Why they get done together
Wheel stops and bollards are physical rather than painted, but they belong to the same job. Their position is determined by the marking set out, they get installed once the bays are laid out, and doing both in one visit avoids paying twice for mobilisation.
The set out relationship matters. A wheel stop positioned by eye rather than measured from the bay line either lets a vehicle overhang a walkway or stops it short and wastes space. Since the bay set out has just been established, that is the moment to place them.
Wheel stops
Wheel stops sit at the head of a bay to stop a vehicle rolling or driving too far forward. The usual reasons are protecting a walkway, a wall, a fence, a garden bed or services, and stopping vehicle overhang from blocking a pedestrian route.
Materials in common use:
- Concrete. The traditional option. Heavy, durable and cheap, and it stays put. Can chip and crack over time and is heavy to move if a layout changes.
- Rubber and recycled composite. Lighter, easier to install, more forgiving to vehicles, and available with reflective inserts. Generally more expensive per unit but simpler to handle.
- Steel. Used where impact is heavy, in industrial settings.
Fixing matters as much as material. On asphalt they are usually spiked or dowelled, on concrete bolted with chemical anchors. A wheel stop that works loose becomes a trip hazard, so fixing method should be part of the quote rather than assumed.
Bollards
Bollards do a different job. They protect something from vehicle impact, or they physically stop vehicles entering a space.
Common uses are protecting building corners, shopfronts, service doors, gas meters, switchboards, fire hydrants, racking ends and pedestrian areas. In warehouses they protect racking uprights, which is important because a damaged upright compromises a whole run of racking.
The critical question is what impact the bollard is expected to resist. A light decorative bollard set in a shallow footing will not stop a delivery van. If the purpose is genuine impact protection, the bollard needs an appropriate diameter, wall thickness and footing depth, and that is an engineering question rather than a catalogue choice. Say what you are protecting and against what, and let the specification follow.
Accessible bays
Bollards appear in accessible parking for a specific reason: within a shared area, a bollard can prevent vehicles parking in the space that a person needs to deploy a wheelchair. Where they are used, position matters, because a badly placed bollard obstructs the very space it exists to protect.
Whether one is required depends on the configuration of the bays and the standard being applied, so it is worth confirming with a certifier or access consultant rather than adding one by default.
What to check in a quote
- Material and dimensions of each item
- Fixing method, and whether it suits asphalt or concrete
- Footing depth for bollards, and whether concrete is included
- Whether existing items are being removed and disposed of
- Whether reinstatement of the surface at old fixing points is included
- Whether the items are being painted or supplied pre-finished
- Reflective inserts or hazard marking where visibility matters
The removal and reinstatement item is the one most often left out. Pulling up twenty old concrete wheel stops leaves twenty sets of holes, and somebody has to fill them.