Bollard Installation

Few people understand bollards’ crucial role in ensuring safety and security within parking facilities. Bollards, those unassuming yet essential elements found throughout parking lots, serve as steadfast guardians, protecting pedestrians, structures, and vehicles alike. These sturdy posts, often constructed with heavy-duty materials such as concrete, are strategically placed to control traffic flow, prevent unauthorized access, and mitigate potential accidents or collisions. As experts in parking lot maintenance, we recognize the importance of bollards and offer comprehensive services to ensure their optimal functionality and appearance. They make for maintaining safe and efficient parking environments.

Common Uses For Bollards

Safety and Security: Bollards are protective barriers to enhance safety and security. They are often installed to control vehicular access, prevent unauthorized entry, and create designated pedestrian areas. Bollards help prevent accidents by separating vehicles from pedestrians and structures, particularly in high-traffic areas.

Traffic Control: Bollards play a crucial role in managing traffic flow. They can guide vehicles through specific routes, control parking areas, and designate lanes or pedestrian-only zones. By strategically placing bollards, traffic patterns can be organized and optimized for smoother operations.

Anti-Ram Protection: In areas prone to potential vehicle attacks or ramming incidents, bollards provide effective protection. Heavy-duty bollards designed to withstand high-impact forces can prevent unauthorized vehicles from breaching secure areas, such as government buildings, airports, and critical infrastructure.

Property and Asset Protection: Bollards help safeguard structures, storefronts, and valuable assets. They serve as a physical barrier against accidental collisions, deliberate ramming, or theft attempts. Bollards can be installed near building entrances, storefronts, ATMs, gas pumps, or any area requiring protection.

Pedestrian Safety: Bollards create a safe space for pedestrians by preventing vehicles from encroaching on sidewalks, crosswalks, or plaza areas. They act as a visual and physical barrier, enhancing the safety of pedestrians by keeping them separate from moving traffic.

Overall, bollards are versatile tools that serve multiple purposes, prioritizing safety, security, traffic control, and aesthetics in various environments ranging from commercial areas and public spaces to industrial sites and private properties.

The Different Kinds of Bollards

Bollards come in all sizes and shapes. While there are numerous types of bollards, below are the four most commonly used bollards.

• Fixed bollards – As the name suggests, these bollards are stationary and not going anywhere. Fixed bollards are commonly used in parking lots to protect equipment and fire hydrants.
• Security bollards – Constructed with a focus on exceptional durability, these are employed for purposes of counter-terrorism or crime prevention. Security bollards are commonly used at government buildings such as courthouses, prisons or federal buildings like Minton-Capehart Federal Building.
• Removable bollards – Allows restricted areas to be converted into accessible areas quickly. These are commonly used on bike paths to allow service vehicles access to the path.
• Flexible bollard – Plastic bollards that bend when impacted but return to the correct shape. These are primarily used in road work zones to mark temporary lanes.

What is the Process of Bollard Installation?

The installation procedures vary due to the wide range of bollards in the market. However, the installation process for fixed bollards, the most commonly used type, generally entails the following steps:

1. Center a core drill over the marked point and remove the concrete. The hole’s diameter should be at least 2 inches more than the pipe bollard base.

2. Use a post-hole digger or power auger to dig the hole to the recommended depth below the frost line.

4. Fill the hole to the surface grade with the concrete

5. Set the bollard concrete hole. Check it remains plumb using a level.

6. Patch the surface around the pipe bollard to make it smooth with the existing surface.

7. Fill the pipe bollard with concrete using a shovel.

8. Finish the pipe bollard with a dome-shaped top for better protection against debris and water. You can achieve this with concrete, a bollard cap, or a bollard cover.

9. Allow the concrete to cure for at least 2-3 days before starting any construction projects on the new surface.

Bollards play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and orderly flow of both vehicular and pedestrian traffic in parking lots. Whether they are used for access control, protecting pedestrians, or safeguarding infrastructure, their importance cannot be overstated. At Premier Parking Lot Maintenance, we provide efficient installation and repair services that ensure your bollards continue to serve their intended function effectively. If you need reliable and professional bollard installation or other asphalt repair services in the Indianapolis Metro area, don’t hesitate to contact us. Enhance your safety measures today and make your spaces safer for everyone. We look forward to serving you!