If installed correctly, traffic bollards prevent cars from crashing into buildings or driving into pedestrian areas. Knowing how to install a bollard, or hiring someone else with that knowledge, is important. Here is a guide to how and why you need to install a bollard properly.
If a vehicle ever crashes into traffic bollards, they have to stand up to a tremendous force of impact. If installed incorrectly, the bollards may not be able to stop a vehicle. Worst case scenario, the vehicle may actually drag the bollards behind it, potentially causing even more damage.
When installing bollards on your property, safety needs to be a top priority. You need to consider the safety of yourself, your crew, visitors to your property, and any other onlookers.
Before you start the installation process, contact your Building Code Department for requirements for installing bollards that are up to code. Obtain any necessary construction permits before beginning the work.
Before you finalize your site, you should check for any hazards that might be lurking underground that could compromise your bollard installation. Examples of hazards include the following:
In the United States, you can call 811 before digging, and the utility companies will come out and mark these hazards for you so you can avoid them when you install your bollards.
If you are installing bollards on an existing property, you will have to remove any concrete that is already present at the site where you want to put each bollard. To do this, you need a core drilling rig. You need to clear a hole that is two inches wider in diameter than the base of each bollard. If you are installing bollards on a new construction and there is no concrete currently in place, you can skip this step.
Once you have removed the concrete, you can then dig the hole for the bollard itself. For this, you can use a tool such as a shovel or a post-hole digger. You need to dig below the frost line for your bollard to be secure. You can find out what depth this is by consulting your local Building Code Department.
When you are ready to set the bollard, you need to mix the concrete. Make sure the water-to-concrete-mix ratio is correct according to the instructions on the package. When the concrete is ready, pour it into the hole so it is level with the ground surface.
To install the bollard, push down on the pipe while turning it slightly. This may require more than one person. When you reach the bottom of the hole, you should feel some resistance. Adjust the bollard to ensure it is straight before the concrete dries and hardens. Use a level to ensure that it is perfectly straight. Then fill the bollard with concrete.
If you do your own installation, you have to know how to install a bollard. However, you don’t have to do your own installation. When you purchase bollards from Delta Scientific, we can do the installation for you. Contact us for more information.
Sources:
https://www.parkcity.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=63255