Protect 365™ Safety Fence

An improved product

The new Protect 365 family of products from Corus signals a major move forward in highways restraint systems to ensure safety benefits for all road users. We have drawn on 40 years of knowledge and experience to develop systems that offer improved performance combined with the added advantages of easy installation, low maintenance and long life. Protect 365 N2 steel safety fence has been developed and tested using a rigorous methodology to ensure full compliance with the EN 1317 Standard. Its low level of working width and its doublesided design make it a good option where other highway structures must be accommodated. Its streamlined shape and smooth edges also make it an ideal choice where aesthetics and pedestrian safety are considerations.

Flexible application

Protect 365 N2 safety fence is suitable for all situations that require an N2 accredited product (for impact speeds up to 110 kph). With a working width less than 800 mm (W2 class), our fence can be installed to accommodate highway structures and ‘roadside furniture’ including lighting columns and signposts. Its double-sided design means the fence can be installed at the edge of the road or in the central reservation – using the same components. Its tubular design, with under-fixed posts, makes Protect 365 N2 an unobtrusive feature in areas of natural beauty. The shallow profile of the rail also lessens the chance of a build-up of debris next to the fence. Its smooth edges make Protect 365 a safe choice where pedestrians may be walking close by.

Designed to perform

At Corus we have challenged assumptions and analysed scenarios beyond the type testing criteria of EN 1317 to ensure our Protect 365 systems deliver a very high degree of safety performance. We used advanced computer modelling to simulate aspects of safety fence behaviour in representative crash situations involving modern vehicles. Multiple impact positions and directions, material properties and tolerance variations were all checked and double-checked as part of our commitment to develop safety fence suitable for current and future road conditions. The rectangular hollow section design of our safety fence – built using hot rolled material – allows it to absorb impact energy in a controlled way and ensures consistent containment of errant cars.

Assurance of safety

All Protect 365 systems have been subjected to full-scale impact tests carried out under strictly controlled conditions by MIRA Ltd. To optimise the performance of our safety fence,  we went beyond the traditional test length of 80 m to find a length truly representative of installed, on-the-road conditions. We modelled the impact performance of lengths up to 300 m along with a range of post spacings.  During physical crash tests we used strain gauge analysis at different points along the length of safety fence. The results proved that our modelling assumptions were robust and that impact load was spread safely and taken to ground rapidly and consistently by our fence design.

Easy to install

Installation methods were a serious consideration in the development of Protect 365. We wanted to deliver systems that were safe, easy and quick to install – with all the associated whole life cost benefits. The unique ‘propping’ characteristics built into the design of our safety fence means it is easy to assemble on site. Once the post is fixed into the ground using steel sockets, the post takes the weight of the rail and leaves the installer with both hands free to fix it in place. Assembly tolerances have been improved to aid installation and there is no pre-tensioning required in order for the system to perform. Because our fence has no sharp edges or corners it is also safer to handle.

Built to last

Ease of maintenance was another design driver in our aim to deliver high-performance products offering lifetime value. Our fence is hot dip galvanised so there is no need to paint it. Stainless steel connecting bolts ensure long-term reliability. The strong construction of our fence also means it is not adversely affected by unique highway activities such as snow ploughing. A compatible range of longlife Protect 365 parapets and transitions is available.