Validating and supplying precast VRS foundations that meet VRS and drainage standards.

National Highways is a government owned organisation responsible for operating, maintaining and improving the strategic road network in England.

National Highways is looking to secure the provision of a single supplier to develop a solution to Vehicle Restraint Systems (VRS) / drainage design clash by validating precast foundations that improve maintenance efficiency, safety and reduce carbon. The design clash between the VRS and drainage systems relates to the restriction of placing VRS foundations within fin / filter drains, which would restrict the capacity of the drains.

The solution proposed is for a precast concrete foundation to support the VRS across the filter drain, which would minimise the works required to conduct the maintenance activities. The additional benefit would be that the new foundations should be able to use the new VRS systems, with greater spacing between posts. This solution should lead to less materials required in the construction of new sections of VRS, and less wastage of materials during maintenance activities.

The expected outcomes of this project would be:

• Design and checking of precast elements that could function as VRS foundations, which have the ability to span typical filter drains and accommodate a variety of VRS post spacings.
• Production of these precast elements to form prototypes that can be tested to the requirements of BS EN 1317
• Concise construction methodologies for installing the precast VRS foundation, as well as for maintenance activities for the filter drains under the foundation
• Modelling of the drainage, to ascertain the impact of the precast VRS foundation on the capacity of the drainage system