• Specifications are in place for steel tube safety railings.railing image by robert mobley from Fotolia.com
  
  Steel tube railings, designed and installed for safety, prevent people and objects from falling off tall buildings. Also, in many public stairways, steel tube railings provide a secure handhold for pedestrians. Many bridges also have steel tube railings to prevent cars from falling off. All states, cities, and municipalities have safety specifications for railings, and an architect or public designer follows these when drawing up the blueprints.
  
  

Height Requirements

• All states have a height requirement for the top rail. This is the height from the walking surface to the top of the rail, where a person's hand rests. For example, the state of Texas sets this height at 42 inches. Requirements may vary from state to state. An architect or civil engineer must find out what these requirements are before finalizing the blueprints..
  
  

Materials Requirements

• All steel tube is not created equal. Some is stronger, and some is weaker. This depends on a variety of factors, such as wall thickness, diameter of the tube, and the carbon content of the steel. The governing body's regulations usually specifies the strength of the steel. Many organizations rely on the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) for guidance. The ASTM's testing methods are extensive, but each type of steel has its own number assignment after testing. For example, the Bay Area Rapid Transit Authority of San Fransisco specifies that the steel used in public railings conform to ASTM A53, Type S, Grade A strength for public railings
  
  

Bridge Railing Requirements

• Many bridges have steel tubing for railings. This is an inexpensive, but yet effective method of providing safety on bridges. Many bridges use two, three, or even four tubes for the railings. Each state's department of transportation or highway safety sets the standards for railings. For example, the Oregon State Department of Transportation specifies square tube railing for bridges. The engineering department of the highway administration provides detailed specifications on the blueprints for the rails, such as height, the distance between rails, and method of anchoring to the roadway. For Oregon, the top rail is set at 2 feet 8 inches above the road surface. The construction company must follow the prints when installing the rails.