What Are The Different Types of Car Park Bollards

What Are The Different Types of Car Park Bollards?

Car park bollards are small but incredibly sturdy ways to protect the damage that an out of control vehicle can cause.

It’s for this very reason that they are used in so many different circumstances, from protecting against vehicle theft and ram-raiding, to restricting access to pedestrianised areas and ensuring workplace safety.

In some cases, safety bollards might be suitable for car parks, whether they’re needed to guide vehicles along the correct route, reserve certain spaces, prevent access or departure if the required fee is not paid.

When selecting the correct safety bollard to install in a car park, ask yourself the following:

  • What do I need my safety bollard to do?
  • Should it permanently or temporarily restrict vehicle access?
  • What levels of impact should it be able to absorb?
  • Does it alter the visual appeal of the area in which it is being used?
  • Do I have any design requirements – for example, should it easily be seen or blend in with the environment?

Types of car park bollards

There are many different types of safety bollards to choose from, depending on the purpose that they’re needed for.

Select from the following main categories:

Retractable bollards

Retractable bollards are the most versatile type of safety bollard and are especially useful for when access to a certain area can’t be permanently restricted.

For instance, you might want to enable access to a pedestrianised area for deliveries or reserve a car parking space for only a certain period of time.

This is an economical and simple way to restrict access only as and when you need it. Bollards can be finished in a variety of different ways, including galvanised, powder coated and polymer, as well as in a variety of different shapes and sizes.

Stainless steel bollards

These are a preferred choice for people looking to not reduce the appeal of the site where the bollards will be placed. This is because they are the most aesthetically pleasing type of car park safety bollard.

They’re pretty versatile too, as they are available as removable options or ones which can be cast into the ground.

Static bollards

Static bollards are a sturdy and excellent solution to a situation where access from a moving vehicle must be permanently denied.

They provide incredibly high levels of security and therefore reassurance for both industrial and commercial customers looking to permanently protect their site.

Static bollards can be cast or bolted into the ground, ensuring that no vehicle, big or small is ever getting past them.

They come in a wide range of sizes including different thicknesses and colours. Also, all bollards can be customisable with extra additions, such as chain hooks to offer added choice.

Benefits of a car park bollard

When choosing the correct parking bollards and designing your car park it is important to consider the below when it comes to.

Visualisation

The main reason to have a barrier such as a car park bollard in place is that it provides you with a visual aid to help steer traffic and people in a certain direction. By installing a car park bollard you can outline where the cars are able to park, as well as indicating the way in which pedestrians should walk.

At Armco Direct, our bollards come in a range of sizes so you can pick the right size to create the desired impact. While our bollards are created using a silver galvanised steel finish, we do have two other options to help boost visibility.

We are able to powder coat the bollard in a yellow coating which helps the bollards withstand certain weather conditions. It also makes the bollard more visible to people who are in a rush and not looking properly!

We also supply bollards with a reflective chevron band, perfect to help boost visibility during dark nights. They also work well if you have an indoor car park where the lighting is dim. The reflective brand will be easily picked up by drivers and pedestrians alike. Discover more about our bolt-down bollards.

Privacy

Bollards can also be used as a way to increase privacy or restrict people from entering certain parts of the building. For example, if you have a staff-only section in the car park or a service entrance to the building this can be mapped out and can highlight with the help of car park bollards. While this may not be pleasing to the eye, at Armco Direct, we provide our galvanised steel bollards in three different finishes to choose from depending on both the need and design of your car park.

Controlling access

If you have to routinely change when certain people can access the car park- for example, if you shut your building car park to the public yet require delivery vehicles to enter the premises -you can use bollards to prevent public access and direct the service vehicles to the loading bay. Retractable bollards are ideal for this as they can be moved frequently unlike bolt down bollards which are semi-permanent.

Improves accessibility

Car parks can be a vulnerable place for a lot of people. If users have trouble walking or difficulty seeing and hearing, they are susceptible to more risks. Not only does a visible car park bollard provide them with a path outlining where they need to walk, but it also gives them the time to do so without making them feel rushed. For drivers, having a car park bollard in these situations means they are more likely to pay attention and allow the person to walk across in their own time.

The bollard solutions we offer at Armco are semi-permanent in the form of a bolt down or dig-in bollard. For concrete surfaces, we recommend bolt-down bollards, while dig-in bollards are better for unfinished surfaces or tarmac.

The Armco guarantee

If we do say so ourselves, Armco Direct car park bollards are the ideal solution to make your car parks safe for both pedestrians and drivers alike. With our years of experience in the industry we have created an effective tool to protect your car park:

Armco barriers are the ideal solution for your car park bollard because you can guarantee they:

  • Are durable and long-lasting- Created using 100% recycled galvanised steel with an 85-year life guarantee, our bollards are designed to withstand the test of time.
  • Are easy to customise – Our bollards can be made in a range of sizes depending on your design and car park structure. You can use as many bollards as you require making them suitable for small and large car parks alike. Our bollards are also available in silver, yellow or with a reflective band.
  • Are strong enough to meet your needs – As our bollards are made with BS EN 1461 galvanised steel components they are created to be durable and reliable while also providing you with complete protection. With their tough coating, they also require less maintenance because they don’t erode over time in the same way other forms of steel might, making them less prone to reducing in size and warping or rusting.

Find out more about what makes our bollards unique by contacting us on 01530 839 955 or get a free quote today. 

Find the right bollard with Armco today!

At Armco Direct, we believe in nothing more than providing our customers quality and service they can rely on. This is why we are trusted by a range of national and international companies such as Toyota, Amazon and Caterpillar to make sure their warehouses and car parks are as safe as can be for employees and workers alike.

With our wide range of bollards, getting the ball rolling is easy.

Simply use our online barrier calculator to determine exactly what you are looking for and within hours a lovely member of our team will get back to you with a free quote.

Our quotes come with a 30-day guarantee so you can rest assured as long as the details you submitted remain the same, you have the initial quote guaranteed for the duration of the month, giving you time to determine which car park bollard is for you.

Projects of all sizes come with deadlines. We appreciate you will need your car park bollards as soon as possible so your users are able to make use of a car park safely. This is why we have a 48-hour delivery pledge across all orders within England and Wales, so your projects can run without any delays.