Ever hear your grandmother tell you to walk with someone closer to the traffic than you? We certainly have. She said this to ensure safety and keep a safe distance between you and the vehicles or trucks that could be speeding by as they pass. Keeping a safe distance between pedestrians and vehicles is of the utmost importance to us at Blockaides — that’s why we provide bollards to help you keep this safe distance.
Bollards provide safe separation between vehicles and pedestrians along the road and in other areas. These roadside bollards also make for great tools to restrict vehicle access to certain streets, spaces or other parts of your property. You can use them to block vehicles from important structures, like a building.
If a vehicle collides with a bollard, it will be a minor or low-impact accident. Read more to find out the importance of bollards, including more information on how they respond to an impact from a vehicle.
Whether it’s a low-impact, flexible, removable or decorative bollard, these posts are usually bolted firmly into the ground. Planting bollards with a plate attached to the ground with bolts or anchors ensures the posts are sturdy and firm. Higher impact bollards typically have deeply embedded footings to maximize their strength, and their resistance is based on the physics of the underground anchoring system.
Engineered footings sunk into the substrate assist the crash-rated bollard with its impact capabilities. Their cutting-edge bases also give them an impressive stopping force, making this type of bollard superior for protection and safety in the case of an on-road accident.
Another factor that reinforces a bollard’s strength is its steel-coated, concrete-filled exterior. Once you install and implant this type of bollard in the ground, it becomes a powerful, almost unmovable force, according to the laws of science.
A one-class lever pivots around a fulcrum to provide substantial force. The ground becomes the bollard’s fulcrum once you sink the post into the substrate. If a vehicle or other force impacts the bollard, the post pivots around the lip of the ground. Then the bollard pushes back against the concrete and earth, lifting in the alternate direction. However, if seeded deep enough into the ground, the bollard could remain unmoved despite the impact.
Not all bollards are made the same way. We offer several types of bollards, each with unique methods and applications. Every bollard type is constructed with a specific purpose in mind, such as fixed, transportable or collapsible configurations.
Removable bollards require flexibility and portability. Owners often use these bollards to control site access at public or private settings and require posts that they can simply unlock, lift and move around whenever necessary.
Similarly, you can easily fold and move collapsible bollards to restrict or allow the flow of vehicle or pedestrian traffic in certain areas. Transportable and collapsed bollards don’t require permanent installation, so you can easily move them from place to place for your traffic deliniation applications.
If you need to post bollards for years-long installations or permanent structures, you’re looking for fixed bollards. You can install these types of bollards directly into the ground with deep bases so they can prevent crashes and separate cars from pedestrians. These fixed posts are excellent for areas that are well known for having regular heavy traffic.
An anti-ram bollard provides even more resistance than most other types of bollards. How do these heavy-duty bollards work? Instead of the regular steel exterior, this anti-ram bollard type has additional reinforcements to further increase its strength. The impressively strong core ensures the post won’t fracture upon impact — making this bollard the strongest type on the market. This deterrent prevents vehicles from infiltrating restricted spaces beyond the anti-ram fence and protects pedestrians on walkways from passing vehicles.
Additionally, we offer non-attack-resistant and attack-resistant anti-ram bollards. Non-attack bollards are primarily useful around regular drivers who may have accidents or make mistakes in traffic. These bollards help make the streetscape more predictable with their safe and secure design. On the other hand, some properties may face people who plan to carry out attacks and incite property damage and destruction. Attack-resistant anti-ram bollards can help owners protect their buildings and possessions from intentional vehicle damage.
Crash-resistant bollards protect high-target buildings from attack. The most important aspect of this type of bollard is in its placement, as you need to set this fencing at enough distance that a potential threat cannot get in close proximity to the building to avoid possibly explosive damage. Staggered placement can also make these bollards more effective.
These crash-resistant bollards are quickly becoming popular in cities around the world, especially among government and military buildings and settings. These buildings are important institutions that often receive threats, thus it’s necessary to install reliable bollards for their protection.
In short, bollards are excellent tools to maximize the security and protection around your building or property, no matter the type or scale. These versatile posts also give you the freedom and flexibility to direct traffic and keep pedestrians safe.
If you’d like to learn more about the different types of bollards and all of the options we have available, please browse our site. We’re happy to help you throughout the process, from learning more about bollards to considering which option is best for your application. You can get in touch with us today to get started.