RMS FENCING
The RMS legislation and compliance requirements are complex and it’s not always easy to identify which particular requirements apply in specific circumstances.
So, we’ve put together this guide to help you navigate your way through the challenging process of choosing the appropriate fencing materials for your next major project.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RMS FENCING REQUIREMENTS
The RMS Roads & Maritime Service is the government agency responsible for regulating all aspects of road and marine transport including all major roads and infrastructure throughout NSW.
Their remit includes establishing and maintaining road safety at all levels from resource management to road and bridge construction, material choices, signage requirements, and fencing requirements for people and animal safety.
In addition to ensuring road user safety, these standards are designed to promote cost-effective design and construction as well as durability.
When it comes to roading, the responsibilities of Federal government, State government agencies such as RMS and local councils often seem to merge.
But in effect, Federal government provides funding for roading, the RMS oversees major road projects such as the Pacific Highway upgrades, and local government looks after local road issues.
It is important to understand this distinction because if you are putting in a tender or design project that affects a major road or freeway then you will need to comply with all RMS standards.
These standards cover a range of safety and barrier fence types including:
- Fauna exclusion fencing
- Highway perimeter fencing
- Rockfall protection
- Bridge safety fencing
- Pedestrian safety
- Rural fencing
The RMS legislation and compliance requirements are complex and it’s not always easy to identify which particular requirements apply in specific circumstances.
So, we’ve put together this guide to help you navigate your way through the challenging process of choosing the appropriate fencing materials for your next major project.
FAUNA
Fauna fencing is an essential requirement for major roading projects. Every year at least 20,000 vehicles collide with animals on our roads and in most cases, the result is fatal for the animal.
The impact of these accidents on our native fauna populations as well as the human injury rate and death toll are extremely costly.
The insurance costs alone add up to tens of millions of dollars each year. Around 80% of these collisions involve kangaroos but dogs and cattle are also common statistics.
HIGHWAY
Highway fencing will usually require fencing to a similar standard as fauna fencing. This is a type of fencing is designed to prevent both human and animal entry into the path of high-speed traffic.
The risk of animals wandering into the path of vehicles is significant even in relatively high-density urban areas. That’s why the RMS stipulates such clear specifications for all highway fence types.
ROCKFALL
Rockfall can pose a significant danger for all road users. Rockfall also disrupts traffic flow and the damage to road surfaces can be costly to repair. It is for this reason that RMS specifies rockfall protection for susceptible roads.
The severity of the slope, type of rock strata, and other environmental conditions such as frost occurrence and rainfall can all play a part in determining the risk of rockfall.
BRIDGE
The RMS requires designers to comply with bridge abutments specifications. These specifications are designed to protect bridge abutments against erosion and slippage.
Obviously, any slope that is too steep will not have the required stability so the RMS specifies a standard slope of 2:1 away from the bridge ends.
PEDESTRIAN
The RMS also publishes an extensive list of standards for pedestrian fencing in and around important transport infrastructures such as at train and bus stations, car parks, footpaths and pedestrian crossings.
There are different requirements for verge and median strip fencing.
You can review the links to the specifications for pedestrian fencing on the RMS website. Protective supplies a wide range of RMS approved pedestrian fencing, which you can check out in our catalogue.
TEMPORARY PEDESTRIAN SAFETY FENCING
Temporary safety fencing is required on worksites where hazards exist. Steel chainwire should be used where pedestrian access is adjacent to vehicular movements. You can review the technical specifications here.
RURAL
Wandering stock cause a significant number of crashes each year in rural areas. The impact between a fast-moving vehicle and a large animal poses a serious risk to humans and animals alike.
Rural boundary fences focus on preventing cattle, sheep, and other stock from wandering onto roads.
We supply a range of galvanised wire, barbed wire, and wire products that are perfect for all rural fencing.
DRAWINGS
The RMS website can be a little tricky to navigate around so here is a list of the drawings and specifications with their links. You can also navigate to these pages using the links in each applicable section above.
The complete set of design pages can be accessed by following the links on this page or more directly by clicking on the links for each specific category.
The R0400 series—rock protection for bridges. This covers the use of rock mattresses or gabions at bridge ends.
The R0800 series—fencing. This covers the fencing requirements for:
- Fauna and marsupial fencing Rural roads
- Highway
- Urban roads
- Pedestrian fencing
- Temporary pedestrian safety fencing
The RFT & RFN series–rockfall protection. This covers a range of protection levels from light rigid post fence types to heavy duty netting protection. Qualified engineers will need to stipulate the exact type and construction details required for your specific situation.
RELIABLE SUPPLIERS WHEREVER YOU ARE
Protective fencing is committed to making your next road fencing project as straightforward as possible.
We know how important timely delivery is so offer the convenience of three manufacturing plants and warehouses centrally located in Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne.
You can take advantage of our expansive fleet of trucks (including semi, double B, and cranes) for rapid delivery of all fencing products including large scale orders throughout the NSW, Queensland, and Victorian regions.
Protective Fencing’s industry-leading design and state of the art construction techniques form the perfect partnership for any RMS fencing project. That’s why Protective Fencing was chosen for the challenge of the Pacific Highway upgrade.
We have also supplied many other RMS projects including:
- RMS Highway Fencing
- RMS Fauna fencing
- RMS bridge safety (Ring Road bridge in VIC)
- Here at Protective Fencing, exceptional design and engineering quality combined with reliable supply and service form the central pillars in our vision for better fencing and safer roads.
SOURCES:
- https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/business-industry/partners-suppliers/document-types/standard-drawings/index.html
- https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/business-industry/partners-suppliers/documents/standard-drawings/standardroaddrawings_all.pdf