Architectural or planning considerations often require the use of exterior cladding on car parks with steel vehicle barriers on the inside. Protecta-Clad is a combined barrier and cladding system that combines two operations into one. The cladding is cleverly mounted off the brackets on the spring steel buffer base plates rather than the columns or the deck. The brackets are designed so that the barrier can still deflect on impact but the cladding is not affected. Frequently installation can be undertaken from within the structure rather than by using scaffolding or cherry pickers. This not only leads to savings of time, number of fixings and money but also provides a safer working environment for the installers.

All Berry Systems’ barriers are independently tested at MIRA and those used in Protecta-Clad are no exception. The full range of Berry Spring Steel Buffers conform with BS 6399 and also the latest Institute of Civil Engineers, Institution of Structural Engineers and Government recommendations. In addition the cladding element of Protecta-Clad can be specified to meet the pedestrian loading requirements of BS 6180 so that no pedestrian handrail is required on the main perimeter. Alternatively a handrail can be mounted onto the barriers in the normal way. Cladding only or barrier only packages are also available.

With Protecta-Clad, Berry Systems are extending their design, manufacture and installation service to new areas and this will be to the benefit of specifiers, contractors, owners and operators of multi-storey car parks.