Guide to Bollard Posts and Bollard Cover Sleeves How to Protect People, Property and Equipment Using the Right Equipment
A bollard post is a short, vertical post that is designed to protect pedestrians and property from vehicle impact. They are commonly seen in commercial or retail areas like banks, schools, or hospitals. Additionally, bollards can serve as visual markers or perimeter delineators in parking garages or industrial work areas.
Bollards are made with different materials, painted with different colors, and designed to function in various contexts. Finding the right bollard will depend on where it will be used and what it will be doing. To help you narrow down your search, here is an outline of the most important features of bollard posts.
Bollard posts can be found in exterior and interior locations. Exterior bollards are typically used as physical barriers in order to safeguard personnel, facilities, or assets against damage from vehicle impact, but they can also double as visual markers. When an exterior bollard’s primary purpose is protection, it is often constructed from materials that can offer protection from impacts like concrete or steel.
Interior bollards are usually found in places like warehouses, storage facilities, or parking garages. Their primary function is to serve as visual markers that direct the flow of traffic or as perimeter delineators. Interior bollards are often constructed of plastic or high-density polyethylene.
Another important component to consider when looking for a bollard post is its color. The first benefit of color options is to help a company reinforce its branding by being able to match its post covers with the color of its brand. Some colors, however, like yellow, blue or red are designed to be highly visible so that bollards can double as visual markers to assist with traffic direction or perimeter delineation. Other colors—like black—are designed primarily for bollards that will serve as physical barriers only.
Even if a bollard’s primary function is offering physical protection, a high-visibility color can enable a bollard to have a dual function both as a barrier and as a visual marker.
Certain bollard post and bollard post cover colors are used to improve safety meeting ANSI and OSHA guidelines, such as:
Eagle’s red and yellow bollard post covers meet OSHA 1910.144 safety standards and Eagle’s bright blue, green, orange, black and white post covers meet ANSI guidelines.
The material that a bollard post is constructed of depends on what it will be used for and where it will be used. In addition to considering whether a bollard will be used in an interior or exterior environment, users should also consider the installation, longevity, and maintenance requirements of certain materials.
Metal bollards feature a steel construction and are painted with a powder-coat finish. They are sturdy enough to function as physical barriers in external settings and can offer protection for pedestrians and property from vehicle impact. Metal bollards can also be used as visual markers in interior settings like warehouses, storage facilities, or factories and to help protect machinery.
One advantage of metal bollards is that they are easier to install than some other bollards. Metal bollards from Eagle feature a steel mounting plate at the base of the bollard that comes with prefabricated holes for drilling.
Metal bollards require regular maintenance to protect them from corrosion or damage. They should be routinely coated with a protective paint or sealer. Alternatively, metal bollards could be maintained using a post cover sleeve.
Concrete bollards are a sturdy option for exterior impact protection. Concrete bollards are installed either by digging a footer and partially cementing the bollard in place or by cementing the bollard onto a pipe and cementing the pipe in the ground. Either way, the installation process for concrete bollards is expensive and time-consuming.
A concrete bollard is a more permanent option than other bollards. Unlike metal or plastic, a concrete bollard cannot be easily uninstalled or relocated. To maintain a concrete bollard, users should routinely apply epoxy or acrylic sealers that protect from weather erosion or impact damage; however, protective sealers will not repair the physical defects of concrete bollards like chipping or cracking.
Plastic bollards or high-density polyethylene are more flexible than metal or concrete bollards. They are often manufactured with high-visibility colors like yellow or blue that enable them to function as visual markers that can guide traffic or delineate perimeters. Because of the flexibility of plastic bollards, vehicles retain little to no damage in the event of an accidental impact.
Bollard post cover sleeves are constructed from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and feature UV inhibitors that resist fading, rusting, and cracking. Bollard post cover sleeves are a convenient, less expensive alternative to routine bollard maintenance like paint or sealer. A cover sleeve can easily slide over an old or dilapidated bollard and make it look brand new.
Additionally, Bollard post cover sleeves can double as bollards when they are paired with a rubber base. Post cover sleeves from Eagle come in a smooth or fluted design and can be trimmed for an exact fit. They are also available in 4”, 6”, and 8” NPT pipe sizes. Smooth sleeves come in yellow, red, black, or blue while fluted come in even more colors.
Bollards are helpful if you need to create a physical barrier between vehicle and pedestrian traffic or provide visual markers. Eagle also offers a wide range of products designed to protect personnel and facilities. Here is a quick breakdown of some of the other safety products manufactured by Eagle to assist with material handling or traffic safety.
Machine Guards. Machine guards can create a barrier between traffic, valuable machinery or other assets. Machine guards offer OSHA-certified impact protection and are available in low, medium, and high-profile options.
Wall Protectors and Corner Guards. Corners guards are constructed with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and offer protection for areas that are vulnerable to damage from forklifts, dollies, or hand trucks. Wall protectors also feature a HDPE construction and can protect staff, facilities, and equipment thanks to its unique energy absorbing design.
Delineators. If you are looking for a lightweight, high-visibility delineator to guide vehicle and pedestrian traffic, Eagle has a range of traffic safety delineators suitable for use in intersections, parking lots, roadways, and other spaces around businesses.
If you are looking for other products to protect your people and equipment, view our Guide to Material Handling Products.