When one wanders through a city, either on foot or in a car, we often forget the many structures that line the streets that serve to keep us safe: concrete bollards. These landscaping structures have become an innate part of any urban area, whether it be a large metropolis or a small coastal town. They provide many advantages, from pedestrian security to efficient advertising space, but due to their unobtrusive nature many times they go underappreciated.
At StreetScape we are proud to be part of an industry that seeks to constantly build up urban areas and fill them with both permanent and temporary structures that provide residents, tourists, and visitors with utility drive features. We are a national brand that serves all of South Africa, by manufacturing premium bollards, bins, benches, and paving solutions, to name a few.
In this article we want to highlight concrete bollards and provide them with the appreciation they so thoroughly deserve. The goal is to then discuss the versatility of the concrete bollard by reviewing several public areas, in which bollards can be useful. In each section we will discuss the advantages of installing bollards in the space, while also recommending one of our many StreetScape designs that would work there.
Urban Plazas And City Squares
As we mentioned in the introduction, one of the most popular areas to have concrete bollards installed is in an urban plaza, sometimes referred to as a city square. An urban plaza can take many different shapes depending on where it is situated in a city. Sometimes these public areas are filled with modern shops, eateries, and hotels – if located in a recreational part of the city, or sometimes may comprise several municipal and public official buildings. In any situation, the purpose of these public city squares is to provide people with a place to congregate and enjoy the city atmosphere.
Whatever the makeup of these areas, concrete bollards have several advantages in this type of space. Let us review some of them here:
Advantages
Concrete bollards, in many ways, were perfectly designed for city squares or for urban plazas and therefore have several advantages when installed there. A few of the most popular include:
1.Protection Against Acts Of Vehicle Violence
If you have watched local or international news at all in the previous two years, you may have noted stories in which acts of terrorism were caused by people riding vehicles into crowds of pedestrians in city squares. Although these acts are horrific, it should be highlighted that having concrete bollards installed strategically can be effective in preventing these attacks from happening at all.
2.Crowd Control
One major characteristic of popular urban plazas, or the public square of large cities, is that they can play host to large groups of people at any time. In order to allow for these areas to function freely while also preventing pedestrian congestion, bollards can be extremely helpful. By installing them in the actual plaza you can direct people the way they should be moving around certain places, helping to ease confusion and foot traffic. In this way bollards are an effective crowd control measure.
3.Protecting Civil Buildings
In the same way concrete bollards can be used to help protect against vehicle violence, as suggested above, they can also be used to secure areas that are at a higher risk of being targeted. In city squares, buildings that definitely need an extra security border are civil buildings in which the government operates. By placing bollards around the outside of these buildings, you are providing another effective boundary, keeping them safer in the long run.
StreetScape Suggestions
As concrete bollards were practically made for these sorts of spaces, almost any of the products in our wide range at StreetScape would work in these areas. However, here we suggest two different products from our bollards range that we think could be particularly helpful. You may want to consider either:
Fence Rail Bollard: In terms of protecting pedestrians or civil buildings, no other product in our range is as effective as the fence rail bollards. This bollard product consists of both concrete pillar’s placed equidistant from each other with either aluminium or steel bars placed horizontally between the pillars in order to create an effective and strengthened border.
Cannon Bollards: In certain areas of the city, you may wish to improve the aesthetics of the area rather than just focus on security. In this situation we suggest our cannon bollards – they are made with ornate and aesthetic characteristics in mind, and will spruce up any area they are installed in.
Parking Garages And Parking Lots
One thing that almost every city has in spades are cars, and lots of them. In fact, many cities, like London, now have emission taxes for people who want to bring their cars into the city. This is done in order to minimise the number of vehicles in city areas and prevent the heavy traffic congestion that is associated with this issue.
Another factor that city managers have to consider is where all the cars will park so that people can go about their business. In this regard parking lots around shopping centres have been installed and large parking garages have been erected to host the many vehicles. In these spaces, concrete bollards can be very helpful. Let’s look at the reasons why in this section:
Advantages
1.Entrance And Exit Management
Large parking garages are often multi-floor buildings, making them easy to enter but sometimes difficult to exit – combined with the fact that many of these sorts of buildings may have strict exits and entrances in order to prevent cars from piling up. This can make these buildings confusing to navigate, especially if it is your first time using that parking area. Here, bollards can be helpful in guiding traffic in the correct direction – making it easier for users to find the correct entrances and exits to use.
