Bollards: Definition, Benefits and Uses

Bollards from Reliance Foundry have much to offer properties across North America. Bollard use offers traffic direction, safety and landscape decor.

Written by: Brad Done

Bollards can be somewhat of a mystery; we see them, we experience them, and we recognize them – but we often don't know what they are called. Security posts, pillars, stanchions, bullards, ballards and bolards are all terms that are used to describe "BOLLARDS". A bollard is often misspelled in many other ways as well; bollar, bullard, bolard and ballard are frequent expressions people use to describe these unique architectural posts.

The term bollards originally referred to short vertical posts that were found where large ships dock for mooring. Today, bollards are still used for that purpose, but property owners, landscape architects and facility designers use bollards for a wide variety of other needs.

Bollard Street Use History

In the 1600s, upended canons on European and United States town streets became the first street bollards. They were used as boundary posts and as town markers. Later, in the US, wooden bollard posts protected storefronts in the old west and were used to hitch horses.

Today, bollards are so common, they are hardly noticed -- but their purpose is critical around campuses, roadways, businesses, multi-family residences, stadiums, hotels, city parks -- basically everywhere.

The many colour options and styles for bollards enable architects and designers to incorporate bollards into any motif. Once you begin looking for them, you will notice their frequency and just how much bollards provide protection, safety and definition in many ways.

Common Bollard Types

The most common type of bollard is a fixed metal stanchion, typically a painted steel post, about 36" high - installed into the ground with concrete. Some bollards are square, but most are cylindrical with a domed, angled, or flat cap. Bollards come in a great variety of sizes, colors, materials, shapes and capabilities.

Bollards are installed with hardware appropriate for their use. Fixed bollards are permanently installed into new or existing concrete. Retractable or removable bollards have installation that enables them to be taken out of their mounting (removed) or lowered into the ground (retracted) to allow occasional traffic access or for changing traffic pattern needs.

Bollard covers are fixed over the top of steel security pipes. They add visibility, often in parking garages lots and highlighting storefronts.

While many bollards provide aesthetic benefits, typically metal bollards are used to protect pedestrians and buildings from vehicles; metal bollards provide one of the simplest means of controlling access and providing perimeter defense. They can be anchored in the ground individually, or arranged in a line to close a road for vehicles as part of a larger security system. Stationary metal bollards provide a constant barrier while retractable or removable bollards permit authorized entry.

All bollards can be used for architectural and landscaping applications, and differ in style, shape, and material. For security applications, the available bollard selection may be limited by what is needed to be stopped by the bollard; that is, whether they are to be used as traffic deterrent bollards or whether they are being employed to address a security (impact) issue. Security or impact issues are addressed by first determining how big a vehicle is that may impact the bollard in question, and how fast could it be traveling when it makes impact.

Visit Reliance Foundry’s bollard web site to see their entire selection of bollard products.

About Reliance Foundry Co. Ltd.

Reliance Foundry has been a family-owned business since 1927. Bollards are one of its main product lines, along with bike racks, industrial wheels and investment castings. Reliance sources products globally and offers quick and convenient delivery in the United States and Canada from its Vancouver location.