By zedcoalam Security posts and parking posts are just other names for bollards. They all serve the same purpose; to create hindrances and to restrict vehicles.
Bollards act as a visual and physical barrier when you want to create a hindrance at some place and to stop vehicles from entering a certain area. Similarly, bollards are placed outside malls, buildings, and offices, etc to protect the premises from any kind of outside interference.
Bollards are not only used to create resistance and restrict vehicles, but it is also used to control and manage the flow of traffic. Vehicles often get out of control while on the road. In order to control over-speeding vehicles, bollards are a great solution. They create hindrance and also resist by reducing the impact of the collision. In this way, bollards and security posts prove to be very helpful in managing, organizing, and controlling the traffic. They are actually used in order to create a controlled traffic setting to achieve the desired results.
Types of Security Posts & Bollards
Security barriers and bollards are of different types because they are made to serve different purposes. They can also be made in customized designs and materials in order to serve the requirements of a particular customer.
Some of the most common and important types of bollards and security barriers are described below.
· Crash Resistant Bollards
The main purpose of bollards is to restrict and control. That is why these bollards are made with heavy material in order to create hindrances. They are also known as Anti-ram bollards. They are used to resist the impact of collisions which is why they are tested against different levels of collisions against cars and trucks, etc.
Anti-ram or crash-resistant bollards help to prevent accidents by protecting pedestrians against crashes from vehicles, etc.
· Non-Crash Resistant Bollards
Not all bollards are installed for the purpose of resisting collisions, some bollards are also meant for guidance and decorative purposes. Non-crash-resistant bollards are the ones that are used for guidance or decorative purposes. They serve the purpose of a visual barrier in most situations.
Non-crash-resistant security posts or bollards are meant to tell people and vehicles to be more cautious around a specific area for example, a construction site, a sidewalk area, a public park, etc. They are also used to decorate gardens, buildings, etc by matching the architecture and surrounding.
· Flex Bollards
They are a new technology in the world of parking and security posts, they are a kind of bollard that does not break upon resistance instead they flex back and then come back to the original place.
Flex bollards are also known as shallow-mounted bollards because they are mounted shallowly in the ground to provide a strong foundation for the bollard. The installation process is also very easy and they can also be transferred easily from one place to the other.
· Retractable Bollards
Retractable bollards are the ones that are used to provide a flexible solution to the owner. These posts have the flexibility to go back in the ground when you want to allow access to vehicles and they retract upwards when you want to restrict access. They are mainly used outside public properties and offices to provide flexible access to the owners. They can allow vehicles to enter at a certain time and restrict entry at other times by using retractable bollards.
Pros and Cons of Security Posts and Bollards
Security posts and bollards offer a great many numbers of advantages. However, there are some drawbacks as well. We have listed below the pros and cons in detail. Have a look to clearly understand the benefits and drawbacks of bollards and parking posts.
Pros
· Safety for All Traffic
Bollards are a good source of providing safety to every type of traffic whether it is the vehicular traffic or foot traffic.
They are placed along roadsides, outside buildings, in parking lots, etc. They serve different purposes at different places. They are made of heavy material when they have to be placed in locations with heavy traffic. In such areas, their basic purpose is to reduce the impact of collisions. Similarly, they provide safety for pedestrians by controlling traffic.
· Security for Buildings
Buildings like airports, military locations, and government offices that have serious security concerns, are protected by using heavy-weight bollards. The entrance of unauthorized vehicles is restricted with the help of these security posts.
· Eco-Friendly
Another benefit of security bollards is that they can be made from recyclable materials like PVC and plastic. This material proves to be very less harmful to the environment as compared to other products. That is why bollards are considered to be an eco-friendly option. The need of the time is also that we should choose more environmentally friendly products.
Cons
· Bollards can Cause Accidents
As we know that bollards placed along roadsides are to control traffic, therefore, it is a possibility that they can sometimes cause accidents. People going on foot, sometimes do not notice the security posts or try to cross them and fall off and get hurt badly.
· Irreversible Damage to Cars
We know that bollards in heavy traffic areas are made of heavy material to resist the impact of the collision. However, these heavy-duty bollards cause much damage to cars when they hit them. Therefore, bollards can prove to be more damaging to vehicles than the actual accident. However, they can save lives.
· Needs Space
Bollards cannot be placed just anywhere! You need proper space to install bollards. If there is no space on the road and still you install the security posts, they will prove to be very disturbing and useless.
Final Comments Bollards, security posts, or parking barriers are all very useful products if installed correctly with proper planning. However, you first make sure that the place you choose to install them should meet all the requirements and criteria necessary for bollard installation so that you can get maximum output from the product.