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Infrastructure myths: debunked

Challenging outdated assumptions in street furniture and highways projects

In the world of civils, highways, and traffic infrastructure, old-fashioned methods are still commonplace.

These legacy ways of working often drive knowledge gaps. In turn, contractors can see slower projects, inflated costs, and increased disruption.

At NAL, we’re tackling some of the industry’s most common myths head-on. So, with that in mind, here’s a look at how the right foundation system can change everything in street furniture and highways projects.

Infrastructure myths

  • Myth 1: You can’t avoid large, deep excavations for street furniture foundations

    Reality: NAL shallow foundations offer the same security with less depth – meaning faster installs, less disruption, and reduced reinstatement costs.

     

     

    Our shallow foundation retention socket secures all types of street furniture with minimal excavation. Its reusable design ensures a quick and cost-effective replacement in the event of an impact.

     

    Benefits:

    • Install in even the most challenging shallow ground locations
    • Remove or replace furniture easily with just a key and a spanner
    • Withstand unlimited impacts of any force at just 300mm deep
    • Eliminate the need for disruptive and costly civil works
    • Save time, cost, money, and carbon through long-lasting safety and efficiency gains

  • Myth 2: You need to replace bollards after impact

    Reality: NAL’s X-Last bollards are impact-resistant. They can withstand over 1000 repeated impacts, absorbing and dissipating energy.

     

     

    Concrete and steel bollards are often left critically damaged after impact. In turn, this compromises site safety, aesthetics, and budgets – with repeat groundworks required to resolve.

     

    NAL’s X-Last bollards provide a solution. The product enhances safety measures, optimises maintenance budgets and supports site operation.

    • Returns to its original shape within 30 minutes of a collision
    • Sustains no permanent damage
    • Complies to EN12767with a classification of NE4

  • Myth 3: Removing a column means digging out the whole foundation

    Reality: NAL retention sockets let you remove street furniture without breaking ground. The foundation stays in place while you simply lift the asset out.

     

     

    Our system avoids the cost and mess of traditional reinstatements:

    • Replace assets in minutes using a key and spanner
    • No repeat civils, no damage to surrounding surfaces
    • Minimal public disruption and downtime
    • Reduced time, carbon emissions, and resources
    • Options to suit all street furniture types
    • Adapt layouts for temporary events or markets
    • Leave in place for 100 years (equivalent to 4 street furniture life cycles)

  • Myth 4: You must break base seal to replace cables

    Reality: NAL’s Controller Cabinet Base enables the rapid removal of damaged cables, reducing maintenance time on-site.

     

     

    With our solution, you can:

    • Remove damaged cables without breaking ground
    • Feed cables directly to the cabinet via a fully-ducted system
    • Easily add new cables during site upgrades
    • Significantly reduce maintenance time and disruption

    Our solution enhances the installation and maintenance of all standard UK and European traffic signal cabinets. Coupled with NAL’s retention socket and STAKKAbox™ access chambers, you get a streamlined, fully-ducted system. The result is removed  pain-points for installers and maintenance teams.

The bottom line

Whether it’s street furniture, street lighting or traffic infrastructure, outdated installation assumptions are holding the industry back. NAL’s innovative foundation systems challenge the legacy. We help deliver faster installs, reduced costs, minimal disruption, and true future-proofing.

If you’re ready to replace myths with smarter infrastructure solutions, we’re here to help.


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