Fuel Island Design Trends: How Vehicle Size and Safety Shape Modern Restoration

For those not in the fueling business, a fuel island is the raised concrete platform underneath the gas pump. It’s a small piece of equipment for most fueling facilities but it can make a big impact on the overall design and more importantly, the safety, of the station or C-store.

Why Do We Need Fuel Islands?

Fuel islands are critical to safety because they help prevent against accidental vehicle collision with the pumps. This helps prevent damage and potential spills. In addition, a concrete base can help dissipate static electricity generated during refueling, reducing the risk of sparks and ignition. Most local Fire Codes will require fuel islands for these reasons.

A fuel island will also help contain the drips and spills from the dispensers so the gasoline doesn’t seep into the ground.

Fuel Island Design

When fuel islands first came on the scene in the 1980s, the preferred shape was a ‘dogbone’. This shape has wider ends on the vertical ends of the island, with a thinner middle directly under the pump. This shape was constructed with a traditional 4-door sedan and 23’ diameter tires in mind. As vehicles have changed over the years, so have fuel islands.

The more popular shape now is a traditional rectangle, generally with rounded corners. This shape accommodates larger vehicles and tires popular today.

Vertical Barriers For Additional Protection

In addition to a fuel island, most stations also take protection against vehicle collisions with large vertical barriers at either end of the island. There are two main types of these blockades – a fuel island bumper is a guard that can handle minor impact, while a fuel island bollard is a heavier duty option to prevent a true vehicle strike. 

Fuel Island Advancements

Recent advancements in building materials have led to fuel island design improvements. The biggest change has been the elimination of the metal band. Originally, a stainless steel metal band was installed around the concrete island for added strength. Unfortunately, these bands tend to pull away from the concrete and pose a major safety risk to the shins and ankles of anyone nearby. Metal bands rust relatively quickly so while the concrete island is sound, the metal around it begins to deteriorate.

Epoxy-mortar aggregates are now being used in fuel island forms that are significantly stronger than standard concrete. This means the steel metal band is no longer needed to protect the island. Eliminating that risk of rust and loose metal is a huge win for safety concerns.

Color can be a major concern for C-store and stations with branding requirements. Traditional paint can’t withstand the wear and tear of a fuel island and managers are constantly painting and re-painting the islands and barriers at their stations. Another perk to epoxy-mortar islands are that they can be custom-colored within the form, meaning the color is solid throughout the island. Chips and scratches aren’t as noticeable and paint touch-ups are a thing of the past. Custom color options are available to adhere to specific branding requirements.