1. (a) A barrier may consist of guardrail, fence, berm, barricade, or other devices that in the opinion of the department will prevent the normal passage of vehicular traffic from entering a quarry or pit.
2. (b) Barriers shall be located as near as practicable to the edge of the quarry or pit section identified as being in hazardous proximity to a public road.

3. (c) The height of a barrier must reach a height of at least:

   1. (1) 42 inches for quarries and pits located less than 50 feet of the roadway edge; or
   2. (2) 27 inches for quarries and pits located 50 to 200 feet from the roadway edge.
4. (d) A barrier must have openings to the extent necessary for travel on the premises and for public road drainage, although drainage paths must be covered with protective material, substantial enough to turn away a motor vehicle.

5. (e) Construction material and design standards.

   1. (1) Berms shall be constructed of material of sufficient consistency to resist weathering and inhibit erosion or sloughing, with a top width of no less than two feet and side slopes being in a ratio of two units in the horizontal direction to one unit in the vertical direction.
   2. (2) Line posts for guardrails may be either wood or metal. Wooden posts shall be treated and no less than six inches in diameter. Metal posts shall be rolled or welded steel of the specification W6x8.5 or W6x9.0, as stated in American Institute for Steel Construction specifications for W-shape beams.
   3. (3) Line posts for a 42-inch barrier shall be no less than 84 inches long with no less than 42 inches in the ground. Line posts for a 27-inch barrier shall be no less than 66 inches long with no less than 38 inches in the ground. Steel posts shall be set in concrete. The line posts shall be spaced no more than six feet three inches apart.
   4. (4) Rail elements shall be of steel construction fabricated to develop continuous beam strength and be formed into not less than 12 inches wide and three inches deep. The rail thickness shall be of no less than 12 gauge.
   5. (5) Rail elements shall be placed facing the public road. At least two rail elements shall be mounted on the vertical line posts for a 42-inch safety barrier. The bottom edge of the lower rail shall be 12 inches above the ground for a 42-inch barrier and 15 inches above the ground for a 27-inch barrier. The rails shall be spaced six inches apart.
   6. (6) Rail elements shall be attached to the line posts by means of nuts and bolts which completely penetrate the line posts. Nuts and bolts shall conform to the requirements of ASTM Designation A307.

Source Note:The provisions of this §21.707 adopted to be effective July 15, 2004, 29 TexReg 6734.