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Tactile ground surface indicators carry only two messages. A field of raised domes says: stop, there is a hazard or a decision to make. A line of raised bars says: this is the route, follow it. Understanding those two messages, and never mixing them up, is the basis of every tactile layout.
Warning studs are round domes (MetalX: Ø35 mm, 4.5 mm high) installed on a 50 mm grid to form a field. The field is typically 600 mm deep in the direction of travel and spans the full width of the hazard. Warning studs are used at:
MetalX supplies warning studs in stainless steel, brass, aluminium and polyurethane, plus integrated tiles with 36 studs.
Directional strips are elongated bars (MetalX: 280 × 35 × 4.5 mm) laid parallel to the direction of travel at 75 mm centres, four bars across a 300 mm-wide path. They are used to:
Strips are available in stainless steel, brass, aluminium and PU.
A guiding path never simply stops. It ends in a warning field that tells the user a decision is needed. At a T-junction, a square warning field marks the junction; at a staircase, the path leads to the 600 mm warning field before the first step. Keep the two patterns distinct: never use bars as a warning or domes as a route.
| Rule | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Warning field depth | 600 mm (ADA 610 mm) across full hazard width |
| Setback from stair nosing / platform edge | About 300 mm (AS/NZS 1428.4.1: 300 ± 10 mm) |
| Stud spacing | 50 mm centres, square grid |
| Bar spacing | 75 mm centres, parallel to travel |
| Guiding path width | 300 mm (600 mm in large concourses) |
| Clearance from walls | At least 30 mm; 600 mm from obstacles where possible |
| Decision-point field | Square, path width × path width, or 600 × 600 mm |
Always confirm values against the governing standard; see our standards comparison.
Because MetalX studs and strips are both 4.5 mm high and are made in the same materials and finishes, a complete layout feels consistent underfoot and looks consistent to the eye. Order both from the same batch for matched finish.
Warning indicators are domes laid in a grid that signal a hazard or decision point. Directional indicators are bars laid parallel to the route that signal the path to follow.
At the top and bottom of stairs, escalators and ramps, at platform edges, kerb ramps and crossings, at level changes and at decision points along guiding paths.
300 mm (four bars at 75 mm centres) is standard; 600 mm is used in large concourses and plazas.
No. The two patterns carry different messages and must not be interchanged. A guiding path should always end in a warning field.
Grade selection, surface patterns, fixing methods and the dimensional requirements of the major standards, in one guide for specifiers.
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