A-one+ gets to gripes with The Blade

UK contractor A-one+ maintenance operatives in England’s southern counties of Kent, Sussex and Surrey are now protected by a new vehicle-fitted crash cushion. The Blade - manufactured by Dutch company Verdegro Blade - is designed to absorb impacts including those by large heavy vehicles that have increased bumper heights. A-one+ said that the Blade is the only crash cushion that has been tested to US MASH crash testing standards, the most demanding in the world. The cushion, when deployed on a vehicle,
November 7, 2017 Read time: 2 mins

UK contractor 2316 A-one+ maintenance operatives in England’s southern counties of Kent, Sussex and Surrey are now protected by a new vehicle-fitted crash cushion.

The Blade - manufactured by Dutch company Verdegro Blade - is designed to absorb impacts including those by large heavy vehicles that have increased bumper heights.

A-one+ said that the Blade is the only crash cushion that has been tested to US MASH crash testing standards, the most demanding in the world.

The cushion, when deployed on a vehicle, extends out 6m.

“Cars and lorries have got bigger and we need tougher protection for our staff working in front of our impact protection vehicles repairing the roads, litter picking or clearing up after accidents,” said Gavin Crittenden, A-one+ transport manager for the region.

“When the cushion is deployed behind an impact protection vehicle, if anything hits it the IPV’s brakes lock and the cushion absorbs all the impact to stop the truck being pushed forward and threatening our operatives, even under braking,” said Crittenden.

The Blade unit measures 6m long by 2.4m wide and its strength comes from a composite aluminium welded profile. The unit has 12 internal “blades”. During an impact four blades cut through the aluminium composite H-beams, with another eight cutting through welded tubes, absorbing the impact. The remaining weak aluminium parts bend away safely.

Alongside the Blade, A-one+ is using a new RedX arrow board on its new protection vehicles. RedX, also manufactured by Verdegro, is designed to match the latest traffic management signage used to signal lane closures on smart motorways.

Road Markings, Barriers & Workzone Protection

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Re-inventing Africa’s Transport Model - The 2nd IRF Africa Regional Congress
    September 13, 2017
    Lack of effective coordination among Africa’s transportation stakeholders is inhibiting the impacts of existing programs, but technology and innovation are increasingly understood as essential drivers to propel Africa forward in meeting its development goals. These were some of the main findings of the 2nd IRF Africa Regional Congress which was held July 11th-13th in Windhoek, Namibia.
    Read More
  • Springy Base looks to new markets
    September 3, 2012
    Australian company JMB Manufacturing is to promote its Springy Base steel-based knock-down recovery sign post overseas.
    Read More
  • Danish digging for Leica Geosystems’ 3D machine control
    October 26, 2017
    In Denmark’s northern Jutland, Leica Geosystems’ equipment is being used to help build a 40km motorway, one of the fastest-built such projects in the country’s history. The Danish Road Directorate is the client for the €5.4 million motorway between the two Danish cities of Herning, to the south with around 50,000 people, and Holstebro, a city of about 35,000 people, north of Herning. Preliminary ground investigations were made in 2013 and work started in 2015 with completion set for 2018.
    Read More
  • Opsys launches ALTOS at Curiosity Lab
    November 18, 2024
    Opsys said that, as a pure solid-state LiDAR, the ALTOS Gen 2 has no moving parts and will be deployed at Curiosity Lab in the US city of Peachtree Corners to provide real-time data on traffic flow and pedestrian movements.
    Read More

Highlighted Content