Guardrail vs. Bollards: What Is the Difference?
Both the guardrail and bollard are vital pieces of road safety equipment. They are engineered to protect pedestrians, property, and drivers. However, they serve different functions and are used in distinctly contrasting contexts.
Allow the road safety equipment experts at Armco Superlite to explore the differences between W-beam guardrail systems and bollards, explaining their features, benefits, and ideal applications.
What is a Guardrail?
There are many road safety barrier types, but arguably the most recognised might be the W-beam guardrail system. It is an essential safety feature on our roads, designed to prevent vehicles from veering off into hazardous areas like steep embankments or bodies of water.
They are one of the most widely used types due to their durability, affordability, and efficiency in absorbing impact and dispersing kinetic energy. Typically made from untreated or galvanized steel, these rails comprise a horizontal W-shaped beam mounted on posts embedded into the ground.
W-beam systems are engineered to redirect vehicles away from dangerous zones, significantly reducing the risk of serious accidents. They are commonly found along highways, roads with sharp bends, or elevated terrain areas.
Other protective variations, such as steel cable rope rails and water-filled safety barriers, are also used in different road environments, depending on the safety requirements.
Bollards: A Different Protection Perspective
Bollards are short, vertical posts used for various purposes. They sometimes control traffic flow and prevent vehicles from entering controlled zones like pedestrian channels, private parking zones, and other outdoor spaces. They may also be observed protecting loading bays, fuel-dispensing pumps, building corners, and more, preventing low-impact damage caused by errant drivers bumping into them.
Unlike W-beam rails, bollards are usually installed in areas with a lower risk of high-impact accidents but where protection is still necessary to secure specific sites. They are typically fabricated using various materials, such as concrete, metal, or plastic. Depending on the flexibility required, they can be either permanent fixtures or movable. These posts are physical barriers, preventing accidental or meaningful, unlawful entry or protecting people or property.
W-Beam and Bollards: Important Differences
While W-beam systems and bollards serve protective roles, they differ in design, purpose, and application. These are some vital differences:
- Functionality and Purpose: W-beam systems are built for impact absorption and engineered to save lives by keeping vehicles from leaving the road. Its function is to prevent life-threatening accidents. However, bollards are generally used to control vehicle access or prevent damage or injury to individuals or property. They act as a physical barrier but do not absorb impact like W-beams.
- Placement and Design: Typically, the W-beam is installed along the edge of roads, highways, and bridges in high-risk zones. They are long, continuous structures meant to protect errant drivers and vehicles. Conversely, bollards are installed in specific spots like parking lots, pedestrian zones, or near buildings to prevent vehicular damage. They are spaced according to the protective requirements, where W-beams have a particular position.
- Material and Durability: Both safety stoppers can be manufactured from strong, durable materials, but their material types vary depending on their function. W-beams are typically made from galvanized or standard steel, providing a strong and long-lasting solution, sometimes over 80 years. Bollards can be constructed from steel, concrete, or even plastic, depending on the desired level of protection and aesthetic requirements.
- Cost and Installation: W-beams tend to be more expensive due to their size, the need for posts at regular intervals, and the engineering required for impact absorption. Simple but functional bollards are less costly and easier to install, making them suitable for smaller-scale applications.
Armco Superlite: Do it Right
At Armco Superlite, we have become the leading specialists in manufacturing and supplying superior road safety equipment throughout southern Africa. Due to our reputation and extensive expertise, our product range is extensively used by road contractors, consulting engineers, construction companies, municipalities and government departments, and mining houses.
If you’re planning a guardrail project requiring W-beam systems or other road safety equipment, consider a consultation and arm yourself with Armco Superlite.