Speed Humps: Why So Many Anchors?

When comparing the anchor points of a speed hump to any of the other traffic control products we offer, you’ll notice that these require more anchors than the other products.  Why is this?  Well, basically it comes down to surface area.

Consider this; the average width of tire on any passenger car in the US is about 8.5” wide.  Our speed humps are designed so that the vehicle will travel over 35.5″ of speed hump to completely traverse the hump.  That means that each vehicle tire will be in contact with about 300 sq inches of speed hump for each tire of the vehicle.  That’s over 1200 sq inches total for every single passenger car that passes over the hump.  And that doesn’t include commercial vehicles, school buses, passenger buses, etc that may also frequent the area.

In comparison, our speed bump is only 12”, which means the vehicle tire makes contact with just 102 sq inches, or 408 sq inches total.  That’s about 1/3 of the surface area of the speed hump.

Each time a vehicle passes over a speed hump, the increased contact creates more pressure, and means that each section could possibly move, shift or slide out of place.  And since these are put together modularly (meaning it takes several pieces to create a full section) if not anchored properly, the pieces could very easily separate.  This can cause damages to the product itself, as well as unsafe driving conditions for the vehicles involved.

Using a total of six anchor points on each speed hump section helps to keep movement to a minimum.  This ensures that each and every piece of the hump is kept in place and separation is avoided.  The use of multiple anchor points creates a safe, and durable product that will perform safely and effectively for years to come.