Curved Guardrail

Tips on how to measure a curve when the radius is not known. 

Before you begin, determine if the curve required is “Concave” or “Convex” using the illustration provided.  

1 - Starting at the last post in the straight run (Point A), lay a cloth tape along the path that the curved guardrail will follow. 

2 – Make a mark in the centre of the rail (Point B)  

3 - Pull a string directly from (Point A) to (Point C). 

4 - Measure from (Point B) over to the mid-point of the taut string. This measurement (D) is the rise. (also referred to as chord height/string height) 

From the length of rail (post to post) and chord height your radius can be calculated. 

Although we can customized your curved rail to any length you require it is advisable to try use standard rail lengths as this will greatly reduce your lead time and cost by using a off the shelf solution. 

When joining multiple curves together it is advised to check all rails individually as the arc may not be consistent, and each consecutive piece of guardrail may differ in radius from the previous one.