When restriping or sealcoating a parking lot you will often be asked to freshen up light pole bases and bollards. (bollard are poles that protect other objects like buildings)
As a part of painting these items it is normally a good idea to apply a band of reflective tape around the circumference so that vehicles can see and avoid them.
Because bollards are fairly large in diameter, any reflective tape will wrap around them. The choice would be how bright of a tape you need and how much you want to spend.
Standard flexible engineer grade tape is inexpensive and easy to apply. It is very pliable and will conform very well. A 1 inch – 6 inch roll is normally plenty wide. Type 1 engineer grade is good for applications where the viewer is within 300 feet of the bollard.
Prismatic reflective tapes such as an Oralite V82 or V92 will also work well and are much brighter. They are thin and will wrap well around a radius. You would use a brighter tape like one of these for applications where the viewer needs to see the tape a thousand feet out versus a few hundred feet.
For applications that require a lot of conformability, a flexible high intensity tape is best. These tapes are in between an engineer grade and a prismatic tape in brightness. Good out to say 500 feet.
Author – Steven Cole (Economics, MBA – University of West Florida, Graduate Certificate – Stanford University)
30 years of experience in the Parking Lot Striping Business. Software developer for pricing striping jobs. Hands on experience with the Trusco Trueline Paint Striper.