What are articulate concrete walkways Freeway?

It is a system of articulate concrete walkways, joined together laterally by means of a simple anchoring of plates.

Permiten el acceso cómodo a las playas y al mar, facilitando el paso de personas con reducida movilidad, y el acceso de sillas de ruedas y coches de niños, entre otros.

Permite la accesibilidad de vehículos con remolque para carga y descarga de embarcaciones.

El sistema es modular y desmontable de forma rápida y cómoda en todo tipo de espacios

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ELEMENTS

  • Prefabricated concrete walkway:

Walkways of prefabricated concrete with limestone aggregate of 6-12mm granulometry, limestone sand with a 0-4 mm granulometry and type BI-I 52.5 high strength cement. Its armor is composed of double electro-welded grid and four bracing stirrups.

These walkways are joined to each other laterally by means of an anchorage of plates manufactured in stainless steel quality aisi304 anticorrosive, resistant to the marine environment.

The main characteristics of these concrete walways are the following:

  • Optimal thermal behavior and climatological resistance.
  • Good adaptability to irregular terrain.
  • Anti-slip surface.(>Clase3)

 

  • Sistema de anclaje:

The stainless steel standard bolts of 14×25 are of anti-corrosive A-2 quality, designed for the passage of people and machines clean beaches.
This modular system resistant to the marine environment, allows comfortable access to beaches and the sea, facilitating the passage of people with reduced mobility and people using wheelchairs.

The main characteristics of the system are the following:

  • Easy assembly and disassembly, and maintenance.
  • Spatial adaptability thanks to the modular system.

Identification of the element and contrasts background
/ figura

Identification of the element:

The design of the finishes guarantees a homogeneity of image in a way that allows identifying and locating the element: beach walkway, to all users, especially those with visual or intellectual disabilities.

One of the purposes of this system as a beach walkway, is to simulate an imitation of wood and achieve an integration with the effective environment. The contrast background (sand of the beach) and platform (concrete imitation of wood) is not desirable enough for a person with a visual rest to visually identify it without the help of a stick or touch. However, these concrete plates make it possible to choose the color and intensity of the finish, which would make it possible to reach a 20:1 contrast easily.

 

The client will have the finish that requires the manufacturer, taking into account, or not, what is explained in this section. As a measure of good practice undertaken by the manufacturer of these articulated plates of prefabricated concrete, it should be noted that the finish of these plates does not cause any annoying bright sources, or any glare, annoying for people with visual impairment.

System and anchoring elements of the articulated concrete beach walkways

This anchoring system allows the articulation of different forms depending on the needs: access walkways, ramps, shower bases or bases for recreational elements. It also allows easy assembly, maintenance and disassembly of the system. And it does not pose any obstacle in terms of accessibility. Each piece will have a plate anchoring system consisting of 2 stainless steel plates for the placement or catching of it. Each plate is joined to the concrete piece by two screws per piece in stainless steel.

The hardware is standardized of 14 x 25 metric and stainless steel quality A-2 anticorrosive, is designed for the passage of people and machines clean beaches.

RESISTANCE

The concrete plates of this system present an excellent thermal behavior and climatological resistance. Its great adaptability to irregularities of the terrain allows the use of the system in any place and space. Beaches, walks, swimming pools, gardens … are some of the spaces where the system can be used effectively FreeWay.

CUSTOMIZABLE DESIGN

The urban furniture requires a special dedication, since in addition to its functionality it supposes a decorative element. FreeWay system allows you to customize the plates with the color that best suits the space. In addition, the anchoring system allows to combine shapes and measures.

SECURITY

FreeWay system is a registered and patented product, which respects the current regulations. Its concrete surface is non-slip and all the elements that form it are studied with the safety of its users in mind.

PROFITABILITY

It is a simple adaptable joint system, highly effective due to its easy assembly and maintenance. The system is modular and removable quickly and conveniently in all types of spaces, aspects that guarantee its long-term profitability.

SENSITIVITY WITH THE ENVIRONMENT

FreeWay system is designed to adapt to the environment in a sensible and appropriate way. The treatment it receives results in a sand color that minimizes visual impact on beaches and public spaces.

Data sheet

  • Weight: rectangular plate 400 k.
  • Size: 1m long x 1,5m. wide x 0,12m thickness.
  • Color: sand color. Possibility of customizable color.
  • Standard joints, suitable for static and dynamic loads.

Piece composed by:

  • Stirrups and double armor in steel rod of diameter 10mm.
  • 4 lateral bushings for positioning and assembly.
  • Stainless steel screws.
  • Plates of catching in stainless steel for placement

Location and use of the set as articulated concrete beach walkways:
Route width

The UNE 41512 standard (Accessibility on beaches and its surroundings) requires a minimum free passage width of 1.50m.

