Everything You Need to Know About Safety Bollards

Everything You Need to Know About Safety Bollards

terracast Blog

Get the low-down on safety bollards–from what they are, to why they are so important; as well as different available options. Safety bollards are commonly used to line sidewalks, safeguard drop-off areas, shield storefronts, and so forth. These short but strong fixtures have a lot to offer, including lighting, security, and enhanced safety.

What are Safety Bollards?

Bollards are petite ground-mounted outdoor lighting fixtures often used to create what’s known as “cutoff illumination.” This style of lighting is frequently used to line pathways, walkways, and as a border for certain elements in landscape design. In general, standard bollards measure anywhere from 36 to 42-inches after they are installed.

Perhaps you’ve noticed bollards dotting parking lots or busy streets. They are commonly used to separate foot traffic from vehicles—hence how they got the name safety bollards.

Back in the early 1900s, wharf posts were an incredibly common sight at many US seaports. We used the iconic charm of these historic features to inspire our PolySteel® Bollards.

Quality safety bollards should be fixed in place so they offer a permanent form of protection and will not simply fall over the moment a car hits them. It’s important to mention that under some circumstances, a collapsible bollard is preferred.

Benefits of Safety Bollards

Enhances aesthetics.
Bollards can add elegance and charm to private driveways as well as commercial properties.

Provides greater security for storefronts, especially on busy streets.
A bollard can prevent someone from accidentally, or purposefully, ramming into a storefront with a vehicle. As a result, the safety of everyone in your store is improved. Plus, the risk of theft that occurs after-hours decreases. Even vehicles traveling at high rates of speed can be stopped by a bollard that has been correctly installed.

Greater pedestrian protection.
Areas that are heavily trafficked by pedestrians and automobiles benefit from the addition of safety bollards. As bollards help to prevent accidental and deliberate vehicle crashes from entering pedestrian areas. Bollards are especially paramount to shield areas like bike lanes, park entrances, school and airport drop off locations, and so forth.

Bollards help protect drivers too.
Bollards outfitted with lights or a reflective finish are easier for drivers to spot in low light conditions or after dark. This can help reduce automobile accidents.

Additional Benefits of TerraCast Bollards

We rely on a uniquely thorough process to manufacture our bollards right here in America. The same process we rely on to create long lasting and durable lampposts is applied to bollards, simply because it works above all else.

Each bollard starts off as a solid galvanized steel core, which is then wrapped in a layer of protective polyurethane foam. This foam keeps out corrosive elements, and helps give the bollard its shape. A bollard isn’t complete until it is encased in a thick quarter-inch layer of Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) resin.

Resin is non-porous and non-hydroscopic—that means no water is getting in, not even tiny moisture particles in the air. While galvanized steel could be ruined by water in no time, there’s no way for moisture to reach the tough inner core. So, our bollards benefit from the strength of steel without the risk of corrosion and rust.

Our bollards rely on LED bulbs for greater energy efficiency. You can customize LED bulbs to match specific lumen-output brightness, color temperature, and so forth.

Additionally, TerraCast Bollards are…

  • Durable + long lasting
  • Resistant to the elements
  • Easy to clean
  • Outfitted with LED lights
  • Available in a variety of styles, including the option to customize bollards

Types & Styles of Bollards

We offer three unique style options for the tops of bollards:

#1 Pipe Top: This bollard is considered more modern in style because of its continuous column that maintains the same width and diameter throughout.

#2 Dome Aluminum Top: This style bollard has cast aluminum parts used to highlight the illuminating dome. As a result, a more classic or vintage look is created—like more historic wharf or waterside-style bollards.

#3 Globe Top: This style is often seen in public areas and commonly used for crowd control, such as keeping vehicles safely away from pedestrian walkways. This same style is also used to light walkways for residential, commercial, and public property.

Safety Bollard Installation

Bollards must be installed deep enough in the ground for stability. That’s why we include a 17” burial extension to make installing bollards easier, regardless what type of mount you use.

A side mount is typically used when trying to block off a path while highlighting an overhang, curb, etc.

An anchor mount is applied in paved areas when the ground is perfectly level and can support anchor bolts. If applying to a lawn or other open area, an in-ground burial mount is used.

Check Out Our Uniquely Durable Bollards