Bollards come in different types depending on the purpose for which it is being made. For traffic control in the highways, one would prefer a permanent or retractable bollard. Permanent bollards are made in such a way that they cannot easily break even under high pressure from big trucks and other heavy machines. Retractable bollards can bend when under pressure but will get back to their position. The materials used here are of high quality and strong rubber. Most of the permanent bollards are made of concrete mixed with strong metal bars and other strong materials that make it firm and durable.
Continue reading and see how bollards are made
The bollard design
Today’s bollard design is borrowed from the military. They are designed to block huge trucks from running through the blockades. Whether you are designing a bollard to block a large truck or one that would prevent small vehicles from intruding your garage, the design is the same. Here, you must bring to focus the vehicle you’re trying to stop, it’s ‘crush’ impact and the flexibility of the bollard.
Considerations
You need to have the impact load of the vehicle you’re trying to stop at a given speed. Here, you need to consider the terrain and the steepness. Check if your driveway, for example, is inclined, that may mean you add more resistance due to a higher impact of a speeding vehicle.
Strengthening the bollard
For a stronger bollard, you need an 8-inch pipe and fill it with concrete- then embed it some 4-feet down the concrete. That can stop a 5000-pound car moving at approximately 40mph. ideally, the pipe should be at least three feet high, which matches bumper heights of most cars. The concrete that fills up the pipe should be highly concentrated to give it the required firmness.
Use of steel pipes
One of the things you must get right is that any concrete bollard can be easily run through by most of the vehicles with high impact. That is why you need a strong steel pipe that you can fill up with the concrete. Although the concrete adds not much strength in resisting the impact, it helps the pipe in resisting collapsing when under high impact.
Bollard covers
If you are concerned with preventing scratches in case the car accidentally hits the bollard, you then have to consider some covers. There are very good plastic covers available in some reliable companies like Steelmark today. You have a variety for every diameter and therefore, depending on your color choice and other preferences, you can make your choice. However, brighter colors are more preferred; red and yellow bollards are highly visible and therefore better choices.
Things to note when constructing bollards
-Consider the vehicle speed based on the slope and the distance involved in the acceleration. For parking stores, ensure that your calculations don’t go under 10mph speed.
-Based on the ceiling height, when choosing the vehicular weight. For facilities with less than eight feet, the weight should be at least 6000 pounds and the vehicle weight can be increased based on the regulator’s requirements.
When designing bollards, you need to ask yourself questions around the weight of the vehicle, the height of the ceiling and the steepness of your garage. For the best bollards, get a reputable company that has years of experience in the industry.
