Barriers, delineators and barricades

How many posts, barricades or barriers you need

Delineators and barricades are counted by length and spacing. MUTCD guidance for channelizing devices on roads is a spacing in feet no greater than 1 times the speed limit in mph along a taper and 2 times along the straight run, so at 10 mph a post every 10 to 20 feet. In a lot where you are separating a lane permanently, many owners space posts closer, 5 to 10 feet, so drivers can't cut through.

Barriers are counted by the run: divide the length by the section length and round up. A 100-foot run of 6-foot water-filled sections takes 17.

Types and sizes

Flexible delineator posts are commonly 28 to 48 inches tall with reflective bands. Barricades come in the MUTCD types: Type I has one rail, Type II two, and Type III three and is used to close a road. Water-filled plastic barriers interlock and are filled on site; precast concrete barriers are much heavier and set by crane or forklift.

Each product page lists height, length, empty and filled weight where it applies, and the reflective sheeting.

Installation and hardware

Delineators mount to a base that is glued with epoxy or bituminous adhesive, or bolted with anchors; bolted bases hold better where plows run. Water-filled barriers are placed empty, connected, and filled with water, or a brine mix where it freezes. Barricades need ballast, like sandbags on the feet, never on the rails.

Asphalt versus concrete

Delineator bases bond well to clean, dry concrete. On asphalt, adhesive works on sound pavement, but bolted bases with asphalt anchors last longer. Barriers and barricades sit on either surface; on a slope, check that water-filled sections stay connected once full.

Pallet counts and freight basics

Delineator posts and barricades are long and light, so pallets are bulky for their weight. Empty water-filled barriers are light but large. The product page shows pallet quantity and shipping class for each.

LTL (less-than-truckload) carriers price a pallet by its weight, its size and its freight class. Freight class runs from 50 to 500 and is set mostly by density, in pounds per cubic foot: dense, heavy pallets ship at a lower class than light, bulky ones. Your delivery address matters too. A liftgate, a residential or limited-access address, or a call-ahead appointment each add a carrier charge. Our store quotes it live at checkout from the carriers, with those options priced in.

Common mistakes

What we see most:

• Gluing delineator bases to dusty or wet pavement.
• Treating a water-filled barrier as crash-rated when it isn't rated for that use.
• Sandbagging the barricade rails instead of the feet.
• Leaving barricades out at night without reflective sheeting or lights.
• Closing a fire lane without the fire department's approval.

When they're required

On public roads, devices follow the MUTCD and any permit conditions. In a private lot, they're how you separate a pedestrian route, close a section for work or an event, or protect a crew. Your contract, insurer or the city's permit may require specific devices.