How to Select Crash Rated Bollards That Meet Your Security Requirements

Would your bollards stop a car that jumped the curb and was driving at your building entrance right now?

The honest answer is, for most properties in the US: it depends on the bollards you have. A regular old steel pipe post slows a car. It’s brought to a halt by a crash rated bollard – one that’s been independently evaluated to a recognized safety standard. This is the exact difference between a real security bollard and an ornamental or normal safety bollard that simply delineates a border.

The problem is some of the “security” bollards sold have never been tested. Not all buyers know the right questions to ask. This tutorial cuts through the clutter and lets you pick the suitable crash rated bollard for your property without a degree in engineering to do so.

What Makes a Bollard Actually Crash Rated?

A crash rated bollard has been crash tested at an impartial facility to verify it would stop a vehicle of a certain weight travelling at a certain speed. The results are recorded in a test report.

That’s all. No matter what the product page says, a bollard that hasn’t passed that test isn’t crash-rated.

Standard pipe bollards, traffic bollards, delineator posts and ornamental covers are not crash rated. They guide vehicles and set boundaries - they are safety bollards in the general sense, but they will not physically stop a vehicle under real impact. A rated bollard is a physical barrier.

Two Types of Crash Ratings - Which One Do You Need?

There are two main crash testing standards used across the US. Think of them as two tiers:

Tier 1 - For Most Commercial Properties

This standard evaluates a bollard against a typical passenger car or light truck, the type of vehicle that is most likely to impact a storefront, school entrance, or parking lot barrier accidently or maliciously.

• Retail locations, restaurants, shopping malls, hospitals, schools, anywhere a traffic bollard or a normal pipe post isn’t adequate.
• Tests against a vehicle weighing around 5,000 lbs, big SUV or pickup truck.
• Speed settings: 10 mph, 20 mph, or 30 mph -- choose from a speed a car might actually be going as it pulls up to your entry.
• For most US stores, the 30 mph variant is the default start.

Tier 2 - For Government and High-Security Sites

This grade is for sites where the threat is more serious - heavier vehicles, higher speeds, deliberate attack rather than accident.

• Mandatory for federal buildings, embassies, military sites and essential infrastructure.
• Tests against a considerably bigger vehicle -- about 15,000 lbs, like a medium-duty truck.
• SPEED SELECTION: 30 mph or 50 mph.
• If this level is more than necessary for most private firms, your insurer or local authority will warn you.

What Does the Penetration Rating Mean?

A car hits a crash rated bollard, and the bollard takes the hit, yet the car is still going some distance before it stops. The penetration rating means the depth.

• P1 – Tightest: The car stops around 3 feet from the bollard. This is what storefronts and pedestrian areas require.
• P2: The vehicle comes to a stop in around 23 feet.
• P3: the vehicle stops within approximately 100 feet, the least restrictive rating.

If people are standing near the protected area, a storefront, a school, a plaza, any site, P1 is the correct choice. The vehicle stops short of anyone behind the bollard line.

Fixed, Removable, or Surface-Mount?

Knowing what crash grade you require, the next question is how the bollard gets installed. It all comes down to one thing: Does anyone ever have to drive past that spot?

Fixed Crash Rated Bollards

• In the concrete – the easiest solution fixed permanently.
• Best for entrances, storefronts and perimeters where vehicle access is never needed.
• Lower initial cost, no moving parts.

Removable Crash Rated Bollards

• Locks into a sleeve in the ground - lifts out for vehicle access.
• The crash rating is for when the post is secured in place.
• Suitable for fire lanes, loading docks and delivery gateways with intermittent use.

Surface-Mount Crash Rated Bollards

• No digging! Bolts straight to existing concrete or asphalt.
• For retrofit installations where they cannot break up the existing surface.
• Great for older homes in the U.S. where digging up the ground is not an option.

How Do You Know If a Bollard Is Genuinely Crash Rated?

Request the test report. A legitimate crash rated bollard will have paperwork from the independent test center that crash tested it. If a provider cannot supply the paperwork, the claim of the crash rating is not validated. The same goes for security bollards for government facilities, crash bollards sold for stores and everything in between.

• Please provide the name of the test facility and the date of the test.
• Ask which standard specifically was tested and at what speed.
• Ask about the installation requirements - a crash rating is only as good as the installation of the bollard when it was tested.
• If you’re buying for a government or municipal project, inquire if the system is on an approved products list.

Which Sites Actually Need Crash Rated Bollards?

Not every property requires them, but more than most assume do. That’s how it works in practice:

• Busy road retail outlets, schools and campuses, hospitals, government buildings, banks, fuel stations, any location where a vehicle could approach at speed – these are the places where a crash rated bollard is the correct specification, not just a standard safety bollard.
• Consider outdoor dining, event spaces, huge parking structures and any property where car mishaps have happened in the past – crash and security bollards provide considerable protection even where the risk is minimal.
• Generally, normal bollards are sufficient: indoor parking areas, low-speed pedestrian areas, and places where vehicle collision is not probable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is the difference between a crash rated bollard and a regular bollard?

A: An impartial authority has tested a crash rated bollard to stop a particular weight vehicle travelling at a particular speed. Most ordinary traffic bollards, safety bollards and pipe posts are not crash tested and will not successfully stop a vehicle under real impact situations.

Q2: Do I need crash rated bollards for my storefront?

A: Crash rated bollards are a plus for the majority of US retail businesses, particularly those on sites near roadways where cars might come at speed. The correct rating will depend on road speed, site geometry, and any local code or insurance requirements. A security or supplier consultant can confirm the proper spec for your particular area.

Q3: What are the best types of guardrails for fall protection on construction sites?

A: The most popular types used on US construction sites are steel pipe guardrail, W-Beam highway guardrail and modular bolt-on systems. Steel pipe and W-Beam are good for permanent installations. Modular systems are suitable for short term set-ups where welding cannot be done. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.502 shall be followed by all.

Q4: How do you install guardrails for fall protection on commercial buildings?

A: Depends on the surface. Rooftop systems are supported by core-drilled posts, structural weld attachments or weighted non-penetrating bases. Base plate posts mount directly to concrete floor or mezzanine surface. OSHA also requires that all systems must be able to sustain a force of 200 lb from any direction and have a top rail at 42 inches.

Q5: How do you choose the right fall protection guardrail for a loading dock?

A: Select a heavy duty steel system-W-Beam or pipe rail on base plate posts-that meets OSHA fall prevention criteria and vehicle contact restrictions. Posts should be no more than 8 feet apart and should be located to prevent falls but not to interfere with forklift operations.