2.Pedestrian Protection
Parking lots or garages are one of the most dangerous areas for pedestrians, as these areas generally have people and vehicles in close proximity to each other consistently. Here then it is easy for vehicular accidents to occur, especially due to the fact these parking areas are generally a tight fit for cars, and if the driver is not paying attention, they can potentially hit other pedestrians in the area.
To combat this sort of issue, concrete bollards can be used effectively to cordon off certain areas for pedestrians or even be used to create crosswalk sections in the garage. In this way people can feel a lot safer in these areas.
3.Protecting The Structure
If you have ever been inside a parking garage you will know that the building is generally supported and built with columns. These pillars are essential in providing enough support for multiple heavy vehicles to be parked on the several floors that make up the garage. It is important for these columns to be protected and kept in good condition as they are the basis of the infrastructure. Here, short bollards can be placed around the concrete pillars to keep them safe and prevent vehicles from bumping into them.
StreetScape Suggestions
Above we have shown how critical bollards can be in keeping parking garages safe and allow them to function effectively. If you are looking to make your parking garage easy to use for customers then you are going to need some StreetScape bollards, for this purpose we suggest the following:
Bloc 220 Bollards: These thinly-shaped bollards are perfect for parking areas. Not only will they take up less space – allowing vehicles to move freely between them – but, due to their height, they can be used in a variety of settings inside a parking garage, either for keeping passengers safe or for guiding cars around the parking lot.
Barrier Bollards: These bollards are small and inconspicuous. As the same suggests, they are an effective way to install a perimeter or barrier. This makes them useful in protecting areas and structures in the parking lot. Putting one or two around the columns that support the parking structure will keep them safe and prevent vehicular damage.
Waterfronts And Promenades
Waterfronts have, for the longest time, been one of the more fashionable areas of a city. In South Africa, the V&A Waterfront is a very good example of what a successful, stylish, and commercially-viable waterfront should be. These areas are used for several purposes, from high-end shopping, to sailing – with yacht clubs generally forming part of these areas. Waterfronts can also be found close to harbours in which large ships conduct industrial sized-commerce as well.
Whatever the purpose, waterfronts host lots of people on a daily basis, and bollards can be used for both safety and aesthetic purposes. Bollards are a useful installation at every waterfront, let’s review some reasons for having them:
Advantages
1.Docking Boats
Many people may actually credit harbours for the creation of bollards. Concrete bollards have traditionally been used since their invention at dockyards or harbours as they provide a secure point to which boats can be tethered, preventing them from drifting away. Therefore, having bollards installed at a waterfront is only logical, as it allows yachts a place to dock, so that passengers can disembark.
2.Securing The Waterfront
Although the waterfront is an enjoyable space for families and guests to visit, with lots of fun things to do, they do pose some danger. Due to the fact they are close to water, they can create a drowning hazard for smaller children, or those who don’t know how to swim. This danger is compounded by the fact that, unlike other water-centred recreational areas, there are no lifeguards on duty. Bollards can be highly effective in minimising this risk by providing barriers around the water’s edge, preventing people from failing in.
StreetScape Suggestions
In many ways, bollards function incredibly well at waterfronts or promenades; they have both utility and safety functions. They can also add an incredible aesthetic to these watery areas. At StreetScape we suggest you consider the following bollards for your waterfront:
Stellenbosch (with chains) Bollards: Not only is the design particularly pretty but the chains interlaced between the bollards make it an effective boundary marker and can prevent water-related emergencies at a waterfront.
Victorian Bollards: Amongst our prettiest bollards, the Victorian will provide you with the aesthetic appeal your waterfront needs while its chain system will again provide an extra layer of security.
StreetScape: The Home Of Bollards
As we have shown in this article, bollards can be used in a variety of settings within the city, whether in public squares, parking lots or the waterfront. So, if you are looking to up the urban landscaping in your own city centre, don’t hesitate to contact StreetScape today, and see how we can help you get the right bollard for the right setting. With our amazing range and our ability to service all of South Africa, we are your go-to urban landscaping partner.