The Bollard: Short and Tough Protection for your Building
Bollards used to describe posts intended for mooring ships, but nowadays it’s more commonly thought of as those metal or concrete posts designed to block traffic or protect buildings from being rammed.
While you might picture bollards being used to prevent smash-and-grab raids on jewellery stores and the like, there are many other uses for them, not the least of which is public safety. Busy traffic areas always run the risk of a runaway vehicle, so you’ll often find them around high-risk intersections or at the bottom of steep hills.
Many industrial areas use them as a fence intended only for cars, allowing people easy access while stopping unwanted vehicles. Some cities use removable or retractable bollards on roads so that authorized vehicles can still pass, or to limit motorized traffic to certain hours or days.
You won’t find bollards just in front of stores or in parking lots, you’ll find them just about everywhere—in playgrounds and parks, sports fields, malls, pedestrian pathways and trails, bike lanes, tollbooths, traffic medians, parking lots, and more.
They can even serve double duty as bike parking posts, or have lights attached to increase visibility in dark or low-light areas. Most of the time you don’t even notice them, because they’re made to fit in with the local architecture. A decorative bollard can enhance the beauty of an area, as well as provide protection. There are even flexible bollards that are designed to look solid, but bend on impact, then spring back into place afterwards.
Not only does QS Fencing install bollards to help protect your property, they can install bollard covers to enhance its appearance and extend its lifespan. QS Fencing is available to make any repairs needed down the road as well.