As a hotel owner it’s your duty to make sure the traffic stays free-flowing and safe for your customers, & that means understanding bollards.
As you can see from this list choosing the best parking bollard for your hotel can seem like a complicated endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be.
We’ve grouped the different options into a few main categories to help your search.
Category One: Removable Bollards
These bollards are best used for areas when traffic needs to be able to pass through at some times but not at others. When traffic needs to pass through, the bollard can be manually removed, allowing for the flow of traffic.
When the area needs to be blocked off, the bollard is held in place by a locking mechanism, keeping it upright and unmoving. This often takes the form of a large steel pin fit between the base and the removable portion of the bollard, possibly held in place by a padlock.
Removable bollards are a good value, but there needs to be somewhere out of the way to store them when they are not being used, as they have to be physically carried out of the line of traffic once they are removed.
Category Two: Folding Bollards
These are similar to removable bollards in that they are used in areas where traffic sometimes needs to be allowed to pass, but needs to be blocked at others.
These bollards operate on a hinge. When traffic needs to access the area, the bollard can be folded down along the hinge, allowing traffic to pass over top.
The rest of the time, these foldable bollards are held in place by a locking mechanism, often operated by a key. As with the removable bollards these require someone to physically fold them down. However, the bollard stays folded down in the road rather than needing to be put somewhere out of the way.
Category Three: Telescopic Bollards
These automatic bollards recede into a recess in the ground when they are not in use. While more expensive than folding or removable bollards, they are fast and efficient with the added advantage that an automatic system can allow for the rising or retraction of multiple bollards at once. These bollards will require regular maintenance to keep them in top working condition.
Since they recede fully into the ground when not in use, they eliminate any hazard with regards to tripping. Since they are so quick and easy to raise or lower, they are perfect for environments where the flow of traffic often needs to change, or may need to change with little advance warning.
Category Four: Fixed Bollards
Unlike the previously described types of parking bollards, fixed bollards are unable to be removed or otherwise gotten out of the way to allow traffic to pass. These are for areas that traffic will never be allowed to pass through. These bollards are typically embedded into the ground for added strength.
These bollards are best suited for areas with a sturdy surface where they can be deeply embedded, such as a car park. These bollards often provide security features and can even be crash rated, such as at government buildings.
Businesses that have reason to fear being rammed, either during a robbery or an accident, may wish to install fixed bollards along their storefront. Fixed bollards are commonly made from steel or concrete.
Bollards are sometimes lighted or designed decoratively in order to fit the desired look of the location. This is primarily for aesthetic purposes, and the look of the bollard selected will depend on the large aesthetic of the business.
With a balance of consideration for the use of the area and the desired expense and look, the best parking bollard can be selected to suit the needs of any business.