Increase Safety And Traffic Control In Your Parking Lot With Curbs And Bollards

If your parking lot is little more than a flat expanse of asphalt, you may want to think about adding some safety features to it. Curbs and bollards stop vehicles from driving up on your walkways, parking too close to your building, or driving into your store. Here are some things to know about having concrete curbs and bollards installed.

Installing Curbs

Curbs are useful for traffic control in large parking lots because they create aisles that keep cars from angling through the lot. If your parking area is small, you may only want curbs around the perimeter of the lot to keep cars from driving into the grass. You can buy precast curbs from a concrete manufacturer and have them installed fairly quickly. Installation is a matter of creating a straight line with a guide wire and then lining the curbs up where you want them.

Once the curbs are in position, holes are drilled into them so spikes can be driven into the asphalt to hold them in place. Securing the curbs is important because this makes them strong enough to stop vehicles and they'll be more difficult for vandals to steal if they are secured to the ground.

Installing Bollards

Concrete bollards are useful for lining the parking spaces right in front of your store. These bollards are strong enough to keep cars away from your building. Since these are so good at blocking access, you have to keep a few things in mind. They should be spaced close enough together so cars can't get through, yet they need to be far enough apart so wheelchairs can fit between them. You'll also need to follow local codes when installing bollards so you don't block emergency vehicle access to your building. You can install plain precast concrete bollards or you can add sleeves that make them any color you like.

Bollards have other uses in your parking lot besides keeping cars away from the front of your building. They can also block access to a portion of your lot that you want reserved for employee breaks or storage. Bollards can also keep cars from driving into a retention pond or off a hillside. Bollards are easy to see, especially if they have bright sleeves, so they warn drivers of dangers ahead, and if the driver doesn't stop, the bollards will stop the car.

When you have curbs and bollards installed, remember they must comply with any ADA regulations that might apply. These safety features are useful for protecting your store and controlling traffic, but you don't want them to interfere with pedestrians or allow them to make it difficult to enter your store. For more information, contact companies like Pendleton Ready Mix Inc.

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