Building Column Protectors
A building column is part of the structure, and in a working warehouse it stands in the path of forklifts, pallet trucks and floor scrubbers. Column protectors put something between the two. The range here covers four ways of doing it: a blow-molded HDPE wrap that straps around the column with no tools, a set of steel guards anchored to the floor around its base, a tight-fit polymer wrap that closes onto square and rectangular columns, and a polymer guardrail that stands off from a column of any shape.
Which column protector do I need?
The ratings are the polymer guards’ maker’s own, quoted by energy at a 90° approach; the HDPE wrap and the steel protectors have none published. Protecting pallet rack uprights rather than building columns? Those are post protectors.
| Protector | How it protects | Columns it fits | Height and rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle Column Protectors → | Blow-molded HDPE wrap, two halves strapped together with no tools | 6″–12″ square (also round) · 9″ round · 14″–18″ Bolt Together | 24″ or 42″ tall · no rating published |
| Steel Column Protectors → | Prefabricated steel guards anchored to the floor, a set of four around the column | Building columns, drain pipes and fixed equipment | 16-1/2″ tall · no rating published |
| FlexiShield Column Guard → | Polymer corner sections and panels interlocked tight to the column | Square and rectangular, built to size | 0–20-1/2″ per guard, stackable · 1,600 J |
| iFlexRail Column Guard → | Polymer guardrail stood off from the column | Any shape or size · two- or three-sided options | 17-5/7″–43-1/3″ impact zone · 5,800 J |
| iFlexRail Column Guard+ → | As above, with a Traffic Rail added at the base | Any shape or size | 8″–15-5/9″ impact zone · 13,750 J |
Blow-molded HDPE column guards that wrap around a building column in two halves and strap together with no tools, putting a highly visible barrier at the base of the column where forklifts and material handling equipment strike. They are sold as a lightweight, easy-to-install alternative to steel guarding, and because they strap on, they can be repositioned or replaced as the layout changes. The standard model is 42″ tall with a 24″ outside diameter, with square openings for 6″ to 12″ columns (which also fit round columns) and a 9″ round opening. A 24″ Short, a 6″ Slim and a Bolt Together model for 14″ to 18″ columns complete the range.
- Material: Blow-molded high-density polyethylene (HDPE)
- Fits columns: 6″, 8″, 10″, 12″ square openings (also fit round) · 9″ round · Bolt Together 14″, 16″, 18″
- Heights: 42″ standard and Slim · 24″ Short · 42-3/4″ Bolt Together
- Outside diameter: 24″ standard and Short · 12″ Slim · 30″ Bolt Together
A curved steel guard, 16-1/2″ high, that bolts to the floor against a building column, drain pipe or other fixed equipment. It comes prefabricated, so there is no welding or cutting on site, and the anchors sit inside the curve out of the way of traffic. The maker recommends a set of four to cover all sides of a column.
- Height: 16-1/2″
- Mounting: Two 5/8″ internal holes · 1/2″ anchors, not included
- Coverage: Set of four recommended for all sides of a column
- Construction: Prefabricated steel, no on-site welding or cutting
A tight-fit polymer column guard for square and rectangular building columns. Interlocking corner sections and expansion panels close onto all four sides of the column with a minimal footprint, and a step at the base encloses the column’s base plate to shield its fixings. Each guard covers an impact height of 0 to 20-1/2″, and guards stack to reach any height. The maker positions it for light impacts and glancing blows, and rates it at 1,600 J at a 90° approach, which it equates to a 2 US ton vehicle at 3 mph.
- Fits: Square and rectangular columns · built to size from corner sections and expansion panels
- Impact height: 0–20-1/2″ per guard; stack guards for more height
- Maker rating: 1,600 J at 90° · equivalent to 2 US ton at 3 mph
- Compression: 4″ at maximum energy
A polymer guardrail built around a column rather than onto it. The rails are set apart from the column, so a strike is absorbed by the barrier and kept away from the structure. It fits columns of any size and section, square, rectangular, round or irregular, and can be supplied as a two- or three-sided unit for corner columns or columns against a wall. Rails and posts can be replaced in place without taking the rest of the guard apart. The maker rates the rail at 5,800 J at 90° on 59″ post centres, which it equates to a 2.5 US ton vehicle at 5 mph.
- Fits: Any column shape or size · full, two- or three-sided
- Rails: 4″ diameter polymer rails, stood off from the column
- Posts: 44-4/7″ high on a 7″ × 7″ base
- Maker rating: 5,800 J at 90° on 59″ post centres · equivalent to 2.5 US ton at 5 mph
The iFlexRail Column Guard with an integrated Traffic Rail added at the base, for columns in high-traffic areas. Like the standard guard it stands off from the column and fits any column shape or size. The maker rates it at 13,750 J at 90°, which it equates to a 4.2 US ton vehicle at 6 mph, for vehicles with an impact height of 8″ to 15-5/9″.
- Adds: Integrated Traffic Rail at the base
- Fits: Any column shape or size
- Posts: 44-2/3″ high on a 9″ × 9″ base
- Maker rating: 13,750 J at 90° · equivalent to 4.2 US ton at 6 mph
Which one do I need?
Start with what hits the column, and how hard.
Visibility and light knocks, or real forklift strikes?
A strap-on HDPE wrap is the quick fix: it goes on with no tools, makes the column impossible to miss, and moves when the layout does. It is sold as a lightweight alternative to steel guarding, with no impact rating published. Where loaded trucks reach the columns, choose a guard with a published rating: FlexiShield is positioned for light impacts and glancing blows at 1,600 J, and the iFlexRail column guards are rated at 5,800 J, or 13,750 J with the Traffic Rail.
Tight to the column, or standing off it?
A wrap sits against the column and takes up the least floor space. A stand-off guardrail needs more room but keeps the strike off the column altogether: the iFlexRail sets the rails apart from the column so the barrier absorbs the collision, not the structure. It also fits round and irregular columns, and can be built two- or three-sided where a column meets a wall.
Steel, or polymer?
The steel protectors are prefabricated, bolt to the floor with the anchors inside the guard, and come as a set of four to cover every side of a column at 16-1/2″ high. The polymer guards flex and recover when struck, and their maker says the design carries impact forces away from both the column and the floor.
What size is the column?
Measure it before ordering. The Eagle wraps are sized by opening: 6″, 8″, 10″ and 12″ square, which also fit round columns, a 9″ round, and a Bolt Together model for 14″ to 18″. FlexiShield is built to the column from different corner sizes and expansion panels, and the iFlexRail guards are configured to any size or section, so for those, send us the column’s dimensions.