Having Excel Bridge on your team ensures the proper safety systems will always be in place no matter your bridge type.
As a general rule, pedestrian, bicycle and similar bridges usually require safety measures with the following objectives:
- To prevent people or bicyclist from falling through or over the railings.
- To resist the throwing of objects off the bridge.
- Prevent vehicles from penetrating or damaging the railing and to minimize damage to vehicles and passengers that contact the railing.
- Provide support for bicyclists with a rub rail or support for pedestrians with a pipe handrail, perhaps meeting full ADA handrail requirements.
There is no national agreement on which code best applies to these structures so an array of choices may be applied. They range from playground and BOCA codes requiring 3.5" maximum openings with climb resistance pickets all the way to OSHA codes with up to 20" openings in horizontal railings. It is especially important to know what DOT or Railroad requirements might apply when crossing these properties.
The most common choice Excel Bridge receives is a combination of UBC type balcony code with a 42" top rail height and a 4" maximum allowed opening with horizontal or vertical picket members. Often specified for primary bicycle traffic is the