The Freeway prefabricated concrete articulated walkways have a width of 1.50m, which would comply with this standard.

As a result, 1.50 m will be chosen as the normative reference as the passage width of the footbridge. This measure corresponds to the width of the prefabricated concrete slabs that will configure the footbridge of 1.50 m.

A free passage width of 1.80 m on a beach walkway will be considered a good practice and in very few specific cases a regulatory obligation.

The manufacturer will determine if in these specific cases you want to reconfigure the dimensions of your walkways, or in the last case you can articulate these walkways in both directions, which might be excessive, since the width of the footbridge in this case would be 3 meters.

Patente de pasarelas articuladas de hormigón
Patente de pasarelas articuladas de hormigón

Both the design of the prefabricated concrete slabs and the type of anchor used to configure a beach walkway allow for proper settlement and articulation of the same on sloping surfaces.

However, both in the standard UNE 41512 Accessibility on beaches and their surroundings, as well as Fundosa Accessibility S.A., it is recommended that the transversal slope does not exceed the 1 % in a transversal direction.

According to the mandatory compliance order VIV / 561/2010, of February 1. The maximum permissible slope in an itinerary of this type is 6% in longitudinal direction and 2% in transversal direction.

Suitable thermal transmission coefficient

The material of these plates must allow an adequate thermal transmission coefficient. This reference is a mandatory requirement according to
 “el apartado b del punto 3 del artículo 9 de la orden de obligado cumplimiento VIV/561/2010”.

These footbridges have a thermal transmission coefficient due mainly to the following characteristics:

  • Good behavior of the material by which these footbridges are composed: concrete made with limestone aggregate of 6-12 mm granulometry, limestone sand with a grain size of 0-4 mm and cement type BI-I 52.5.

In terms of solar collection, the catchment surface of these articulated walkways being composed of concrete, has a low caloric storage capacity.

Concrete is a material used in construction and urban furniture with a very low value of specific heat.

  • The light imitation of the wood of its receiving surface and its reflective capacity make it possible to obtain a low degree of absorptance and therefore a low capacity for energy capture.

Sliding pavement

These articulated walkways will configure accessible itineraries, so they should gather in relation to the slippage of their pavements what is required in “article 11 of order VIV / 561/2010 of February 1”.

The laboratories CECH, S.A. they have carried out the test (UNE ENV 12633) of the determination of the value of the resistance to the sliding of pavements (USRV), which these concrete plates present. Obtaining the average value of USRV is 58. This high result, achieved to position this type of pavement in the highest classification of the soils, according to its slippage in Technical Code DB-SUA: Class 3 (Rd≥45. wet with slope equal to or greater than 6% and outdoor areas, swimming pools and showers). Therefore, this type of pavement more than meets the properties of being anti-slip in dry and wet, which requires the article 11 of the order VIV / 561/2012.

Slits of the walkways

The grooves that this footbridge presents are compatible with the transit of a wheelchair and the sweeping of the tip of the cane that is usually used by people with visual disabilities.

Both the width and the depth of the grooves presented by the concrete walkways, as well as the joints thereof, present no problem in accessibility. Nor does it present any problem that the sand of the beach due to the transit of people or gusts of air, fill the grooves of the footbridges. Both the width and the depth of the grooves presented by the concrete plates, as well as the joints thereof, do not present any problem in accessibility. Nor does it present any problem that the sand on the beach due to the transit of people or gusts of air, fill the grooves of the walkway.

A pavement design similar to that presented by these footbridges could be the one that appears in the Une 15209 (soil type G2). However, the design that presents the grooves of these plates is more favorable to the transit of wheelchairs and visually impaired people than the one presented by the Standard Une 15209. In the drawing and specifications below this type of floor G2 of the Norma Une 15209:

Width at the top of the groove WT2 (≥5 mm at <10 mm) Width at the base of the groove WB 3 (≥10 mm at & lt; 15 mm) Spacing S3 (≥20 mm at & lt; 25 mm) Relief height PH2 (4 mm) Detection by the cane of the concrete walkways in the sand of the beach
One of the main problems presented by wooden walkways is that when they are easily covered with sand, a wheelchair can not travel through it and a person with a visual disability can barely detect their presence with the cane. The advantage of this system of articulated walkways of prefabricated concrete, is that in addition to being easily passable by wheelchairs are easily detected by the tip of the cane of people who are visually impaired.

Visit our walkways catalogue!

Puede visitar nuestro catálogo para ver los diferentes tipos de pasarelas que disponemos.

Any questions? Let us know what you want

If you are interested in our products or have any questions, you can contact us.