Bollards That Stop Cars: What Crash Ratings Mean for Plazas

Do bollards stop cars? Some do and many do not. A steel pipe bollard set in a proper concrete footing can stop or deflect a slow-moving car, a decorative or thin-walled post will not, and only a bollard tested to a crash standard can show what it stops, at what speed and how far the vehicle travels past it.

Do bollards stop cars? It depends on the post, footing and speed

A bollard stops a car only when three things line up. The post is strong enough, the footing holds it in the ground, and the vehicle arrives at a speed the design can handle. Take away any one and the bollard can fail.

That is why one word covers a plastic post that bends and springs back and a steel post set in a concrete foundation. The first guides drivers. The second can stop a vehicle. A post that looks sturdy is not the same as a post that has been tested.

Most of the strength is underground. Embedded bollards resist impact far better than surface-mounted ones, because a post bolted to a slab is only as strong as its base plate and the bolts. A thick pipe on a weak footing can tip over or lever out of the ground instead of stopping anything.

Why speed and weight change the answer

The energy a vehicle carries rises with its weight and with the square of its speed. Double the speed and the energy goes up four times. A car rolling through a stall carries far less than the same car at 50 km/h, and a loaded delivery truck carries far more than a car.

Most contact in a parking lot is slow. The cases that worry plaza owners involve more speed: a driver who hits the accelerator near a storefront, or a vehicle driven at a door on purpose. Speed depends on the run-up, the distance a vehicle has to accelerate. A short, curved or blocked approach limits speed. A long, straight drive aisle pointing at the glass does not.

When you judge a spot, look at the approach as well as the post. The longer and straighter the run toward the door, the more you need from the bollard.

Three kinds of bollard: marker, protective and crash-rated

The guide to commercial bollard types and the comparison of steel and concrete bollards go deeper on materials. Appearance and impact protection are separate questions, so a post can look heavy and still be a marker.

What crash ratings tell you

A crash rating comes from a test. A vehicle is driven into the barrier at a set speed and the result is recorded. The common North American standard is ASTM F2656, and its rating has two parts.

• The M number is the speed. M30, M40 and M50 use a medium-duty truck of about 6,800 kg (15,000 lb) at 30, 40 and 50 miles an hour, which is roughly 48, 64 and 80 km/h.
• The P number is the penetration. It records how far the vehicle travels past the barrier. P1 is under 1 metre, P2 is 1 to 7 metres and P3 is 7 to 30 metres.

So an M40 P1 bollard stopped the test truck at 40 miles an hour within 1 metre. Older K4, K8 and K12 ratings that still turn up on drawings line up roughly with M30, M40 and M50. A separate standard, ASTM F3016, tests lighter vehicles at lower speeds, which is closer to a car running into a storefront. Other schemes, such as PAS 68 and IWA 14, come from the UK and international work.

Two points matter more than the label. First, a rating belongs to the whole system: the post, the foundation depth and details, and the way it was installed. Change the footing or the spacing and the rating no longer applies. Second, a P2 result means the vehicle may travel several metres past the post, so the distance between the barrier and the glass counts. Ask for the manufacturer's test report and installation details, and have an engineer confirm the design for your slab and soil.

Do bollards prevent car theft, deter thieves or stop ram-raids?

Bollards do not stop someone stealing a parked car, breaking a window or forcing a door on foot. They do one thing: limit where a vehicle can go. That matters in two cases.

• Accidental strikes. A pedal mix-up or a vehicle that rolls on a slope can put a car through glass. Posts in front of the glass stop or slow it.
• Deliberate vehicle attacks. A vehicle driven into a door or window to get inside is a ram-raid. A properly spaced row of tested posts in front of an exposed entrance makes that approach much harder.

Visible posts may make a site look like a harder target, but treat that as a possible side benefit, not a promise. For theft, break-ins and loitering, look at lighting, cameras, locks and glazing as well. A well-lit lot helps every other measure.

How to tell whether your existing bollards would stop a vehicle

You can learn a lot from a walk around the property.

1. Look for documents. Check for a manufacturer's plate or stamp, and check your project records for a tested model. With no documents, treat the posts as protective at best.
2. Check the mounting. Is the post embedded in a concrete footing, or bolted to a slab through a base plate? Bolted posts resist impact far less.
3. Inspect the base. Look for cracked or heaved concrete, a post that leans or moves when pushed, rust at the ground line where salt sits, and scrapes or fresh paint that show earlier hits.
4. Check the gaps. A vehicle should not be able to squeeze between posts, while wheelchairs and strollers must still pass. The bollard spacing guide explains how to balance the two.
5. Measure what is behind. A post that stops a vehicle may still let it travel some distance. How close is the glass?

After any hit, have the footing inspected, not only the post. The post can look fine while the footing underneath is cracked. The guide to bollard replacement and repair shows what to look for.

When a standard bollard job is enough and when to call an engineer

For a standard commercial job, such as protecting a door, a meter or a dock edge from slow vehicles, a steel pipe bollard filled with concrete in a footing suited to the soil is the usual approach. See the retail storefront bollard guide for how that looks at a plaza.

Bring in a structural engineer or security consultant when the risk is a deliberate vehicle attack, when a long straight road or aisle lets vehicles arrive at speed, or when crowds gather near the entrance. They define the threat and specify a tested system with the footing details. Ask any installer whether they can install to the manufacturer's tested details, because installation is part of the rating.

D&D Commercial Services installs steel pipe bollards set in concrete footings, surface-mounted bollards, removable bollards and plastic bollard covers. If you need a certified rating, the specification should come from an engineer or the manufacturer first. Every job starts with a free written estimate, and the bollard installation page explains the process.

Bollard strength questions answered

How strong are bollards?

It depends on the product. A flexible post bends and a decorative post can snap. A steel pipe filled with concrete and set in a footing resists much more. Only a tested, rated system can state what it stops. Strength comes from the footing as much as the post.

Are bollards effective?

They are effective at what they are built for. A well-set steel bollard can protect a door, meter or charger from slow vehicles. A marker post only guides drivers. Check that the post, footing and spacing match the risk, and check the approach speed.

Do bollards prevent car theft?

No. A bollard does not stop someone taking a parked car, breaking glass or entering on foot. It limits where a vehicle can go, which helps against accidental strikes and vehicles driven at doors. Lighting, cameras, locks and glazing handle theft and break-ins.

Why are some bollards so strong?

Crash-rated bollards are engineered and tested. They use heavy steel, are often filled with concrete and sit in deep reinforced foundations sized to spread the load into the ground. The foundation does a large share of the work, which is why the rating covers the whole system.

How do I know if a bollard is crash rated?

Look for a manufacturer's plate and ask for the test report. The report should name the standard, the rating and the foundation details that were tested. Without that paperwork, treat the post as protective at best, not as a certified barrier.

Devon Moore, Operations Lead Founder & Operations Lead — D&D Commercial Services

Devon Moore is the founder and Operations Lead at D&D Commercial Services, delivering professional commercial property maintenance across Waterloo Region.