Solutions in Information and Control

One of Dambach’s primary concerns deals with the aspect of safety on our roads today.  It is because of this that Dambach have designed and developed a range of safety related products to assist in reducing road traffic incidents and make the UK transportation network a safer place to be.

One of the aims is to reduce incidents concerning the collision of high-sided vehicles, mainly buses and lorries, with low clearance bridges.  This system is called the Overheight Vehicle Detection (OVD) system.  It works by installing two sets of infrared detectors and an inductive loop in advance of the warning sign.  The detectors are mounted in opposed pair format, i.e. each post supports one transmitter and one receiver and are usually mounted slightly under the signed height of the bridge.

 The warning sign usually has one message, instructing the driver of the best way to avoid the bridge, i.e. 'Divert Right’.  Also provided is a controller cabinet on a concrete base at a suitable location within the system area.

In order to make the system unidirectional, two beams are used, i.e. the system will only react to overheight vehicles travelling in the direction of the bridge.

The detectors are aligned using the cross hairs in the sighting lens, which is located in the top of each head.

As a safeguard against spurious beam breaks by tree branches, birds, etc. one standard inductive loop is installed in each lane of the bridge approach carriageway beneath the beam paths.  Detection is therefore achieved by a break in beam ‘A’ followed by a break in beam ‘B’ plus a presence on the loop(s).  The sign is located between the detector position and the bridge and is ‘targeted’ towards oncoming traffic.

On receipt of a ‘detect' signal from the controller, the legend will illuminate and the amber lanterns will flash in vertical pairs.
 

Detectors are mounted on posts in opposite pair format, i.e. each post supports one transmitter and one receiver.

Dambach UK Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dambach Werke GmbH.  The UK Company was formed in 1989 to promote the product range offered by the parent company.  Since that time Dambach UK have expanded and developed that product range and have been supplying a comprehensive variety of variable message signs to the UK and Ireland.