Construction Barrel

Construction barrels are traffic control devices used to channel motor vehicle traffic through construction sites. They are used primarily in the United States, but are occasionally used in Canada and Mexico.

Until the late 1980s, construction crews typically used 55-gallon steel drums to guide traffic through construction areas. They were painted orange and white and filled with sand or water to keep them in place. Because the drums were steel and weighed down with sand or water, extensive damage would occur to vehicles striking them.

Plastic barrels that are commonly seen on American roadways today began emerging in the late 1970s and 1980s; steel 55-gallon drums were largely phased out by the 1990s. Construction barrels are typically bright orange and have four alternating white and orange reflective bands. Most have a rubber base that prevents the barrel from tipping over during high winds or when struck by a vehicle. Construction barrels have a handle at the top so it can be easily picked up and carried. The handle also allows crews to install barricade lights to increase visibility.

See also

• Bollard
• Road traffic control
• Traffic cone

External Links

• Construction Barrel
• Stabilized barrel-like traffic control element by Jack H. Kulp et al, a 1993 improved version of the traffic barrel, on Google Patents