When deadlines are tight and sites are busy, the last thing you want is a safety setup that slows everything down. Traditional concrete barriers do the job, but they’re heavy, costly, and a pain to move. You can use water-filled crash barriers as a better alternative.
Water-filled barriers are lightweight when empty, rock-solid when in place, and built for quick deployment. This article breaks down what water-filled crash barriers are, how they work, their benefits, and why they are the go-to choice for temporary barrier solutions.
What are water-filled crash barriers?
Water-filled crash barriers are a barricading option used as a temporary solution in place of concrete or steel barriers. As the name suggests, workers fill these barriers with water to provide crash protection for both traffic and pedestrian walkways. Manufacturers make them from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a strong and sturdy form of plastic.
Crews install concrete and steel barriers permanently, using cranes and forklifts to position them because of their weight. Water-filled barriers are the best alternative to concrete barriers for temporary settings due to their lightweight and easy installation and removal process.
Features and benefits of water-filled barriers
- Light-weight but sturdy: Water-filled barriers are light-weight when empty. However, when filled with water, their weight significantly increases, offering sturdy protection against collisions and crashes.
- Easy transportation: Due to their light-weight, water-filled crash barriers are easy to transport and position on-site.
- Easy installation and removal: Their installation doesn’t require heavy machinery or additional tools, making them fast and easy to install and relocate.
- Interlocking system: Water-filled barriers have interlocking mechanisms allowing you to attach multiple modules and extend the barrier to your desired length.
- Convenient water filling and removal: These barriers come with two twist-lock lids: one at the top and one at the bottom, providing a convenient filling and drainage system.
- Durable and versatile: HDPE is a sturdy material that is resistant to damage. The water-filled barriers can be used in multiple projects, from short-term to long-term use. Their durability makes them versatile.
- Cost-effective: Water-filled road barriers are cost-effective, making them an obvious choice for temporary applications.
Applications: Where water-filled barriers are used
You can use water-filled barriers in any setting that requires temporary barricading for pedestrians and vehicles. Here are the main areas where people typically rely on them.
1. Traffic management
Crews mostly use water-filled road barriers to manage and redirect traffic during road construction, maintenance, or emergencies, since these situations require a temporary but safe solution. They create clear pathways for vehicles, reducing the risk of accidents in diversion zones. Their portability makes them an ideal choice for short-term traffic control.
2. Construction work zones
Water-filled barriers ensure that the pedestrians and workers stay out of hazardous areas and move through safe routes guided by barricading. They also restrict heavy machinery from driving into loose lands or hazardous grounds.
3. Event and crowd control
Water-filled barriers are widely used for pedestrian safety. Think of events, concerts, festivals and parades. They are a feasible and cost-effective option to provide safety to large crowds. They define the pathways while restricting the no-go areas.
4. Parking lots & commercial spaces
Water-filled crash barriers are used in commercial areas and large parking lots to guide vehicle movement, separate pedestrian walkways, and secure entry/exit points. They also prevent unauthorised parking in restricted zones.
How do water-filled barriers work?
Water-filled crash barriers absorb the energy of the collision, minimising the impact on the vehicle. The water serves as an energy-absorbing medium. Moreover, these barriers redirect the vehicle with minimal deflection, ensuring there’s no harm to nearby assets, vehicles and pedestrians.
In case of a strong collision, the barrier ruptures and disperses the water. This destruction takes up the energy that could have damaged the vehicle and injured the passengers.
You can learn more about the engineering and physics of crash barriers and how they help save lives in our guide, “How crash barriers work.”
Installation and removal of water-filled barriers
Here’s a breakdown on how to use water-filled crash barriers.
Installation
The empty barriers are lightweight and can be lifted and positioned by two people. Set up all the modules as you require and secure them through their interlocks. Once set, fill them with water through the top opening with a hose. All water-filled barriers from Legend Hire are freestanding and do not require ground anchoring. Meaning your water-filled barriers are now installed. They are no longer lightweight but are hard and sturdy to absorb impact and provide protection.
Removal
The removal of water-filled barriers is a simple process. A twist-lock lid at the bottom helps with convenient drainage. You can either reuse the water or drain it. Once the barriers are empty, they can be easily lifted and transported.
Legend Hire’s range of water-filled barriers for hire
At Legend Hire, we have two types of water-filled barriers, both with their unique characteristics and applications.
1. Lo-Ro water-filled barrier
Our Lo-Ro water-filled crash barriers are perfect for barricading vehicles. It’s TL1 and TL2 MASH rated, having the capacity of safely stopping a vehicle at 50km/hr and 70 km/hr, respectively. Austroads approved and complies with AS/NZS 3845.
Check out: What are crash barrier ratings? MASH ratings levels explained
The barrier offers secure interlocking knuckles that prevent movement and rotation. It’s easy to transport and doesn’t require anchoring to the ground. It’s a fast, efficient and cost-effective option for road works and traffic management.
2. Water-filled pedestrian barriers (Trafix 2000)
If you are looking for barricading to manage crowds or pedestrians, our Trafix 2000 is the most suitable option. It offers easy installation with full protection. The initial weight of a single module is 18kg, making it easy to maneuver. Once filled with water, the weight reaches up to 220kg, making them strong and sturdy to provide pedestrian safety. The barriers have a safe pin interlocking system that allows rotation, making them suitable for curves and edges.
