Concrete fixed bollards are sturdy vertical posts that are used to divert traffic, protect buildings and landscaping, and provide security barriers for pedestrians and buildings. Made from steel-reinforced concrete, they need proper bollard maintenance and protection to ensure maximum durability.
When correctly manufactured and cared for, concrete fixed bollards can last for decades with minimal wear and tear. However, implementing appropriate landscape maintenance procedures and protection measures against damage can extend their functional lifespan even further.
Why Durability Matters
As assets designed to protect property and lives, security bollards must be able to withstand continuous exposure to weather, errant vehicles, public access, and potential vandalism in public spaces. Bollard's strength and stability are directly related to public safety as well as operational continuity for the concrete structures they protect.
Frequent inspection, cleaning, sealing, repairing damage promptly, and installing protections of bollards go a long way to prevent deterioration and failure. This maximizes the return on investment in this important security infrastructure.
Materials and Manufacturing
Concrete fixed bollards gain their rugged durability from both the quality of materials used and how they are manufactured.
Concrete Mix
The concrete consistency, ratio of ingredients, and curing process determine strength. Typical concrete mixes have a compression strength of 4,000 psi and use air entrainment admixtures to improve crash-rated freeze-thaw resistance.
Steel Reinforcement
Reinforcing the concrete with raw steel rebar lattices and cables allows bollards to withstand bending and tensile stresses from impact. The quantity and placement of rebar are engineered to meet security specifications.
Exposure Considerations
Bollards intended for high-traffic locations are designed accordingly. This includes adaptations for extreme weather, vulnerability to vehicular damage, and public accessibility. Manual-folding, automated, or automatic bollards may be suitable.
Inspection and Maintenance
While concrete fixed bollards are rugged, they still require periodic inspection, cleaning, and preventative landscape maintenance to avoid deterioration over years of use.
Visual Inspections
A monthly visual inspection ensures bollards remain functional. This checks for cracks, damage, staining, erosion, and soil buildup. Any issues discovered can be quickly remedied.
Cleaning
Regular cleaning every three months removes dirt, oils, salt residue, and other corrosive contaminants from stainless steel or mild steel bollards. Pressure washing is an effective cleaning method. Plastic covers may need reapplication afterward.
Sealants
Applying sealants every 1-2 years waterproofs the concrete surface. This prevents freeze-thaw damage, inhibits corrosion of rebar, and reduces staining. Silane-siloxane blended sealants work well.
Crack Repairs
Hairline cracks from settlement or freeze-thaw cycles can be repaired with epoxy injection kits. This prevents further water ingress and deterioration in concrete structures. Larger cracks may require patching or replacement.
Find the perfect concrete bollard for your space.
Protecting Bollards
Implementing protective measures shields concrete fixed bollards from common hazards that degrade durability over time. This preserves structural integrity and prevents premature deterioration.
Steel Bumper Guards
Bollards in high-traffic locations face routine accidental scrapes from passing vehicles. Mounting steel pipe bumper guards around the bollard perimeter deflect these glancing blows, preventing concrete chipping and shielding vehicles from damage. The bumpers should fully encircle the bollard about 12 inches off the ground. Choose bumper guard dimensions based on typical vehicle sizes that are crash-rated. The steel pipe construction provides durability at vulnerable corners and edges.
High Visibility Reflectors
Marking bollard locations with reflective tape, decals, or powder-coated paint improves visibility. This alerts passing drivers to their presence, reducing unintentional collisions, especially important along roadways or parking lots. Reflective markers visible from all angles ensure approaching vehicles can see bollards in time to avoid impact. Hazards are most severe in low-light driving conditions.
Opt for durable engineered grade reflectors that can withstand years of UV exposure as well as pressure washing. Frequent inspection of reflector condition ensures continued functionality. Reapply additional reflectors or repaint faded bollards as needed.
