The statistics are sobering:
On any given day, more than 100 “vehicle incursion” accidents occur in retail, office, and public spaces. 24% of those incursion accidents occur in retail spaces like grocery and department stores, clothing stores, coffee shops, gas stations, and convenience stores.
These events, where a vehicle breaches a parking area to cross a pedestrian entryway, or actually crash through a storefront, injure 16,000 people annually. Of those injured, 2,600 will lose their lives from their injuries.
According to the Storefront Safety Council, providing retailers with risk mitigation tools, strategies, and assisting municipalities with legislation to reduce the frequency of these accidents are just part of a multi-faceted approach to minimize the impact of retail storefront injuries and damages. While some (around 10%) are attributable to using cars in “smash & grab” thefts, nine out of every 10 incursions are the result of a driver mistake or mechanical failure. The Council’s research says 40% of incursions are operator error or “pedal error,” a driver mistaking the gas for the brake, etc.
One of the most effective ways to mitigate retail vehicle incursion risk is to install security bollards.
What are Bollards?
Initially used as mooring posts for water-faring vessels, some historians track their name back to ancient Norwegian (Norse). In the 1300s, “bole” and “ard” meant the sturdy trunk of a tree, and “ard” evolved into “hard.” The first instance of referring to a bollard as a traffic control device on dry land did not occur until 1948. However, there is evidence of bollards being employed for roadgoing travelers all the way back to ancient Rome.
Previous iterations of bollards included cast-off cannons and wooden posts, and they have evolved and specialized as the need for traffic control has increased. Now, you can find metal bollards, concrete bollards, hybrid bollards, and retractable security bollards, among others. The first retractable metal bollard was created in 1984.
Most historians agree that bollards retained their largely cannon-like appearance for traditional and aesthetic purposes. You may remember seeing the dome-topped, yellow-painted concrete pillars at your local gas station or government building. They are considered the standard, but security bollards can now be found in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The most notable examples are the “big red balls,” the spherical concrete bollards in front of Target stores, where the retailer smartly made even their safety devices part of their brand.
“If you install bollards, you pretty much solve that problem,” said Rob Reiter, co-founder of the Storefront Safety Council. “This accident doesn’t happen if someone had spent about $800.”
The accident he’s referring to is just one of the more than 100 incursions that occur daily. In this particular case, a man in front of a convenience store lost his legs when the driver of a car pulling into the parking lot hit the accelerator instead of the brake, ramping the car onto the sidewalk, and pinning him to the building.
The tens of millions of dollars in damages, medical expenses, and civil lawsuits make simple traffic bollard installation a no-brainer in terms of return on investment, which is why you see more and more of them popping up in retail and other spaces where pedestrian traffic and motor traffic are in close proximity to each other.
“Bollards and barriers are cheap, effective and proven methods to deter deliberate attacks and to prevent unintended incidents from becoming headline grabbing accidents… Bollards and barriers suitable for commercial applications [which] will prevent the majority of storefront crashes. The ASTM standard will give architects, property owners and local officials the tools to specify and install effective measures which will reduce the toll of this under-the-radar problem.” – Rob Reiter in Claims Journal, “Is Risk Coming at You Head On?”
According to a press release by Technavio, the global automated barriers and bollards market is estimated to grow by $349 million by 2028. Automated bollard and barrier expansion is being driven by toll road operational growth, but correlates to a degree with the expansion of fixed bollards as risk mitigation tools. The “crash rated bollards market” is projected to reach $2.6 billion worldwide by 2030.
Fixed Bollard Installation Step-By-Step
Fixed bollards can be installed during initial concrete construction or long after its completed. Each kind of installation requires specific safeguards, and all require concrete scanning and utility locating clearances before installation.
Most bollards are installed in areas where concrete already exists. There are a wide variety of uses and designs to meet your specific needs, and each have their own installation requirements.
Impact-Protective Bollards:
Impact-protective bollards are designed to stop or greatly slow a vehicle incursion accident, so they must be deeply anchored. Because they need to be installed below the frost line with an area of freshly poured concrete, it’s important to have accurate below-ground existing conditions documentation and utility maps before excavation. The area of clearance around a steel pipe bollard (the most common installation type) requires a core below the frost line that is two inches deeper than the seat of the bollard, and two inches in diameter wider.
Flanged, Surface-Mounted Bollards:
Surface mounted bollards run the gamut from flexible and fold-down that provide visual cues to traffic to stationary bolt-downs that are immovable. These bollards are installed with a base plate (flange) and bolts to secure them to the deck. They reduce the level of clearances needed before drilling to a few inches into the slab at approximately 5/8 of an inch width. They are not, however, impact-protective from a collision standard, as they are anchored with bolts rather than a fresh concrete seat.
Adhesive Anchored Bollards:
Often used for decorative and lighting bollards, adhesive anchoring seems to aim to split the difference between a subsurface installation and a flange. These bollards are built over a central threaded bar that runs the length of the post, which is then permanently set-in and glued into place over a hole that has been prepped with a one-inch masonry bit. These do require concrete scanning clearance before drilling for installation.
Drop-In Concrete Insert Bollard:
Like the adhesive bollard, these posts contain and threaded bar or hex screw to affix them more firmly into the deck, and are used for decorative & lighting purposes. But, in this case, you hammer a drop-in insert into place in a hole drilled with a one-inch masonry bit and then thread the bar into the drop-in. Concrete clearance is required before drilling to make certain no reinforcements or utilities are damaged upon installation.
GPRS supports retail and safety bollard installation with 99.8% accurate utility locating and concrete scanning services, utility mapping, and fast, digital delivery of your results via SiteMap®, our proprietary infrastructure and GIS software for construction and facility management.
Our recent work in bollard installation includes a nationwide retailer’s effort to reduce vehicle incursions at thousands of its stores. GPRS’ national footprint and rapid response team of SIM certified Project Managers are ensuring their installs are safer and smoother, from coast to coast.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is GPRS’ Green Box Guarantee?
GPRS' Green Box Guarantee ensures that designated areas marked with a green box are free of obstructions before concrete cutting, coring, or drilling. This guarantee enhances safety by preventing strikes on embedded objects like rebar, conduits, or post-tension cables, thereby reducing the risk of injuries and structural damage. It also improves efficiency by minimizing project delays and associated costs from unexpected repairs. GPRS stands behind this assurance by covering any material damage costs if an obstruction is encountered within a green-boxed area.
How Does GPRS Maintain 99.8% Utility Locating and Concrete Scanning Accuracy?
GPRS maintains a 99.8% accuracy rate in utility locating and concrete scanning by implementing Subsurface Investigation Methodology (SIM). This methodology combines the expertise of highly trained Project Managers with the use of multiple technologies, including ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic (EM) locators. GPRS Project Managers undergo extensive training that far exceeds any standard certification requirements, to ensure their proficiency in data collection and interpretation. By following a systematic, step-by-step approach, SIM ensures repeatable and accurate results, minimizing the risk of errors during subsurface investigations. This comprehensive process enables GPRS to deliver precise and reliable services in the construction industry.
How Does GPRS Help Retailers & AEC Professionals Work More Safely with Concrete?
GPRS sponsors Concrete Cutting & Drilling Safety Week (CSDSW) every January, where we send our concrete safety professionals to jobsites and offices throughout the U.S. to educate the workforce on the risks of cutting and coring concrete and the best practices they can use to keep themselves and their teams safe. Learn more and register for your CSDSW talk here.
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