Security Bollards Offer a Variety of Protection

Most people probably pay little attention to the various devices that help to keep us safe on the road each day. Although traffic lights, stop signs, and painted traffic lanes play a prominent, high-profile, and sometimes frustrating role in our daily lives, there are many other safety devices that are just as important to road safety, but are much less obvious to the casual observer. For instance, guard rails keep traffic moving in opposite directions separated, staving off head-on collisions; and channelizers and traffic drums let drivers know that there is construction, to slow down, and exercise extreme caution. Bollards, despite their bright colors, are another great example of these more subtle safety devices. Bollards come in permanent, removable, and surface mount varieties.

 

Permanent Embedded Bollards

While there is a considerable amount of effort made to prevent vehicle collisions and road construction tragedies, there is also great attention paid to reducing the likelihood of vehicles destroying static objects or hitting pedestrians. Traffic bollards, while often hidden in plain sight, play an important role in protecting equipment such as exposed AC units, ATMs, parking garage ticket dispensers, and pedestrian lanes. In many cases, bollards are permanently embedded into the ground 3-4 feet below the surface (much like the way a basketball hoop is cemented in place). Embedded bollards are used in areas where there is little to no chance they would ever need to be removed. However, in certain situations, there is a need for bollard security to be more adaptive.

 

Removable Embedded Bollards

Although bollards can serve as a first line of security for truck docking stations and loading garage openings when not in use, they do little good if the use of a docking station or loading garage is denied by a permanently installed bollard. This is where removable embedded bollards can come in handy. Removable bollards offer the same amount of security as their static, permanently fixed cousins, but are quickly and easily removed when necessary. As such, they make for a perfect security addition in areas such as docking stations, preventing determined thieves and other unauthorized vehicles from backing up to loading stations. Of course, removability is only a desirable quality if it’s exclusive to the person or persons responsible for managing a warehouse or business. As such, embedded removable bollards have a locking mechanism which allows them to be securely removed and replaced by simply turning a key and removing a padlock. When removed, the empty hole can be covered by a built-in cover and locked in place.

 

Surface Mount Bollards

Surface mount bollards, also known as surface plate bollards, are permanently fixed to the ground. While they are placed in permanent places like their embedded brothers, they are not embedded into the ground, but instead bolted to concrete surfaces. Surface plate bollards are preferred over permanently embedded bollards in areas like multi-level parking garages as they don’t compromise the structural integrity of the foundation as much as the deep holes used in permanent embedding. Surface mount bollards are also optimal for adding crash security to areas that may have been overlooked during initial construction, or to protect quickly developed pedestrian lanes on city streets, saving the extra time and money needed to otherwise dig holes for permanent installation.
While technology will always continue to change our means of transporting people and goods, safety and security will always be needed. So until cars can fly, bollards will always serve a purpose in the ongoing endeavor to keep us safe during travel and supporting the transportation of goods needed to drive the American economy. And who knows, by that point bollards may have evolved as well- giving rise to air bollards to protect those soaring cars!

About the Author:
Pro Traffic Supply sells traffic safety devices, including all types of bollards, through their website, www.protrafficsupply.com. Pro Traffic supply has products featured on their website in stock at low prices, and all bollards are proudly made in the USA with quality, care, and attention to detail.