Highway Traffic Shields

F3 Gawk-Glare Shield

A Story of Highway Safety Practices

It would be surprising if any one of us wasn’t familiar with those concrete barriers lining the sides of so many highways across the country. These “K-rails” – or “Jersey-walls” as they’re typically called in the East – are concrete walls developed in the 1950s, beginning in the U.S. State of New Jersey, as separators between lanes of a highway. Over time, they became more modular and increasingly and effectively used as temporary barriers in construction areas. The benefit of these heavy barriers is evident, but more importantly proven over decades of use. However, the one benefit they fall short on fulfilling is satisfying the many needs for effective visual shielding of work zone areas. These many needs include:

  • Eliminating motorist distractions from oncoming headlight glare
  • Protect motorists from water spray created by opposing traffic
  • Preventing accidents caused by motorist gawking and rubbernecking
  • Protecting work zone crews from injuries caused by dust, dirt, and flying debris
  • Protecting work zone crews from excessive noise

Plywood Panels are an Unacceptable Human Risk

To address these needs, highway construction contractors turned to readily available plywood to create visibility barriers installed on top of K-rails. At the time, there were simply no better alternatives from which they could choose. Unfortunately, these self-constructed plywood panel shields lack the engineering, installation, and testing discipline that deliberately includes safety as an integral component in both design and installation. These plywood panels are also inherently dangerous due to the unforgiving nature of the wooden material itself and the metal hardware used in their construction. There exists a hushed record of fatal and crippling accidents impacting both motorists and work zone laborers directly attributed to plywood panels not installed for safety.

A Safer Solution

Jerry Good, a co-founder of F3 Online, designed and created the CNC fabricating machine purpose-built to produce the EPS rigid foam panels for this newly invented F3 Gawk-Glare Shield. Barrier mounted to K-Rails (Jersey Walls), F3 Online’s cost-effective Gawk-Glare Shields were purposely designed to be second to none in instilling common sense and assuring safety for everyone using and working on our highways.

  • Conforms to a CALTRANS approved panel design
  • Panel design wind-tested at 130 MPH
  • Unrivaled safety benefits

Engineered and Tested with Optimal Safety in Mind

The F3 Online Gawk-Glare Shield has been subjected to both crash and wind tests to demonstrate an unequaled measure of both safety and resilience in its design.

Click on image to watch Wind Test video

As you continue to learn more about our F3 Gawk-Glare Shields, we hope you will come to agree that the engineering and testing of the F3 Gawk-Glare Shield design is near perfect. A certification program assures installation effectiveness by thoroughly training installers in practicing the proper methods for installing the F3 Gawk-Glare Shield in practically any imaginable application. Should we encounter a situation not previously anticipated, our engineers will examine the details of the unique application and engineer a solution we will stand behind.

Gawk-Glare Shield Models

  1. Reusable Temporary Installation Models
  2. Permanent Installation Models
Click to View/Download Brochure

Both model types share common features:

  • Standard Panel length = 10 feet
  • Panel Thickness = 4 inches
  • Panel Heights = 18″, 24″, and 30″
  • Panels will be painted to satisfy any color preference

The primary difference between temporary and permanent model types is the type of exterior coating applied to the panels. Both model types are highly resilient, and easy to maintain and repair. Both model types offer unparalleled weather resistance even in the harshest environments.

Exploring the Features and Benefits offered by the F3 Gawk-Glare Shield

EPS Rigid Foam Facts

  • The lifespan of EPS foam is long, potentially unlimited.
  • EPS foam is recyclable.
  • EPS foam does not contain chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), hydrochlorocarbon (HFC), or formaldehyde.
  • EPS foam does not contribute to the growth of mold or mildew.
  • EPS foam is manufactured in accordance with ASTM C578.

To learn more about the science relating to EPS foam and the Environment, we invite you to read publications produced by the EPS Industry Alliance.

Features and Benefits Specific to Motorists and work zone Laborers

  • Eliminates motorist distractions from on-coming headlight glare.
  • Protects motorists from water spray created by opposing traffic.
  • Prevents accidents caused by motorist gawking and rubbernecking.
  • Protects work zone crews from injuries caused by dust, dirt, and flying debris – e.g. impact projectiles.
  • Protects work zone crews from excessive noise.

Features and Benefits enjoyed by Highway Construction Contractors

The design of our F3 Gawk-Glare Shields are satisfactory for use on California State Highways as temporary GAWK/Glare Screens. They conform to the Caltrans Authorized Materials list (AML).

  • Replaces traditional wooden or plastic materials that employ metal posts, screws, and bolts for creating a safe, protected workspace.
  • Applicable for both temporary and permanent installations.
  • Eliminates dangerous, ugly, expensive – and in too many cases, largely ineffective – Gawk & Glare Screeens.
  • F3 Gawk-Glare Shields are 75% lighter than current products on the market.
  • Painted Coating color-matched to specification for any project.
  • Easily stacked for shipment and storage.
  • Store outside in any climate.
  • UV protected, and resists salts, chlorides, and corrosion.
  • Safe installation design allows panel installation from the non-traffic facing side of the panel; no need to block a traffic lane.
  • Easy installation – can be easily mounted onto any concrete barrier or designed to fit onto any plastic traffic management barrier.
  • Installable for a variety of applications, e.g. – K-rails and the many types of Traffic Barriers – also known as Armco Barriers, Guardrails, and Crash Barriers.

In addition to the features and benefits listed above, there is another, critically important benefit that applies to both State Departments of Transportation & Highway Construction Contractors – increased liability protection against poorly designed and faulty installed gawk-glare shields.

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