Bollards and Bollard Covers Explained
What are bollards and bollard covers?
Safety is always an issue for property owners and facility managers. Some protective features are obvious. For instance, every building can benefit from a fire detection and suppression system. However, other areas are less straightforward.
Parking lots are particularly challenging. The National Safety Council (NSC) points out how dangerous parking lots can be. Factors like poor lighting, inadequate surface markings and a lack of signage can increase the odds of pedestrian injuries. Property managers and owners need to ensure that their lots have the right safety features to limit the chances of pedestrian accidents and vehicle collisions.
Quality design, signage, surface markings and crosswalks can help enhance parking lot safety. More subtle features like bollards can also go a long way to make parking lots safer. These mounted or embedded posts protect specific areas or structures. They can also serve as redundancies in case other protective features fail.
Here is a closer look at bollards and bollard covers and how they can improve the safety of your facility.
What is a bollard?
Bollards are vertical posts or pillars used for traffic control or security. They’re made from steel, concrete, cast iron or plastic polymers. While most are embedded in the ground using a base such as cement, some have bolts or cone-like bases and are removable. Others have a spring-core base so they can collapse if struck by a vehicle, then pop back up without causing damage.
Bollards are particularly useful for specialized applications in parking lots and around buildings. These posts are ideal for all of the following applications.
- Traffic control: Bollards are one of the best devices for restricting vehicle access to certain areas or forcing vehicles to travel in one direction for better traffic flow. Because they’re not connected, the bollards still allow pedestrians and cyclists to pass through the area.
- Safety: Bollards improve pedestrian safety by blocking vehicles from walking areas and dividing traffic flow to avoid head-on collisions. The posts can also sit at the entrance to pedestrian-only areas to provide redundant protection.
- Security: Bollards restrict vehicle access to sensitive areas. They may prevent attackers from using cars to harm people or damage the building or critical systems such as electrical and gas lines.
- Lighting: In addition to providing traffic control or safety, bollards can hold lights to illuminate crosswalks or pedestrian areas.
- Decoration: Bollards can also serve as design elements with lights, different colors, aesthetic coverings or other enhancements.
Bollards can have dual purposes. For instance, they protect pedestrians while also improving the look of an outdoor area.
Different types of bollards
Bollards serve different purposes, but their design varies based on their purpose and placement. For instance, bollards sitting at the end of parking spaces have different features than those that block off pedestrian areas from vehicle traffic.
Here’s a look at the four main types of bollards.
- Removable bollards provide a lot of versatility. The post slides into and out of a mounting sleeve embedded in the ground. These products are useful for providing traffic control during busy times, or they can temporarily block off areas for events or pedestrian-only use.
- Fold-down bollards feature an attached base with a locking mechanism that allows the user to retract and extend them as needed. The base is bolted to the ground, making them semi-permanent. These bollards are ideal for events and for allowing access to delivery and maintenance vehicles while blocking regular traffic.
- Fixed bollards are anchored in concrete or bolted to anchors in the ground. They provide a more solid barrier than their movable peers and are ideal for traffic control, pedestrian protection or security. They can also guard critical equipment or electrical or gas components.
- Flexible bollards are mounted on the ground using bolts. Instead of being solid, the base has a spring that allows it to move. It bends at the base if hit by a vehicle bumper and then snaps back into place when the vehicle pulls back. These bollards are ideal for marking the end of parking spaces.
You can further enhance your bollards with specialized covers that increase visibility and bring other features.
What is a bollard cover?
Bollard covers, also known as bollard sleeves, wrap around or slip over existing bollards. They consist of durable, weatherproof materials like high-density polyethylene, polyurethane or plastic. The sleeves can also be made of steel to further enhance the strength of the bollard.
Bollard covers serve different purposes, and property managers and building owners need to choose the cover that meets their specific needs.
The benefits of bollard covers
There are different reasons to enhance bollards with covers. The following benefits make bollard covers a good investment for your parking lot.
- Protect bollards from damage: Covers feature durable materials that protect the post underneath from the elements. For instance, a polyethylene sleeve protects a metal post from corrosion, moisture and impact.
- Increase visibility: Reflective bollard covers allow drivers to see the posts better at night. Meanwhile, bright colors enhance visibility in all conditions for both drivers and pedestrians.
- Enhance safety: Some covers, such as steel sleeves, enhance the structural integrity of the bollard and help it remain upright after being struck by a vehicle.
- Better aesthetics: Covers are an effective way to improve the look of bollards. You might choose colored bollard covers to match the tones of your building or use steel or dark sleeves to turn the posts into design elements.
While aesthetic considerations may be important, ultimately, bollard covers save you money by protecting your bollards and lengthening their lifespan so that you don’t have to purchase replacements.
How to choose bollard covers for your needs
Different bollard covers have different benefits and features. You need to define your requirements and find products that meet them. The following variables are important when researching bollard covers before your purchase.
- Decide if the materials can stand up to the environment: Consider temperature, UV exposure and potential wear and tear from getting bumped by vehicles.
- Assess the importance of visibility: Decide if the bollards need to be seen at night or in low-light environments.
- Consider circumference and height requirements: The cover needs to fit the bollard’s size. However, adjustable height covers offer some flexibility in this area.
- Define aesthetic requirements: Covers are available in different colors and designs. You need to decide on a look and ensure it does not compromise the functionality of the cover.
Bollards and bollard covers help you address safety problems in parking lots and other parts of your property. However, you can only realize these advantages if you select products with the materials, design and features that meet your requirements.
