Rail connectors & joints

What it is

Rail connectors are what make the system modular: every joint between rails – along a run, at a corner, at a junction or at a change of slope – is made by a fitting that slides over the tube and is locked with set screws. World Steel fabricates the fittings from heavy-wall tube and plate, so they are as strong as the rail and galvanized like the rest of the system.

Range

Design and compliance

The fittings transfer the rail load to the stanchion; their wall thickness and set-screw size are chosen so the joint is not the weak point under the OSHA, AS/NZS 1170.1 or EN 1991-1-1 barrier loads. Set screws are tightened to the torque on the installation sheet and can be secured against loosening where vibration is expected.

Installation and selection

• Slide the fitting onto the rail, position it and tighten the set screws to the stated torque.
• Use splices at expansion joints and at every rail length change.
• Order fittings by code with the rail OD.

Fabrication and finishing at World Steel

Every WS modular handrail component is made in the World Steel plant in Vietnam: tube and bar are cut on saws to the component schedule, stanchions are welded to base plates, brackets or socket spigots on jigs so that rail heights repeat exactly, and fittings are fabricated from heavy-wall tube and plate, drilled and tapped for their locking screws. Welding follows qualified procedures under ISO 3834-2 and the AS/NZS 5131 and EN 1090-2 systems our certifications cover.

Components are then hot-dip galvanized as single pieces – which is only possible because the system is modular – giving full internal and external zinc coverage with no site welds to repair afterwards. A safety-yellow or architectural topcoat can follow. Parts are marked with their WS code, bagged by type and packed by area for export shipping, together with the structural steel or on their own.