It goes without saying that in modern world illegal parking is a growing problem which is peculiar of residential districts as well as a city downtown with its offices and commercial business, notwithstanding this, there is a solution of the problem – parking bollards and posts which control the access to your parking space.
I think you know that a bollard is a fixed or flexible object which is used to mark a territory which is to be protected from unauthorized entering or parking of other vehicles. Bollard’s physical characteristics
I think you may want to know something significant about bollards which are used on the roads and parking areas of your city:
- are usually made of 100% recycled plastic waste and can again be recycled;
- have solid construction, high impact strength;
- are extremely durable;
- are neither brittle nor rot;
- are influenced by neither rust nor corrosion;
- can withstand rain as well as frost;
- are chemically inert and difficult to combust;
- are vandal and graffiti resistant;
- are inexpensive.
Types of parking bollards
As I have already written, depending on their function, parking bollards can be of two main types: permanent and temporary (flexible). In this article I’d like to make a short survey of subdivisions of each type.
Permanent parking bollards can be of the following types:
- a fixed bollard (static, architectural or permanent) is usually made either of wood, concrete or metal, thus one can not adjust its position, because they are mounted from surface or built into the ground;
- a rising bollard (retractable), as the name comes from the functions performed, rises and retracts into the ground automatically when it is activated by a a swipe card, a hand-held remote, or any other type of control which are usually pneumatically, hydraulically or electronically driven. When it is not used, it simply sinks in to the ground of your area. Rising parking bollards are used for securing premises, they also allow quick access to your vehicle;
- security bollards are designed to withstand heavy impacts, as they are used as anti-terrorism and anti-crime measures. There are two different types of these bollards: fixed and rising, though they perform the same functions;
- a removable bollard is a very popular choice among motorists, because it is an ideal case for controlling movement around car parks and its tough protection. As a rule, they are manually lifted out of the ground when you unlock them with a key, but it should be taken into consideration that they a permanent fixation to your area ground;
- telescopic bollards work in such a way as if they ‘telescope’ in length. This kind of parking bollards can be manually retracted to street level when unlocked with a key;
- a lay-flat bollard (fold-down, collapsible) is locked in the upright position and is folded flat on the ground when it is unlocked, so the owner gains access to his territory. These parking bollards are easy to use, to install and rather affordable for an average inhabitant. A significant advantage is that it is always secure, because it is bolted or concreted in;
- a bell bollard, as it comes from its name, resembles a short bell shaped figure. It is useful in areas with frequent U-turns, as it allows a vehicle’s wheel to hit and roll around the bollard.
Now you know the basic information on permanent bollards, thus let’s have a look at temporary and flexible ones:
- a flexible bollard is made of plastic and is bolted to the driveway. Its main peculiarity is that it bends and returns to previous original position when it is hit. These parking bollards are used in curb line changes testing, sidewalk widenings inspecting, new medians checking and channelize traffic verifying. In Europe you can see flexible bollards which are lit inside in order to mark tislands and roundabouts;
- a Qwick Curb bollard is a brand of a temporary device which is made, as a rule, of many plastic bollards strung together into a plastic curb;
- a breakaway bollard is engineered to deter everyday access, but it allows vehicles to come in an emergency case;
- planters, as a rule, are used to demarcate a street or widen sidewalks and, in such a way, restrict access for various vehicles. It’s worth admitting planters are used not only for road security, but they also improve the area aesthetics.
Complaints about bollards
Though bollards have a vast number of advantages, sometimes people complain about them, because of the following common reasons:
- Retractable bollards damage vehicles;
- Permanent steel bollards cause damage to vehicles;
- Bollards hamper people, because of visual and mobility impairments;
- Bollards interfere with snow plowing.
We can draw a conclusion that parking bollards are a reliable way of protecting your area from intrusion.