Busy places such as roads, public areas, churches, and parking lots have clear rules to ensure safety for both drivers and pedestrians. It’s common for drivers to become confused and accidentally go the wrong way or enter places not intended for cars. This is where a bollard, such as a metal bollard, becomes useful.
Metal Bollards are short posts placed on sidewalks, parking lots, streets, or similar places to ensure that pedestrians and vehicles are safe. They help to organize traffic and separate areas meant for different amounts of traffic. Depending on the place’s needs, metal bollards are put up for various reasons. Knowing the correct type of bollard for your needs is essential, especially with options like stainless steel bollards that offer excellent corrosion resistance and sleek surface finishing.
To help you with that, we’ve made a simple guide explaining the different types of bollards available and their uses and benefits. This includes understanding the various machining techniques used in manufacturing metal bollards. The right bollard can make all the difference in ensuring traffic safety and efficient traffic flow, whether for urban infrastructure or specific construction needs.
What Are Bollards?
Bollards are strong posts or short pillars. They are usually made of metal, concrete, or rigid materials. You can see them in cities and public places like roads, sidewalks, and parking lots. Bollards keep things safe and maintain traffic safety, helping with urban infrastructure.
These posts do different jobs depending on where they are. In busy streets, they show cars where to go and stop them from entering places for pedestrians. They also protect buildings from accidents, offering crash resistance. In places for walking, they make safe paths, prevent cars from going where they shouldn’t, and keep outdoor areas safe for people to sit or play. Some bollards are robust, made of stainless steel, and used in essential places like government buildings and embassies. These bollards often undergo rigorous impact testing during their manufacturing process to ensure durability and effectiveness.
Types of Bollards
Bollards come in all shapes and sizes to fit different needs. Some are stuck in the ground, while others can be moved. Some look nice and are used in parks to make them look better and safer, with sleek surface finishing like powder coating. Here is a diverse range of bollards commonly seen in our cities and public spaces:
Removable Bollards
These versatile bollards provide flexibility by allowing easy removal when necessary. They are often used to control access to certain areas, such as pedestrian zones, during events, festivals, or maintenance activities. With their ability to be installed and removed quickly, they offer a dynamic solution for managing traffic flow in ever-changing urban settings.
Fixed Bollards
As the name suggests, these sturdy bollards are securely anchored into the ground, offering a permanent barrier against unauthorized vehicle entry. They are frequently utilized to mark out pedestrian pathways, separate traffic lanes, or define parking areas in bustling city streets and public squares. Their steadfast presence ensures clear guidance for both pedestrians and drivers alike.
Decorative Bollards
Adding a touch of artistry to functionality, decorative bollards serve aesthetic and practical purposes. Crafted in various designs and materials, such as elegant metal constructions or artistic sculptures, these bollards enhance the visual appeal of parks, plazas, historical sites, and commercial districts. Beyond their decorative role, they also provide a physical barrier, directing foot traffic and preventing vehicular encroachment in designated areas.
Flexible Bollards
These innovative designs are engineered to absorb impact energy by flexing upon collision, also known as rebound bollards. Commonly found in areas with lower-speed traffic, such as school zones or residential streets, they reduce the risk of vehicular damage and ensure pedestrian safety. Their ability to yield under pressure makes them ideal for environments where safety and flexibility are paramount.
High-Security Bollards
As sentinels of security, these bollards are engineered for maximum Crash Resistance and durability. Typically constructed from heavy-duty materials like Stainless Steel, they are the guardians of government buildings, embassies, military bases, and other sensitive locations. These formidable barriers undergo stringent impact testing during manufacturing to withstand potential threats and provide peace of mind in high-risk areas.
Automatic Retractable Bollards
Offering a blend of security and convenience, automatic retractable bollards can lower into the ground to allow temporary vehicle access when needed. Often seen in emergency vehicle lanes, loading docks, or areas with fluctuating traffic requirements, they provide a dynamic solution to traffic management challenges. Their ability to retract allows quick access control adjustments without compromising safety measures.
