Handheld Road Bollard

Schools and universities
The entrances of schools and universities are often vulnerable areas. If an accident occurred here, the damage would be catastrophic. To protect schools, officials can have heavy-duty vehicle protection devices installed throughout. Universities also have high levels of congested traffic that could potentially cause accidents, especially during sporting events, concerts or other special gatherings. Bollards can dictate which areas vehicles are allowed to enter. They can also guide foot traffic.

Government buildings
The government commonly utilizes bollards for a variety of areas, including courthouses, air force bases, capitol buildings, prisons, fire stations, police stations, post offices and more. Because these are such highly valued facilities—and any damage could be costly for taxpayers—physical barrier posts can keep them protected.

Site perimeters
Those who frequent your property should feel safe and not have to worry about any accidental or intentional crashes onto your site. To keep them safe, property owners often install fixed bollards. Site perimeters are especially useful for protecting public property areas, like parks, that invite heavy foot traffic.

Bike lanes
As biking has become an increasingly popular mode of transportation, bicyclists need protection from vehicles on the road. To properly mark lanes, cities commonly add permanent or removable bollards. These vehicle protection devices are highly visible, warning drivers of cyclists in their lanes. If a driver does accidentally serve into the bike lanes, bollards will thwart the car from hurting the bikers.

Storefronts/general ram raiding activity
Stores, including boutiques or mall fronts, often display their most attractive, valuable goods in the front of the building to draw in customers. Unfortunately, without barrier posts in place, they are vulnerable to thieves who may partake in ram raiding activity. To protect their storefronts, business owners can install permanent bollards to block ram-raiders.

Residential areas
While less common than storefront, perimeter or parking bollards, many homeowners have been utilizing bollards to protect their property. Bollard devices are also common fixtures near apartment complexes to prevent unauthorized traffic from entering.

Industrial facilities
Fixed or removable bollards are common fixtures inside warehouse facilities. These areas house expensive equipment, as well as power supplies, that, if damaged, could cause accidents and destruction. Bollards installed near vulnerable areas can ensure warehouses and other industrial facilities can continue their day-to-day operations smoothly.

Water and electrical boxes
Water and electricity are vital components to a city’s layout. If a driver crashes into a water or electrical box, he or she could cause serious damages that could affect the whole city. To ensure citizens receive their electricity and water as needed, many cities install permanent bollards in a bright yellow finish around these locations to prevent accidental or intentional crashes.

Parking lots/garages
Because they are highly frequented spots with heavy traffic, parking lots are one of the most hectic areas for drivers. Whether people are searching for spots or leaving the lot, they are often driving around quickly and are thus more likely to be in an accident. To keep parking lots running smoothly, many parking lot owners install vehicle protection devices to section off specific spots or restricted driving areas. For special events, such as concerts, parking lot owners will install removable or collapsible bollards to control the different times they allow traffic to enter.

Bollard spacing for utilities and landmarks
If a vehicle collides with a gas meter, water pipes or an electric box, it can be destructive and disruptive to a business. When it comes to protecting utility meters and mechanical equipment, bollards can be spaced as close together as necessary. Just be sure a service person can access the machinery to service it when needed. The same goes for statues and landmarks. As long as a person or emergency vehicle doesn’t need to pass between the bollards, spacing can be tight. In fact, tighter spacing is recommended if the asset is in a high-traffic area.

Bollard spacing for loading docks
When large delivery trucks back up to the loading dock, the back of the truck needs to align with the loading dock door. It’s also vital that the truck doesn’t come into contact with the building. Large yellow bollards are often placed outside the dock to help guide the truck into position while preventing the truck from hitting the building. It’s generally advised that these bollards are placed 6 inches to the left and right of the door, framing the door.

Bollard spacing for bike lanes
If you need to designate a bike lane, brightly colored plastic bollards, especially bollards with reflective stripes, can be a great way to alert both drivers and bikers of where their lanes meet. (It should be noted that plastic bollards will not protect either party in the case of a collision.) For bike traffic bollard spacing along straight paths, install bollards every 50 feet. For curved paths or intersections, it’s best to space bollards at 5-foot intervals.

When in doubt, the general rule of thumb for bollard spacing is to position them 3 to 5 feet apart. That goes for traffic bollard spacing, permanent or temporary parking bollards, bollards around the perimeter of your building or bollards meant to protect machinery or warehouse inventory. The caveat is to always check local codes and ordinances and building codes to ensure your project meets local regulation.