When you do a search for route markers and bollards suppliers in UAE, you will get pages of results of similar listings, all claiming to be quality and quick delivery. None of that tells you what you really need to know, which is which product you need, which authority you need it approved by and which supplier really makes it to spec, rather than simply selling what they have in stock. This guide does just that.
The Difference Between the Two Is More Than Apparent
These are two combined all the time, but they are solving different problems. Route Markers are used to signify what is beneath the surface; power cables, fiber lines, water mains or gas corridors, etc. Bollards, however, regulate vehicles on the ground level – they can be used to block access, to protect pedestrians or to secure a building entrance.
If the two are confused during the procurement process the budget will be wasted. When the decorative bollards are ordered for a site where anti-ram security bollards are actually needed, the contractor finds himself redoing the whole installation. Before you begin comparing the suppliers, you must first be able to know what category you are buying from.
The Purpose of a Route Marker Is…
Route markers are placed at or above ground surface to mark the presence of a utility line located beneath the marker. In the UAE the precast concrete versions will usually be a truncated pyramid, about 300mm at the base that tapers to 150mm at the top and is 300mm to 400mm high, and the utility code would be cast into the face rather than painted on as a recessed impression.
It’s not a decorative shape. The tapered shape ensures stability at the base in soil and will not be knocked over easily by vehicles and equipment. And because it’s cast into the lettering doesn’t fade into an illegible mess after decades of surface traffic and sun exposure. Twenty years later, a concrete marker can still be read properly, which is a testament to the quality of cast lettering versus paint!
Generally, the standard prices of cable and route marking in UAE are estimated between AED 40 and AED 85 per unit of cable; whereas the prices of their standard post marking are in between AED 40 and AED 85 per unit.
The Purpose of Bollards.The Actual Use of Bollards Route Markers and Bollards Suppliers in UAE
Bollards can be used from a functional traffic calming post to a high quality security infrastructure. On the lighter side: precast concrete bollards or steel bollards are used to direct traffic, to protect pedestrian walkways or to set parking boundaries. High security bollards, on the heavier side, are designed to physically prevent a moving vehicle.
High security bollards for government buildings, malls, airports and critical infrastructure in Dubai generally come under the requirements of SIRA (Security Industry Regulatory Agency). Generally constructed of reinforced steel and have a heavy duty foundation, they are built as fixed, removable, semi-automatic or fully automatic and are tested to handle a specified vehicle speed and weight.
Obviously, that’s not the same product as a decorative concrete bollard in front of a retail door and it’s certainly not the same approval process.
On the Regulatory Side, Nobody Talks About It Enough.On the Regulatory Side, No One Talks About It Enough
That’s where most projects stall out and that’s where a quality supplier makes his money. Rather than just buying a bollard and placing an order for its installation in Dubai, it is necessary to consider various factors. If bollards are located in the RTA Right-of-Way (public pavement, on-street parking bays, or service roads) an RTA eNOC and Right-of-Way approval is required prior to any excavation work.
However, if the bollards are completely within a private plot or forecourt of a mall, the approval process is through SIRA as well as the landlord’s own permit system and not through RTA. Contractors are surprised more than they should be when they’re installing a storefront bollard and discover that it’s actually on RTA land when they carefully check where the property lines are.
A supplier familiar with this difference can save you from a frustrating stop-work call during the project when you need to show shop drawings for bollard layout, spacing, foundation details, setback distances, etc.
Materials and Standards That Matter Route Markers and Bollards Suppliers in UAE
In the UAE, for precast concrete products for road infrastructures the grade 40 concrete or above is the normal practice, and reinforcement is specified based on the load and application. Compliant audits are easy, as reputable suppliers produce to a mix of UAE road safety standards, European EN standards and American AASHTO guidelines.
In case of crash-rated barrier/bollard applications, the crash-test certification EN 1317 specifies the containment level and working width class required at a specific speed and traffic environment. If a supplier is unable to offer this certification for products rated to meet security standards, it’s not a minor problem, it’s a big problem.
SIRA regulated bollards will typically be accompanied by a package of approvals such as manufacturer datasheets, compliance certificates, crash test reports (where relevant) and relevant authority sign-offs. Installation must be exactly as the approved drawings; any design changes after approval will require a new approval process.
Before Selecting a Supplier, There Are Some Questions You Should Ask
There are a few legitimate questions that can help you differentiate between a real manufacturer and a reseller who’s reselling someone else’s inventory.
- Are they manufacturer or reseller? Supplier with his own precast or fabrication operation has direct control of quality. Resellers have no control over who they’re getting from and the chain becomes more difficult to trace.
- Do they have a history of relevant projects? Request site specific examples of similar route marker requirements or bollard security ratings, preferably with photos of work completed and installed, rather than renderings of product.
- Do they know what approval is? He’s a supplier who works in this space on a regular basis, not just occasionally, because he doesn’t have to explain the difference between RTA Right-of-Way approval and SIRA private-property approval for you.
- What kind of certification do their crash-rated products have? Anti-ram or for high security bollards, verify crash-test documentation (EN 1317) or equivalent, rather than simply having it available on request.
- What do they do with the logistics near live utilities and traffic? Installing route markers and bollards alongside power lines, fiber routes and/or around active roadways must be carefully sequenced. In the UAE, utilities have corridors, so it is not an unexpected task for suppliers to coordinate this as a routine task.
The Following Are Some of the Common Pitfalls That Projects Encounter
There are a handful of patterns that present themselves time and time again with UAE projects, and thankfully, a lot of them can be avoided from the outset, with the correct supplier relations.
The most costly error is ordering decorative bollards for what is a security application, because then it would automatically require a full rework when SIRA comes to the site. Another is skipping checks for RTA (Right-of-Way) as contractors only assume a location is private property until it is specified that it is not in the plot survey.
While painted lettering may be marginally cheaper on route markers in the first instance the decision to use painted letters may lead to greater expense when re-marking is required due to fading of the paint caused by the UAE sun in just a few years. The other common issue is wrongly assuming timelines for approvals, especially for SIRA-controlled bollards at government and critical infrastructure locations, which consistently delays project timelines by weeks.
Bringing It Together Route Markers and Bollards Suppliers in UAE
In UAE, when it comes to picking the right route markers or bollards supplier, three things matter – selecting the right category of the product for your project, checking the supplier makes its products to the standards of the relevant authorities such as RTA or SIRA, and understanding what authority they are operating under – RTA or SIRA – before your project.
Once those three things are correct, the rest of the procurement process is easy. If you get any of them wrong, you’re going to have rework, delays in getting the approvals or a product that just won’t do the job it was intended to do. Select an supplier who takes compliance as seriously as you do and paperwork becomes nothing more than another checklist item.
