A bollard is a short post used to create a protective or architectural perimeter. They come in a wide variety of shapes and styles to accentuate or visually stand out in their settings. Bollards can be made from almost any substance, depending on their needed function, but the most common bollards are metal, stone, cement, or plastic.
The differentiation of bollards is made on its nature of use-
Traffic bollards are used to guide traffic toward appropriate areas while ensuring clear sightlines and allowing pedestrian access. They can guide cars by creating roadway demarcation, or prevent access to restricted areas like bike lanes, public squares, and traffic islands.
In many landscapes and properties, decorative bollards are used to define distinct pedestrian areas. Bollards can be used to contain a playground or park, allowing easy access but discouraging its use as a throughway. A line of bollards around a construction may define its perimeter and add architectural flair.
Lighted bollards can line and illuminate a pedestrian pathway at night. Solar-powered lighting is becoming the most frequently used form of lighting bollard since each unit functions on its own with very little maintenance. When linked with chain, a line of bollards can encourage pedestrians to stay on marked paths, without forming a closed barrier that prevents all crossing.
On roadway construction zones, temporary bollards can be placed to define and protect the work area from traffic. They are usually spaced closely, to provide a continual visual edge to the oncoming traffic. These bollards are usually made of flexible brightly color plastic ringed in reflective tape, and sit on removable rubber bases.
Security bollards are also visual guides to pedestrians and traffic but are additionally built to resist vehicle impact. Many security bollards are made of steel and filled with concrete but can be decorated with the aesthetics of an area in mind with either paint or for a wider range of styles, with bollard covers.
Ram-raiding is a version of “smash-and-grab” burglary in which a heavy vehicle is driven through the windows or doors of a closed shop so that the perpetrators can loot many high-value items in a short period of time. Security bollards are an affordable way for these locations to prevent the possibility of ram-raiding.
They often have a post-and-arm shape, where two bike-locking-arms circle the central post. Modern designs sometimes feature channels that go right through the post, specified to allow u-locks or chains. Bicycle parking-bollards take a cue from the mooring function of marine bollards, providing a hitching post for secure short-term bike lock-up.
It is durable and is a well-loved traditional substance for ornamentation and enhancement to architecture, which makes it a top choice for many applications. Cast iron is the most common substance from which traditionally-styled bollards are constructed. Cast iron bollards are heavy enough to be used in standalone applications or can be used as covers for steel-and-concrete security posts.
Steel is an iron alloy that is lighter and more impact resistant than cast or ductile iron. Structural grade steel is often used in security bollards, filled with concrete, but standard steel is also often used to create decorative bollards for standalone applications, or bollard covers in security bollard installations.
Stainless steel bollards have a sleek, functional, contemporary look. The metal can be left exposed in its distinguished silver-grey or can be powder-coated with color to fit in with the surrounding aesthetic. They have a high level of weather resistance and can be used in an application where the weather is a concern.
Concrete can be used in conjunction with steel pipe bollards or embedded rebar to create impact-resistant security-bollards or can be formed on its own to create attractive bollards appropriate to certain architectural styles. Whether or not a concrete bollard is installed to be impact protective, concrete’s imposing profile and inherent weight make it a clear guide to traffic.
Aluminum is lightweight and malleable, making it a good choice in the design of removable, decorative bollards. If dented or scratched, the oxidization of aluminum usually leads to speckling in a similar shade, which is less noticeable than the high-contrast red rust that can develop on iron or standard steel.
Polyurethane is a polymer composite that makes a flexible bollard that is durable, UV resistant, and maintains integrity even in variable weather conditions. Poly bollards are usually installed when function and cost take priority over architectural style.
Polyurethane is often seen in parking lots, along medians, and can be used for delimiting lanes. Polyurethane is shatterproof and comes in eye-catching colors, as well as dark shade for architectural applications. It is often accented with reflective tape for maximum visibility in all conditions.
Stand-alone polyethylene bollards are usually found in construction and parking applications as a low-cost and low-maintenance option. Bollard covers are where plastic’s merits really shine. Unlike polyurethane, plastic is inflexible and can shatter on impact. Plastic is UV resistant and durable.
However, pressure-treated wood bollards are sometimes selected in wooded or park areas, where the wood echoes the natural surroundings. Wood bollards are less common than the other bollard forms, providing very little impact resistance and being more susceptible to weathering. Carved wood is sometimes used decoratively in artistic bollard installations.
Bollards have become a ubiquitous part of the modern landscape. Planners and architects use them to manage both pedestrian and vehicle traffic enhances landscape and architecture, light pedestrian pathways, secure and protect buildings and people, and offer bike parking. Bollards are also now being used indoors, in warehouses, for asset protection.