GB2078832A

GB2078832A - Improvements in or relating to bollard and their bases

Info

Publication number: GB2078832A
Application number: GB8120353A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-07-01
Filing date: 1981-07-01
Publication date: 1982-01-13
Also published as: GB2078832B

Abstract

A bollard base is made of pre-cast concrete with integrally cast cableways (4) and hand-holds (2). The securing bolts (8) for attaching the bollard are cast-in and in the adjacent regions of the concrete are reinforcements. The bottom face of the base is flat to allow it to form a free-standing support. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to bollards and their bases This invention relates to bollards for traffic control and other purposes, and in particularto bases for bollards.

Conventionally, bollards are placed at their chosen sites on a foundation that is formed by pouring concrete into a hole prepared at the site. This is a relatively expensive and time-consuming operation, and it is found that the quality of the foundation cannot always be adequately controlled.

According to the present invention, there is provided a bollard base of pre-cast concrete having at least one aperture opening into a central region of the top face of the base for a cableway to the bollard, recesses in the underside of the base for hand-holds, and a series of cast-in bolts projecting from the top face around said central region for attachment of the bollard.

By pre-casting a base in this form, the quality of the concrete can be ensured and the location of the bollard-securing bolts can be easily controlled. As the bases can be held in stock, the bollards can be erected and any necessary electrical connection work done without delay at the chosen sites.

Preferably, the bottom face of the pre-cast bollard is adapted to form a free-standing support area. If this is done it is found that, although limiting the weight of the base to allow it to be handled relatively easily for installation, it is still possible for it to act as a temporary support for the bollard without the need to sink it into the ground. For this purpose, the weight of the base may be between 30 kg and 55 kg.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a bollard base according to the invention, and Figures 2 and 3, are mutually transverse side views of the base in Figure 1.

The cast concrete base illustrated is rectangular and is some 45 cm by 40 cm by 10 cm deep (18 inches by 16 by 4 inches). At two of its sides there are recesses 2 in the underface which provide purchases for handling the base. From lower regions in the other two sides cableways 4 slope upwards to an opening 6 in the central region of the top face for leading cables to the interior of the bollard to be mounted on the base. To secure the bollard, four bolts 8 are cast into the base surrounding the top opening 6 of the cableways. In order to strengthen the concrete of the base against cracking reinforcing means in the form of right-angled bars 10 are incorporated in the concrete outwards of the bolts.

Alternatively, a continuous ring of reinforcement may surround the bolts.

The bolts are each provided with a plastics sleeve 12 of greater inside diameter than the bolt shank and openings in the sleeve allow concrete to enter the space between it and its bolt in order to grout the bolt firmly in place. To hold the sleeves initially and to locate the bolts at the required locations in the mould, a resilient washer 14 abutting the sleeve is a push fitted onto each bolt shank.

The illustrated base can be cast upside down in an open mould, this giving it a flat underface that can provide a stable free-standing support surface. For pouring the concrete the bolts are secured to the base of the mould and hollow cores are braced against each other in the mould to form the cableways: these hollow cores can be left cast into the base. Opposite removable sides of the mould carry projections for the hand-hold recesses.

The completed base can be simply placed in position, whether on a road surface or in a prepared hole to be set flush with that surface, the required electrical leads are passed through the cableways, which is particularly easy to do since the passages are straight, and a conventional bollard mounting collar is secured onto the bolts. The electrical connections and the attachment of the bollard shell to the collar then follow. The site can be prepared so that the base is set in flush with the ground, but as indicated above for temporary use the base with its bollard can form a free standing structure placed upon the ground.The weight of the completed base is about 40 kg, and it is found that this is sufficient for it to act in the required manner, in which the plastics shell of the bollard is sheared off from its collar if the bollard suffers a heavy impact, while leaving the base substantially unaffected.

It is of course possible to cast further concrete around the base when it is in place if a more secure foundation is required in particular circumstances. It may be noted that this can be done after the bollard has been erected and connected electrically.

It will be understood that the form of the base described above is capable of many modifications within the scope of the invention. For example, in order to fix the bolts securely without risk of damage to the concrete due to differential expansion, a resilient cushioning, e.g. of glass wool or polystyrene, may be disposed around the cast-in length of the bolt shank: in doing this the bolt head or a washer bearing on the head should be of sufficient size as compared with the resilient cushioning to ensure that the bolt will not move axially. Such a cushioning arrangement may be provided in addition to or instead of the metal reinforcement referred to above. In particular instances it may be preferred to omit the recesses in the underside that provide hand-holds.

1. A bollard base of pre-cast concrete having at least one aperture opening into a central region of the top face of the base for a cableway to the bollard, recesses in the underside of the base for hand-holds, and a series of cast-in bolts projecting from the top face around said central region for attachment of the bollard.

