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  • Working together to make driving safer

Co-engineering leads to safer barriers

ArcelorMittal recently partnered with Mieres Tubos (Grupo Condesa) to develop a new safety barrier. The project demonstrated how a simple change in material choice can make a big difference to safety, performance and cost.

Following consultation with ArcelorMittal Global R&D researchers and engineers, the team decided to replace the existing hot rolled structural steel (grade S235JR) with a new ultra high strength low alloy steel (UHSLA).

The switch to the UHSLA grade resulted in the new barrier being more than 25% lighter. Performance was also improved dramatically and manufacturing costs were lowered.

The high strength of the new grade also made it possible to double the distance between the posts which secure the barrier in place. Instead of 50 posts per 100 metres of barrier, only 25 posts are needed. Together with the weight saving from the selection of HSS, this simple design change has enabled transportation and installation costs to be reduced by at least 25%.

To ensure the barrier will last for its expected life of up to 25 years, ArcelorMittal’s HSS steels can be either batch or continuously galvanised. Both methods meet the EN 1317 specification and provide protection for the life of the barrier.

ArcelorMittal customers can now utilise our Magnelis® coating which offers up to ten times the protection of batch galvanisation. Magnelis® utilises aluminium and 3% magnesium to create a stable and robust layer of protection across the entire surface of the steel. The edges of the Magnelis® coating will even self-heal if they suffer damage – a property that other coatings cannot match.