The Removable Bollard

With urban growth and development continually on the rise, the movement and accessibility needs of city spaces are continually in flux. Vehicles and people are constantly on the move in dynamic patterns, directions and destinations. Buildings are constructed and roads are widened, and with permanent bollards in place, problems would arise where certain areas could not be accessed.

It seems natural that the next progression in bollard technology would be to design a system that is equipped to account for a city’s unpredictability. Cue the removable bollard.

There have been many progressions in bollard technology and the removable bollard has made rapid advancements. There are three types of removable bollards in use around the world:

Padlock & hinge

The first version of this novel idea came in the form of bollards with a hinge at its base. The hinge allowed the shaft to be unfolded level with the ground, allowing vehicles to pass over unhindered. To secure this type of bollard and to prevent unauthorised lowering, padlocks were installed.

Sockets

Another removable bollard application is based on a socket system that allows for retraction into the ground. A polypropylene coating inside the socket protects the earth from damage in the event of a direct collision and a self-locking taper makes the process of placing and removing the bollards easy and intuitive.

Electric lowering

Nowadays It’s not uncommon to see automatic bollards raised and lowered using an electric or hydraulic system. This method is considered an efficient way to constrict or allow the flow of traffic in certain areas, and is often used to enforce time-related traffic laws, as well as protecting high-profile areas in the event of a suspected attack.

Car parks and other traffic-dense areas are likely to make use of removable bollards. Petrol stations and high-risk theft areas such as malls and casinos also use removable bollards to heighten security and ease congestion during high-volume traffic periods.