Secured Anchoring System
The foundation and anchors securing bollards affect overall stability and strength against impact. Check for loose anchor bolts or deteriorated concrete bases over time. Reinforce connections to ensure bollards remain firmly erected. Wobbly or loose bollards cannot reliably divert traffic and are more prone to failure when struck.
Most bollards are embedded 2-3 feet for maximal stability. Severe frost heaving can loosen initially tight anchors. Inspect soil buildup and drainage around the base as well. Preventing water pooling reduces upward pressures on foundations. Promptly address the indication of loosening before complete failure occurs.
Weather Protection
Preventative measures against freeze-thaw cycles, precipitation erosion, and rusting from embedded metals preserve durability.
Site Drainage
Water pooling at the base of bollards significantly accelerates deterioration from erosion and freeze-thaw fractures. Appropriately grading landscape around bollards to slope away drainage prevents buildup. Install French drains if existing soil grade cannot redirect runoff.
Erosion wears away concrete foundations, undermining stability. Water expands into ice and fractures concrete each winter. Ensuring bollard bases remain dry minimizes these risks. An annual inspection of drainage and grading helps catch issues early.
Winter Care
Letting snow pile around bollards during winter introduces freeze-thaw cracking as it melts and refreezes. Clearing snow buildup as soon as possible after snowstorms is crucial. Salting walkways next to bollards also helps by preventing icy surfaces that attract damage from snow plows.
Check for concrete cracks after seasonal changes to catch deterioration early before expanding cracks develop. Harsh wintry climates accelerate weathering, but year-round warm weather also degrades over time from precipitation.
Rust Inhibitors
Steel rebar within concrete slowly oxidizes over the years despite concrete encasement, which expands and destabilizes the structure. Sacrificial zinc anodes wired alongside rebar intentionally corrode instead of steel. Water-displacing sealants also inhibit the corrosion of embedded metals across freeze-thaw cycles.
Repair Options
Despite protective efforts, concrete fixed bollards may still become damaged and require repairs.
Hole and Chip Repairs
Small holes or concrete chipping can be patched with concrete epoxy fillers to prevent further cracking or water exposure.
Crack Injection
Cracks compromised with water must be injected with polyurethane resins to seal out moisture and strengthen repairs.
Bollard Replacement
Severely damaged bollards may need complete replacement to continue serving their security purpose reliably.
About Furniture Leisure
Furniture Leisure has over 15 years of experience providing heavy-duty bollards to enhance public spaces across the country. We manufacture an extensive selection of reinforced concrete bollards in diverse shapes and styles to match any landscape.
Our bollards start with structural-grade concrete mixtures reinforced with steel rebar and high-tensile wire cables. This steel-constructed concrete allows our products to reliably manage traffic control and access restrictions for decades through all weather conditions. They possess both beauty and unmatched strength.
Choose from standard models like our classic cylindrical and spherical bollards. Or explore unique options like vibrant sports balls or sculptural tree trunk designs. Personalize any bollard with acid-textured finishes, exposed aggregates, vibrant powder coats, or custom team color options.
We specially engineer each of our bollards with over 300 pounds of reinforced concrete to withstand vehicle impact, resist cracks, prevent tampering, and stop graffiti. A protective penetrating sealant keeps them looking pristine while minimizing weathering and hazards from freeze-thaw cycles.
Our durable and worry-free concrete bollards bring long-lasting beauty, security, and traffic organization to parks, stadiums, business campuses, and public spaces across the nation. We combine innovative manufacturing with artistic vision to enhance communities for generations. Shop our concrete bollards today.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should bollards be inspected?
A monthly visual inspection is recommended to check for any emerging cracks, damage, or soil buildup that requires maintenance.
What is the best sealant for concrete bollards?
Silane-siloxane blended sealants offer the best flood and moisture protection for exterior concrete like bollards. Reapply every 1-2 years.
What is the best way to repair bollard cracks?
Epoxy injection kits effectively seal hairline cracks against water and prevent further deterioration. Large cracks likely require patching or replacement.
