Damage and cost minimisation through bollards with predetermined breaking point
Especially in areas with high traffic density, bollards with a predetermined breaking point are a contemporary alternative. A defined breaking point reduces the damage to the vehicle as well as the follow-up costs for the restoration of the bollard itself.
Wherever people and vehicles are on the move, there is always potential for conflict. Stationary and moving traffic need to be regulated, planners have to define and demarcate traffic routes and areas. In contrast to walls or railings, bollards are relatively minimally invasive and inexpensive, making them a practical, flexible and, last but not least, visually attractive solution.
It may make sense to use a breakaway bollard in many situations, but not in all. For example, along the entrances and exits of multi-storey car parks and underground garages, which lead across footpaths, it can sometimes be a tight squeeze, just as it can be when manoeuvring in car parks. The bollard, as it were, naturally and intentionally offers massive resistance; even a small jostle can lead to property damage to the vehicle amounting to several thousand euros.
Under certain circumstances, the severity of personal injuries can also be reduced. A predetermined breaking point means that the bollard itself breaks away earlier, it is not massively deformed or levered out of the ground together with its anchoring.
These cases are also associated with immense effort and costs for the city or local government. A new bollard, the anchoring, civil engineering work and repairs to paving or asphalt make the repair an expensive affair, and often the person responsible is not known and thus cannot be held liable. Breakaway bollards can help to reduce the costs that the municipality is left with.
Quick and inexpensive repair
Such a bollard and its anchoring remain intact in case of an emergency. The repair can be carried out quickly by replacing the damaged predetermined breaking point; neither special tools nor costly civil engineering work are required. To prevent further damage and loss, the bollard is held in place by a safety rope and cannot roll or fly away.
Bollards with predetermined breaking point are a sustainable investment in terms of street furniture. Thieme GmbH offers this street furniture in various model series so that planners can also find attractive solutions in terms of design.
