Posts Tagged ‘traffic barrel’
What’s inside a traffic barrel?
I decided to tackle this one because I saw this a few times being asked on the internet. First off, it’s good to take a look at the following images to make sure we are talking about the same traffic barrel. The first image is typically called a traffic barrel where the second is called a crash barrel or crash cushion.
The orange traffic barrel has nothing in it, the inside is hollow. They are not meant to be filled with anything and wouldn’t work well if they were. These are used more for visual delineation and not an actual crash cushion. The yellow crash cushions are typically placed right before a k rail or right at an exit where if someone was to crash, it would be particularly dangerous. They are either filled with sand or water.
A little fun fact for you: the sizes of the yellow barrels vary because they hold different weights of sand. The first one you see there can hold 200, 400 or 700lbs of sand, the back left can hold 2100lbs and the back right can hold 1400lbs. In order to ‘cushion a crash’ in the safest possible way, there is actually a proper layout that must be followed based on the weight of the sand barrel.
So the moral of the story, if you have to crash into one of the two barrels, you will be better off with the yellow because it will stop you faster than the drums. Of course, let’s all just hope we never get in a car accident and we never have to think about such a thing!
If you are in the market for traffic barrels here is our orange barrel and here is our yellow sand barrel. If you have questions on either of these feel free to either comment on this post or contact us through the website where these can be purchased (linked in the previous sentence).
Traffic Drums Online
If you are searching for traffic drums online, I would suggest going to as many sites as possible. The search engines are designed to keep the most ‘relevant’ info up front, but that may not mean the cheapest. Try doing some digging.
I have found great websites past the 10 page mark for certain terms that have better prices that the top guys. This may not always be the case, but always do a thorough search before buying.
Traffic Drum Queries
Have a query about a traffic drum? You can post the question below and I will get to it as soon as possible. It really is not as easy as one may expect when it comes to shopping for traffic drums.
Think about it, you first need to make sure it meets all state and federal specs depending on the job site. Then you have to worry about reflective sheeting and bases. And after you have all that figured out, you need to find the cheapest one.
Traffic Drum Varieties
Did you know that traffic drums can come in black? Yes, believe it or not in colder environments where there is a lot of snow they use black drums because they are easier to see.
And, in case you didn’t know, there are yellow traffic drums as well. These are best when used for blockading cement barriers or protecting cars against exit ramps.
Traffic Drums Should Offer Protection Not Frustration
It’s easy to get frustrated on your commute to work about the immense amount of construction. I know that people get frustrated because even though I like to see what equipment they are using, I can’t help but think of how much quicker my commute could me.
But think about what these traffic drums do for you. They offer protection from ditches, construction equipment etc. If they were not there it would be quite dangerous.