New Cable

Restraint Barriers

BENEFITS OF CABLE BARRIER SYSTEMS

Barrier cable systems are the most efficient technology in satisfying the building code mandate for safe and reliable vehicle restraint or guard systems in public parking garages. When properly designed, its overall cost per foot is typically significantly less than precast or cast-in-place concrete barriers. Even better, the indirect decrease in construction costs and lifetime operating expenses may exceed all directed savings by orders of magnitude:

Allowing natural airflow, might make the need for a forced ventilation system redundant and thus eradicate a big-ticket item from the shopping list…
The absence of forced ventilation and optimal use of daylight in the structure will drastically reduce the energy consumption of the parking structure for the duration of its life.
Weighing only 1/20th or less than its competing options, Barrier Cable Systems will reduce the gravity loads to be carried thus potentially reducing the size of columns and foundations.
Potential savings on fire protection as open structures usually do not require a sprinkler system.

BARRIER CABLES ARE ENGINEERED SYSTEMS

Barrier cable systems need to be designed for each specific structure to comply with the International Building Code (IBC) requirements for pedestrian guards and vehicular restraints. The most cost-effective design is achieved when using the building columns as the posts for the system and end anchoring so that additional supports are not required. Although the pre-tensioning force is fairly low (2-7 Kips controlled by the anti-sag check), cables stretched during impact may reach loads over 20 Kips. For wedge-based anchoring systems to be reliable, the back-stressing operation must be performed systematically at a load above the highest anticipated load. The designer shall also remain within the allowable cable deflection criteria defined by the Post-Tensioning Institute Guidelines or the project Specifications, intermediate supports and/or anchoring points may be used to achieve this goal without the need for an excessive permanent tension force.
In Steel buildings, the cable loading imposed horizontally to the columns might not be allowable or may require specific bracing, strengthening, and stiffening. Barrier Cable Systems are custom-engineered systems! Although individual components might be the same from one application to another, the system shall be analyzed and designed for each case to ensure optimal performance and derive the reactions that will result in the building structure. Calculation notes and project-specific shop drawings are a must for any project, by the system provider and to the satisfaction of the Engineer of Records.

PEDESTRIAN FALL PROTECTION SOLUTIONS

Due to their extremely high structural efficiency and strength, cable systems can also be used effectively for pedestrian fall protection by creating barriers with cables alone or combined chain-link fences.

TEMPORARY VEHICLE RESTRAINT SYSTEMS

Sometimes, due to the construction phasing of a garage project or as part of the expansion of an existing parking structure, it becomes necessary to provide temporary vehicle restraint systems while the permanent barriers need to be taken down for the work or while the next phase is being constructed. Here again, barrier cable systems are the lightest and most effective solution to achieve these goals.

BOLLARDS

When runs are too short for cable (typically 20ft), or if no structural member is available for end support, a line of Steel Bollards spaced at 4’6” can be a suitable design strategy to complement a Vehicular Barrier Cable System. As a turnkey solution provider, Barrier Cable Systems, Inc. also offers the fabrication & installation of Galvanized Steel Bollards conceived to match the aspect and blend with the rest of the vehicle restraint barrier systems.

FENCE INFILL PANELS

In some Precast Parking Structures, when openings between panels do not exceed 4’6” and the precast panels act as the primary vehicle restraint system (resisting direct impact in the same manner Bollards would…), prefabricated chain link fence or mesh panels can be used to resolve the pedestrian fall protection code requirements. Barrier Cable Systems, Inc. manufactures and installs such panel-based barriers, completing its line of parking garage barrier systems.