Retention Sockets, X-Last Hoop

NAL were tasked with providing a solution to enable the complete removal of street furniture from demountable, rubber traffic islands.

Furniture would need to be completely removed once a year, to allow for the Lord Mayor’s procession. City of London Corporation, opted to utilise the NAL X-Last Hoop Bollards with ‘keep left’ signage, positioned near Moorgate Station. These bollards would need to be removed alongside traffic signal poles.

The client specified and installed 2 x NAL RS76 Retention Sockets into the rubber traffic islands. The traffic signal poles were already removable, having been installed in RS115 NAL Retention Sockets. In combining Rosehill Highways rubber traffic islands, with the NAL Sockets a total demountable solution was achieved.

In selecting to install within retention sockets, City of London Corporation have ensured furniture can be easily taken down in preparation for the Lord Mayor’s procession. Stored until the event has finished, signals and signage can then be re-installed quickly, efficiently and with minimum disruption.

Coupled with this, utilisation of the X-Last Hoop Bollards has delivered numerous additional benefits to the client. As they cannot be broken, dented or affected by rust, it is highly unlikely they would need replacing. In the event of a knock down, they return to their original position and form due to their flexibility, attributed to their manufacture from an innovative formula of a polymer material.

This flexibility makes the bollards extremely safe in comparison to metal counterparts, that are anchored to the ground, and can cause serious harm to vehicles and people.

Having a low HIC (Head Injury Criteria) value, the X-Last Hoop Bollard subsequently contributes to Transport for London’s endorsement of the Vision Zero Campaign. Originating in Sweden, this is a multi- national road traffic safety project that aims to achieve a highway system with no fatalities or serious injuries involving road traffic.