Wolverhampton City Centre Rising Bollard System

After 12 months of dealing with the COVID 19 pandemic, the City of Wolverhampton looked to encourage and welcome back visitors to Wolverhampton City Centre, offering a safe social environment for workers and shoppers alike. The decision to pedestrianise the City Centre was made, with automatic bollards being the preferred method to close off space to motor vehicles, allowing pedestrians a safe area with cleaner air.

Project Requirements

The City of Wolverhampton Council had a clear and concise wish list of equipment and requirements, including the following.

• Rising Bollard system to meet requirements of TOPAS 2510A specification.
• Bollards to be installed with Green / Red light system to enable clear visual warning.
• Bollards to be fitted with an audio system to provide warning of bollards during a change of state.

Solution

Macs is the only Automatic Bollard supplier in the UK that has attained TOPAS Approval for a complete automatic bollard system. Every piece of equipment within the system has been assessed and tested to meet the very stringent TR2510A standard. This UK leading system has been specified and installed.

Locations

Access Bollards

• Location 1 – King Street near Princess Street
• Location 2 – Princess Street near Queen Street

Egress Bollards

• Location 3 – Dudley Street near Lichfield Street (Queen Square)
• Location 4 – Queen Street near Princess Street
• Location 5 – Dudley Street near Bilston Street
• Two rising bollards to be installed at each location to permit access / egress by wide vehicles and to be installed at minimum 1.2m c/c.

Operation

The automatic bollard system can be controlled and monitored remotely by the Urban City Control Centre via Macs bespoke control and monitoring control panel and software. This innovative piece of equipment allows complete control of the bollard system from any internet browser, including office PC’s, mobile phones and tablets. The bollards can be raised and lowered or locked down completely when required, and each site has a timed operation that can be altered via the interface.

Fault Monitoring

All system components are monitored for faults, and if a fault does occur, an alarm is generated and forwarded to Macs monitoring engineers and allocated Council staff. This enables Macs engineers to attend site with a clear understanding of the fault and necessary spare parts if required, reducing site and bollard downtime considerably. Any fault rendering the rising bollard inoperable should result in the bollards falling into the lowered position.

Access Control

The client requested a system that would allow them to issue PINs to contractors needing access through the bollards. They asked for the ability to issue PINs that could be used continuously by police and emergency services. Temporary PINs are generated for contractors that would only be effective at certain times on certain days, and local authority staff must be issued with close proximity user fobs. The Paxton NET2 software program enables these facilities.

The intercom, fixed into the entry traffic light post, has an integrated keypad and close proximity sensor reducing street clutter.

Wolverhampton City Centre Rising Bollard System Case Study

Emergency Fire Brigade Access

As standard, all automatic bollard installations are fitted with an Emergency Fireman’s switch, enabling access through the structure. A PS4 Fireman’s Switch is employed at the control cabinet. Using a special tool – carried on all fire appliances – an officer will command the bollard to the ‘Down’ position to remain until the emergency is dealt with. The system is then reinstated using the same tool.

Detection

The bollards feature standard safety detection preventing them from rising while vehicles are within the safety zone.

The installations are supported by an inground safety induction loop system, which incorporates four induction loops, with loop one arming the intercom. WCC requested this function to combat nuisance calls to the control room. The intercom is only active when a vehicle is present, and the remaining three bollards are used for safety on the entry sites.

The induction loops on the exit only sites are configured to allow a ‘free exit’. Any vehicles that gain authorised access through the entry sites via a pin code are allowed free exit through the bollards. Users will approach the installation when their vehicle is within 5 metres, and the inground induction loops will send a signal to the bollard commanding it to lower. Once the vehicle has passed over the automatic bollards and a further series of induction loops, the bollard will rise behind them.

Service and Maintenance
As standard, Macs Automated Bollard Systems are supplied with two years of worry-free installations. In the event of a system failure and an emergency call out initiated, no charge will be levied during the first two years if the system has failed mechanically or electronically with no outside influences. However, if the call out is due to abuse, misuse or vandalism to the system or its parts, a call-out charge will be payable.

All Macs local authority highway sites have warning signage and CCTV camera’s installed and trained on the installations. If a vehicle is involved in a collision with the bollard when a red light is displayed, the driver is guilty of driving without due care and attention, and their details are captured and forwarded to the police. The driver is then held responsible for the damage allowing any repair charges incurred to be reimbursed by the driver or their insurance company.

The local authority had a deadline for the equipment to be installed. From the point of order, they gave Macs seven weeks to plan and design the installations and procure, receive, and install the equipment. This deadline was achieved with a day to spare.