PRODUCTS / DRUMS & CONES
Drums & Cones
Traffic drums, channelizers, cones and delineators.
Channelizing devices are the guardrail of a work zone made out of plastic — they draw the line a driver follows through a taper and around the work. Drums, cones, tubular markers and vertical panels all do the same job at different sizes and for different speeds.
These are the highest-turnover items in traffic control: they get struck, run over, faded and lost. A-1 Barricades stocks them for purchase and rents them by the job for closures and events across the Chattanooga area.
What's in this category
- Traffic drums
- The 36-inch orange-and-white striped drum. The most visible channelizing device short of a barricade, and the standard on higher-speed roadway work.
- Traffic cones
- 18-inch through 36-inch cones, with and without reflective collars. The workhorse for lane closures, parking control and short-duration work.
- Tubular markers
- Narrow vertical channelizers for tight spaces and lane separation where a drum will not fit.
- Vertical panels
- Narrow striped panels used where lateral space is limited but a tall, visible device is still needed.
- Delineator posts
- Flexible posts that mark an edge or a lane line and rebound after being struck.
- Bases and ballast
- Recycled-rubber drum and post bases, cone weights and ring ballast.
HOW TO CHOOSE
Getting it right
Cone height tracks speed
Eighteen-inch cones are adequate for low-speed and daytime work. Once speeds exceed 40 mph, or the work runs at night, the MUTCD calls for a minimum 28-inch cone — and 28- and 36-inch cones with reflective collars are what agencies specify for freeway work. Buying short cones for a high-speed road is a false economy that will fail an inspection.
Drums outperform cones where you need to be seen
A 36-inch drum presents far more retroreflective area than a cone and stays upright in wind and turbulence from passing traffic. On multi-lane, higher-speed or long-duration setups, drums are the device that holds the taper.
Spacing is what makes a taper read
Devices spaced too far apart stop reading as a continuous line and drivers cut the corner. Taper spacing derives from the posted speed and the taper length in the traffic-control plan — closer through the taper, wider along the tangent.
AREAS SERVED
Where we work
Southeast Tennessee
- Chattanooga
- East Ridge
- Red Bank
- Soddy-Daisy
- Signal Mountain
- Hixson
- Ooltewah
- Collegedale
- Cleveland
- Dayton
- Jasper
Northwest Georgia
- Fort Oglethorpe
- Ringgold
- Dalton
- LaFayette
- Chickamauga
- Trenton
Northeast Alabama
- Bridgeport
- Stevenson
- Scottsboro
FAQ
Drums & Cones questions
- What size traffic cone do I need?
- Match cone height to speed and lighting. The MUTCD sets a minimum of 18 inches for general daytime use, and a minimum of 28 inches where speeds exceed 40 mph or where cones are used at night. Higher-speed roadway work commonly specifies 28-inch or 36-inch cones with retroreflective collars so they return light to headlights at distance.
- When should I use drums instead of cones?
- Use drums when visibility and stability matter most — higher speeds, multiple lanes, nighttime work, or any setup that will stand for days rather than hours. A drum is at least 36 inches tall with wide retroreflective stripes, so it reads from much farther away than a cone and resists being blown or blasted out of position by passing traffic.
- How far apart should channelizing devices be spaced?
- Spacing comes from the traffic-control plan and scales with posted speed: devices sit closer together through a taper, where drivers are being moved laterally, and can be spaced farther along the straight run beside the work. The governing idea is that the devices must read as a continuous line rather than as separate objects.
- Are traffic cones and drums available to rent?
- Yes. Cones, drums and channelizing devices are among the most commonly rented items for closures, paving projects and events, because quantities spike for a few days and then are not needed again. Call (423) 265-3054 with dates and quantities.
Need gear on site?
Call for a quote, to reserve rentals, or to check stock. The people who answer the phone know the equipment.