2. A base according to claim 1 having a bottom face adapted to form a free-standing support surface.

3. A base according to claim 1 or claim 2 having a weight of between 30 kg and 55 kg.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to bollards and their bases This invention relates to bollards for traffic control and other purposes, and in particularto bases for bollards. Conventionally, bollards are placed at their chosen sites on a foundation that is formed by pouring concrete into a hole prepared at the site. This is a relatively expensive and time-consuming operation, and it is found that the quality of the foundation cannot always be adequately controlled. According to the present invention, there is provided a bollard base of pre-cast concrete having at least one aperture opening into a central region of the top face of the base for a cableway to the bollard, recesses in the underside of the base for hand-holds, and a series of cast-in bolts projecting from the top face around said central region for attachment of the bollard. By pre-casting a base in this form, the quality of the concrete can be ensured and the location of the bollard-securing bolts can be easily controlled. As the bases can be held in stock, the bollards can be erected and any necessary electrical connection work done without delay at the chosen sites. Preferably, the bottom face of the pre-cast bollard is adapted to form a free-standing support area. If this is done it is found that, although limiting the weight of the base to allow it to be handled relatively easily for installation, it is still possible for it to act as a temporary support for the bollard without the need to sink it into the ground. For this purpose, the weight of the base may be between 30 kg and 55 kg. An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a bollard base according to the invention, and Figures 2 and 3, are mutually transverse side views of the base in Figure 1. The cast concrete base illustrated is rectangular and is some 45 cm by 40 cm by 10 cm deep (18 inches by 16 by 4 inches). At two of its sides there are recesses 2 in the underface which provide purchases for handling the base. From lower regions in the other two sides cableways 4 slope upwards to an opening 6 in the central region of the top face for leading cables to the interior of the bollard to be mounted on the base. To secure the bollard, four bolts 8 are cast into the base surrounding the top opening 6 of the cableways. In order to strengthen the concrete of the base against cracking reinforcing means in the form of right-angled bars 10 are incorporated in the concrete outwards of the bolts. Alternatively, a continuous ring of reinforcement may surround the bolts. The bolts are each provided with a plastics sleeve 12 of greater inside diameter than the bolt shank and openings in the sleeve allow concrete to enter the space between it and its bolt in order to grout the bolt firmly in place. To hold the sleeves initially and to locate the bolts at the required locations in the mould, a resilient washer 14 abutting the sleeve is a push fitted onto each bolt shank. The illustrated base can be cast upside down in an open mould, this giving it a flat underface that can provide a stable free-standing support surface. For pouring the concrete the bolts are secured to the base of the mould and hollow cores are braced against each other in the mould to form the cableways: these hollow cores can be left cast into the base. Opposite removable sides of the mould carry projections for the hand-hold recesses. The completed base can be simply placed in position, whether on a road surface or in a prepared hole to be set flush with that surface, the required electrical leads are passed through the cableways, which is particularly easy to do since the passages are straight, and a conventional bollard mounting collar is secured onto the bolts. The electrical connections and the attachment of the bollard shell to the collar then follow. The site can be prepared so that the base is set in flush with the ground, but as indicated above for temporary use the base with its bollard can form a free standing structure placed upon the ground.The weight of the completed base is about 40 kg, and it is found that this is sufficient for it to act in the required manner, in which the plastics shell of the bollard is sheared off from its collar if the bollard suffers a heavy impact, while leaving the base substantially unaffected. It is of course possible to cast further concrete around the base when it is in place if a more secure foundation is required in particular circumstances. It may be noted that this can be done after the bollard has been erected and connected electrically. It will be understood that the form of the base described above is capable of many modifications within the scope of the invention. For example, in order to fix the bolts securely without risk of damage to the concrete due to differential expansion, a resilient cushioning, e.g. of glass wool or polystyrene, may be disposed around the cast-in length of the bolt shank: in doing this the bolt head or a washer bearing on the head should be of sufficient size as compared with the resilient cushioning to ensure that the bolt will not move axially. Such a cushioning arrangement may be provided in addition to or instead of the metal reinforcement referred to above. In particular instances it may be preferred to omit the recesses in the underside that provide hand-holds. CLAIMS

4. A base according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein at least one cableway extends substantially straight from a lower exterior face of the base to a central region of its top face.

5. A base according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the bolts are provided with surrounding securing elements on the cast-in portions of their shanks.

6. A base according to any one of the preceding claims wherein reinforcement means is cast in the concrete between the bolts and the adjacent side faces of the base.

7. A base according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a resilient cushioning is provided around the cast-in bolts.

8. A bollard base constructed and arranged for use substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing.

9. A bollard provided with a base according to any one of the preceding claims.