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Australia based crash barrier manufacturer Ingal Civil Products has developed a new steel guardrail barrier Ezy-Guard that provides improved safety for motorists. An Ezy-Carriage secures the w-beam rails to the posts and avoids the need for blocking pieces and rail stiffening plates. This results in smoother containment and redirection of vehicles during crashes and a soft ride-down for vehicle occupants. The lightweight Z-post design and the use of fewer components results in savings on materials, freight and installation. It is also 55% narrower than currently used guardrails in Australia, thus conserving valuable formation width and providing vehicles greater recovery width during crashes. Ezy-Guard uses about 30% steel than currently used guardrails. This reduces energy consumption and carbon footprint. An important difference between current systems and Ezy-Guard is that its Z-post design works by yielding of the post rather than of the surrounding soil. This makes it quite suitable for installation in rock, asphalt or concrete. It also avoids the need to drill large diameter holes backfilled with compressible fill when rock is encountered. Ezy-Guard is available in two configurations; Ezy-Guard Smart and Ezy-Guard Heavy Duty (HD).