Materials for Bollard Materials
Bollards are strong posts that help keep our streets safe and organized. They are made from different materials chosen for how tough, vital, and valuable they are. Let’s look at some common materials used for bollards:
Metal Bollards
Metal is one of the most popular bollard materials because it’s strong and lasts long. Bollards made from metals like steel or aluminum can take hits from cars and keep standing. They are often used in busy areas like city streets, parking lots, and shops.
Stainless Steel Bollards
This type of metal, stainless steel, doesn’t rust easily, so it’s great for outdoor use. Stainless steel bollards look sleek and modern and are good at protecting against bad weather. You can often find them where looking nice is necessary, like fancy shops, plazas, and town squares.
Concrete Bollards
Concrete bollards are solid and stable, making them a good choice for stopping cars. They are often used where we need something powerful, like at entrances to buildings, sidewalks, or places where cars shouldn’t go. Sometimes, concrete bollards have steel inside to make them even more rigid.
Wooden Bollards
Wooden bollards give a cozy, natural feel and are often used in parks, playgrounds, and historical places. They might not be as strong as metal or concrete, but they look nice and fit well with nature. To ensure they last, wooden bollards are usually treated with special coatings to protect them from the weather.
Bollard Covers
These aren’t the actual bollards, but they go over them to make them look better or easier to see. Covers can be made from plastic, vinyl, or shiny tape that reflects light. They come in different colors and designs and can make bollards stand out in dark or busy areas. Sometimes, they’re used just to add a fun touch to a place.
Benefits of Metal Bollards | Description |
Enhanced Safety | Metal bollards provide practical barriers, guiding traffic flow and protecting pedestrians from vehicle impacts. |
Durable & Long-lasting | Made from sturdy materials like steel or stainless steel, metal bollards withstand harsh weather conditions. |
Versatile Applications | Available in various types, such as removable or high-security, catering to different urban infrastructure needs. |
Aesthetic Appeal | Metal bollards can enhance the visual appeal of public spaces, especially when designed with decorative elements. |
Machining Technique For Metal Bollard Manufacturing
CNC lathe machine shaping metal for metal bollard manufacturing.
Several machining techniques are commonly employed to create durable and reliable structures when manufacturing metal bollards. Here are some of these techniques:
CNC Lathe
CNC lathes are commonly used in metalworking processes, including the manufacturing of metal bollards. First, engineers and designers create detailed 3D models of the bollards with special software. These models become instructions for the CNC lathe, which cuts the metal. The lathe spins the metal while cutting tools shape it as needed. This process makes the fancy shapes and details we see on bollards. Sometimes, they might polish or sand the bollards after cutting to make them look smooth.
Sheet Metal Bending
Another vital way to shape metal bollards is by bending sheet metal. This helps make curved or angled parts of the bollards. Good-quality sheet metal, like solid steel or aluminum, is used for this. They put the sheet metal into a bending machine called a press brake, which presses it at certain spots to bend it to the right shape. This can be done many times to get the exact shape needed. Workers check to ensure the bent metal is the right size and shape they need for the bollards.
Sheet Metal Welding
This is used to combine metal pieces to strengthen and steady the bollards. Workers place the pieces together for welding after cutting and bending the metal to the right shapes. Depending on what’s needed, they use different welding methods, like MIG (Metal Inert Gas) or TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas). The welding machines heat up to melt the edges of the metal pieces, and sometimes, they add extra metal to make the pieces stick together well. As the welded metal cools, it becomes firm and solid, forming a rigid bond between the parts. This welding step is crucial for ensuring the metal bollards can handle harsh outdoor conditions and keep everyone safe.
Conclusion
Metal Bollards’ importance in ensuring traffic safety and defining our cities cannot be overemphasized. Whether removable bollards or strong high-security ones, each type has an exceptional job in our city areas. Making them involves careful steps like custom CNC machining and bending metal sheets. If you need bollards for safety, consider contacting experts like Rapid Direct, WayKen, and Zintilon.