are ideal for controlling the crowd.
These are available in different colors and patterns. Most people prefer them for universities or sports events as they go well with the color theme. Often plastic barricades come with display areas of 36” by 28.5”. You can put up signs or advertisements on these barricades.
7. Sports Panel Fencing PVC
If you want to install temporary barriers for schools, parks, softball, or baseball fields, then opt for sports panel PVC. These are more suited to smaller institutions or events with limited space.
Often some event areas host various types of events in the same fields. With the PVC fencing barricaded, you can adjust the panels to fit the size of your field or event.
8. Vinyl Event Fencing
Often the aesthetics of the place are equally important as crowd control. If you are organizing an event at weddings, golf courses, or country clubs, then opt for vinyl event fencing. These barricades create an impressive yet practical solution.
Vinyl event fencing also comes with an interlocking system to set up a contiguous barrier. The legs of vinyl event fencing grip onto uneven terrains to create a safe environment.
Traffic Barricades
Traffic barricades are also known as safety or road barricades. These are useful in controlling the flow of traffic and creating a safe territory around an emergency site.
These barricades notify laborers of hazards while working on a construction site. You can also use them to make a shielded drop-off zone around schools or create roadblocks.
Most of the traffic barricades have a bright orange color with reflective or white strips drawn on them. This makes them visible even at night. There are generally six different kinds of traffic barricades –
- Traffic Barrels
- Jersey Barriers
- Traffic Cones
- Safety Signs
- Delineators
- A-frame Barricades
1. Traffic Barrels
Traffic Control and construction crews often use traffic or channelizer barrels to control the movement. These barrels look like humongous traffic cones. However, these are much larger and heavier than traffic cones making them perfect for congested or busy roadways.
To keep them upright throughout weather extremities, traffic barrels come with a rubber base. Many traffic barrels even have a holder on their top to place a reflective light. It will protect the drivers during nighttime accidents.
2. Jersey Barriers
A jersey barrier or jersey wall has a plastic or concrete construction. These are used to separate traffic lines and reduce accidents. Jersey barriers help to minimize car damage when the vehicles accidentally hit the barriers.
These barriers also work as a signifier to drivers, pedestrians, or workers to know that they are on some construction site.
After positioning the plastic jersey barriers, you can fill them with sand or water to make them heavier. Heavier jersey barriers help to deflect vehicles in case of any contact.
3. Traffic Cones
Often you need to create a barricade set up in a jiffy. Traffic cones are ideal in such situations. Traffic cones are the standard orange-colored cylindrical-shaped cones. The traffic cones are usually used in the following cases –
- To indicate any neighborhood potholes
- To create drop-off zones around schools
The lightweight feature of the traffic cones makes them incredibly portable. Traffic cones are easily stackable and take up less storage space than other traffic control barricades.
However, traffic cones suffer from certain downsides. They are highly susceptible to wild parrots and bad weather. A strong blow of wind can use the set up of your traffic cones. You need to follow the weather forecast before you decide to install them.
Type III, Type II, and Type I Barricades
These barricades are made by integrating two panels. They are then connected at the top with hinges.
Type I barricades come with a single reflective strip on either side of their frame, while Type II ones come with two reflective rails. Type III barricades will have three reflective rails.
As a rule of thumb, barricades with more reflective rails are generally sturdier. If you have faced difficulties in the past with Type I barricades, then it’s time to upgrade to the higher ones.
These barricades are perfect for parks and other public works in urban and suburban areas.
A-Frame Barricades
A-Frame barricades look like the workbenches of architects. They have triangular girders on either side and are kept in place through a plank.
You will see white and orange stripes on these barricades. However, these barricades can also come with reflective and orange stripes.
You will see A-Frame barricades near sewer holes or construction sites in urban areas. Their A-frame built helps to suit all uneven grounds.
Expanding Length Barricades
These barricades are available in two different materials – plastic and metal. If you don’t know the required length or barricades, then opt for the expanding length barricades. These are also helpful in cases when you are required to work with varying lengths or strange angles.
Expanding length barricades offer easy assembling and set up. The pull levers facilitate quick adjustments and installations. You will see expanding length barricades in construction sites, warehouses, cleaning areas, and factories.
Traffic Control Measures
Traffic Control included all measures that are aimed at controlling and distributing the traffic. This helps to avoid accidents or reduce the impact of severe collisions.
Traffic network controllers and operators use predetermined traffic management agendas. Traffic police and effective barrier setups are an integral part of effective traffic control measures.
1. Direct Traffic Control Measures
The direct measures use smart barricades, traffic lights, and variable message signs. These measures help to set traffic priorities as per space and time.
2. Indirect Traffic Control Measures
These measures can be divided into preventive and corrective actions.
Preventive Action
These actions are targeted at warning drivers of forecast or current problems. It will enable drivers to make the necessary changes to their travel plans, including –
- Opting for a different route
- Changing the time of travel
- Or completely abandoning the trip
Data are generated through floating devices and ITS field devices for–
- Predicting the impact and rate of traffic disturbances
- Dissemination of the prevention information to the drivers
- Evaluating the available alternative routes
Prevention action helps to control the traffic and prevent congestion. It will quickly diversify the traffic by advising people to follow alternative routes.
Corrective or Remedial Action
Corrective or remedial action will limit the delays or congestion that regularly occurs on strategic routes. These measures limit the access and move the traffic towards less congested roads. Traffic controllers plan diversionary routes to quickly move the traffic.
Often high-capacity alternative routes are not available to facilitate heavy-duty vehicles and trucks. Effective remedial or corrective action requires –
- Contingency plans for traffic management that are drawn up in accordance with the stakeholders. You need to consider the impact of these measures on road operators and emergency services.
- Temporary or permanent detection of the traffic flow around the congested road network.
- Installing CCTVs at the major hotspots of traffic congestion to network the conditions.
- Real-time information system to collect data on road users and traffic disturbances.
- Information on the available alternative routes.
Final Thoughts
Now that you are well-versed with the different uses and types of barricades, you can optimize your crowd management efforts.
We have successfully covered the major types of barricades and their specific functions. Use this knowledge to plan your next event or crowd control program.