What are the benefits of installing a bollard?
The bollard is the most popular and effective way in ensuring access control: from preventing cars from impeding onto pedestrian areas to assisting in theft prevention from home and workplace.
Pittman® work with professional manufacturers ensuring the best quality, speedy delivery and highly competitive prices. Depending on the type of bollard you wish to install you can use them to block traffic from entering an area on a permanent or temporary basis, protect nearby assets, highlight nearby infrastructure, deter theft of vehicles and even provide a professional finish to premises.
Choose from the UK's widest range of bollards, including plastic bollards for cost-effective car park and road delineation.
What kind of bollard do I need?
Flexible Bollards: also known as impact recovery bollards, flexible bollards bend on impact to reduce damage. They are perfect for delineation of traffic lanes, preventing unauthorised parking or highlighting a hazard. Damage is greatly reduced to both the car and the bollard due to the flexible material. Traffic bollards are highly suited to public roads and car parks and are usually flexible in nature to reduce vehicle impact damage
Best-seller: Flexbrite Flexible Bollard 1000mm Orange White
Fold-Down Parking Posts: come fitted with a hinge at the base, allowing the bollard to fold flat to the ground, allowing temporary access until the bollard is locked once again in the upright position. These fold-down posts are perfect for protecting a car park space, restricting access (e.g. only the delivery driver has the key) or even for theft prevention. However, remember when the bollard is in the down position, it is lying flat on the ground – will this present a trip hazard if left down for prolonged amounts of time in a pedestrianised area? Best-seller: Autobahn Folding Parking Post
Removable Bollards: can reduce the trip hazard highlighted above as when access is needed for the area, the bollard is removed and not left in the “down” / flat position, but rather put to one side. Again these removable bollards are widely used for access control on both temporary and permanent basis. Best-seller: Autobahn Removable Steel Post
Retractable Bollards: these bollards typically sink into ground remaining flush with the surface when access is required – they offer the ultimate convenience: no trip hazard as with the fold-down and no “where do I store when not in use” challenge of the removable bollard. The one potential downside is that there will almost certainly be a lot more excavation associated with the installation of a retractable bollard…. Maybe not a big problem if you are installing a new yard.
Fixed Bollards: really just do what they say on the tin. These are bollards that will be left permanently in place by either fixing with bolts, or concreting in.
Fixed bollards are the solution to separating cars from pedestrian areas or providing an anti-ram deterrent on a forecourt or retail development. Best-seller: Semi Dome Stainless Steel Bollard
Specific requirements may require a particular bollard type. Choose from a wide range of bollards and posts to suit the area. To find out what kind of bollard you need, first, answer some questions about the site.
- What type of area are you installing the bollards in?
- Will access be required by vehicles at any point?
- What are you protecting assets from?
- What do you specifically need the bollards to do?
Choose from a wide range of bollard types including -
- Flexible bollards
- Fold-down bollards
- Removable bollards
- Retractable bollards
- Street bollards
- Stainless steel bollards
- Warehouse bollards
Bollards should be as high as the on-site requirement needs. The standard height for bollards is between 750mm and 1000mm high. Most drivers eye levels will be between 1200-1300mm high when seated in the car, therefore 1000mm high bollards are generally well-seen. Anything lower than 750mm risks being out of the driver's eye line and below the height of the vehicle itself.
The taller the bollards are the more likely they are to be seen by drivers and pedestrians. Bollards standing at 1000mm high will be seen in vehicle mirrors and will be less likely to suffer from impacts. Reflective bands will also increase the visibility of the bollards even further. Shorter bollards may suit areas with pedestrian-only activity. However, shorter bollards may also increase trip hazards in the area.
If you require a stronger steel bollard consider a wider option as opposed to a taller option. A wider bollard will provide a sturdier foundation and is much stronger than most thinner options. Sub-surface mounted bollards will also provide increased strength against ramming and impacts from vehicles. This trait is essential for bollards used in warehouse settings, as theft deterrents or in anti-terrorism uses.
Installing bollards will depend on two main factors -
- The area you are installing the bollard
- The type of bollard you are installing
- Risk assessment of the area
Bolt-down bollards
- Measure the area if installing multiple bollards
- Space bollards out approximately 1 metre apart (or to as per your risk assessment)
- Put bollard in place and mark pre-drilled holes
- Remove bollard and drill holes using appropriate drill bit size
- Place bollard back in position and tighten fixings into place
Removable Bollards and Retractable bollards
- Measure area for the bollard installation
- Dig out the appropriate area for the bollard casing socket to be placed in (approximately 1-foot x 1-foot should suffice)
- Cast the socket in concrete and fill the entire space completely
- Insert the bollard into the socket (pull bollard up into position if retractable)
The hot-dip galvanising process involves chemically cleaning the bollards to remove any rust, oil or mill from the structure. Once complete, the bollards lower into a molten hot bath of zinc. The entire process provides a toughened outer layer on the steel. It dramatically reduces the risk of rusting and corrosion compared to standard galvanising.
Powder coating is a process in which the bollards are painted using dry powder. The paint is applied electrostatically and dried under heat. Powder-coated paint allows bollards to be more resistant to chips and scratches. In addition, the process provides a more even coat, reduces drip marks on the bollard, and provides excellent long term colour retention.
Bollards can be rated for use on public roads or motorways or for car park or private road use only. It is essential to know where you plan to install the bollards or where your project will be. Highway-rated bollards like the Impact Recovery Systems range are tested against being struck regularly at high speeds and are suitable for British motorways.
Off-highway bollards like the Flexbrite Flexible Bollards range are more suited to private roads or car parks where they may withstand very low-speed impacts.
Stainless steel bollards come in two grades – 304 and 316. Aesthetically, there is no apparent difference between the two. However, 316 stainless steel has an additional chemical (molybdenum) that reduces the risk of salt corrosion. This added protection means that the 316 grade is better suited to sea-side environments.
