Bollard selection guide
What is a Bollard?
Bollards are short vertical posts that are designed to restrict traffic movement and protect people and property from vehicle intrusions. Polite bollards are well known to assist in the ram-raid protection of shop, car parks, gardens, streets and more. Alongside their protective qualities, bollards are also used as boundary markers and architectural ornamentation.
What are the main functions of Bollards?
1) Security and protection
The main use of bollards in Australia is to provide protection and security. In particular, they are typically used to provide crash prevention and protect property and pedestrians. Polite Bollards come in a range of materials, weights, construction methods depending on the application. Polite’s White Knight Impact Resistant Bollards provide an enhanced level of safety involving cars travelling at up to 60km/h.
2) Visual barrier
Bollards provide a visual indicator to traffic and pedestrians to regulate vehicle and pedestrian access to areas. This is done by using multiple bollards to reduce the space available or by using brightly coloured bollards.
3) Architectural ornamentation
Polite is one of few Australian manufacturers that can design and install custom bollards. Out custom bollards can be designed around the specific design requirements of your building or external landscaping.
What are the main types of Bollards?
1) Embedded Bollards
Embedded Bollards are embedded deep into the ground to increase strength and security. They are much more secure than surface-mounted bollards and are generally offer increased impact resistance.
Polite’s embedded bollards include Heavy Duty In-Ground Bollard.
2) Surface mounted bollards
Surface-mounted bollards use an anchor system, typically mechanical, to mount the bollard to the surface. Although this is an inexpensive method of installation, it also is not as secure as embedded bollards. Upon impact, the anchors are often the weakest point and can give way, resulting in replacement or repairs. This type of Bollard is primarily used as a visual barrier and is much more cost-effective than embedded bollards.
3) Rebounding bollards
Polite Flexi bollards are designed to flex in any direction when impacted to minimize damage to vehicles. Designed specifically to be able to be used where motor vehicles are manoeuvring at low speeds such as car parking spaces etc.
Being flexible, costly replacements are reduced as the impact is less damaging to the bollard. Polite Flexible Bollards look like ordinary steel to the untrained eye but are equipped with a unique polymer rubber insert allowing the bollard to flex up to a 45-degree angle. Base plated bollards are designed for fixing directly to the concrete surface. In-ground versions are available for other substrates. Flexible bollards are available in standard (90mm diameter) and Heavy-duty (165mm diameter) models and are powder coated yellow. (custom colours available on request). Stainless steel 304 or 316 versions are also available.
4) Retractable / Removable Bollards
Retractable and removable bollards have been designed to allow authorised vehicles access to the area normally denied by the bollard. Bollards can either be removed manually with either Top Locking Retractable Bollards, Key Lock Collapsible Bollards or Standard Collapsible Bollards.
