Heald says that its Bridge Bollard System is the only product of its type to be crash-tested to IWA-14 standards (International Workshop Agreement) against an 18tonne N3C vehicle travelling at 50kph at a 30° impact angle. Its interlocking design shares distribution of the load, while anchoring the bollards into the ground upon impact, This prevents the vehicle from penetrating the protected area.
The product was crash-tested with an array of nine interconnected bollards. However, additional bollards can be added to expand the protected area.
The system is also ideal for locations where excavation or even bolting to the ground is not possible, explains Debbie Heald, managing director of the company. Instead, the product is laid flush with the ground before paving stones or tarmac cover over the base plates. It requires no excavation and can be installed in just 45 minutes, excluding civil works.
The UK firm’s other products include the Matador, which it claims is the world’s only sliding bollard system. The Matador is protecting famous sites such as Beale Street in the US city of Memphis and the French Quarter in New Orleans. The system is also used at Norway’s Oslo Airport and many government buildings in the UK and Australia.