A bollard is a short post that controls vehicle and pedestrian access, protects property from impact, or defines a boundary within a site. Simple idea, but the specification is where most installs go wrong. Get the type right and a bollard quietly does its job for decades. Get it wrong and you have fixed posts where you needed flexible access, or light-duty posts in a loading dock that takes truck contact every day.
We design, manufacture and install the full range in our Toronto workshop. All steel bollards come with a high-visibility safety yellow powder coat as standard, with other colours available on order.
Fixed bollards
Fixed bollards are permanent, either set into the ground with a concrete footing or bolted down through a base plate. For car parks, fire exits, ram-raid deterrence or light industrial use, our 90mm standard duty steel bollard runs a 4.0mm wall at 940mm high. Where heavy vehicles are common, such as loading docks, freight yards and bus depots, we make 140mm and 165mm diameter bollards with a 5.0mm wall at 1,100mm high. For special applications, heavy duty bollards go to 219mm diameter with a 6.4mm wall.
A hollow steel bollard filled with concrete resists vehicle impact far better than an empty tube of the same diameter, which is what matters for ram-raid deterrence at retail sites and perimeter protection at high-value facilities. Options include eyelets for chains, a removable cap for concrete filling, custom colours and plain hot-dip galvanised finish.
Removable bollards
Where access needs to be restricted but not permanent, a removable bollard is a two-piece design: a sleeve concreted into the ground and a post that locks into it and lifts out when you need to get through. Available padlock or key-operated in 90mm and 140mm diameters, supplied with lifting handles and two options to cover the hole once the post is out. Post holders and hangers store the removed posts nearby. Where an in-ground sleeve is not possible, such as a suspended slab, a bolt-down version sits on a 10mm base plate with a hinged lid that padlocks to the stem.
Key-operated bollards
For a higher degree of security, mild steel key-operated bollards use an internal locking mechanism that, without power tools, cannot be reached from the outside. Keyed alike across a run, or individual locks per bollard, whatever suits your key security.
Collapsible bollards
Highly visible with a 150mm wide face, these 800mm high stem bollards fold flat to just 85mm when collapsed, and can carry labels or personalised text. An in-ground mounting kit is available for bitumen. Padlock or key options, keyed alike on request.
Retractable bollards
Stored in the ground and raised when needed, retractable bollards offer medium to high security with a 4.0mm wall, 114mm diameter and 900mm above-ground height. Choose the in-built handle or a t-bar handle to secure against unauthorised use.
Stainless bollards
Where appearance counts, such as protecting freezers in a supermarket or a premium commercial frontage, our standard 304 grade stainless bollards come in fixed, retractable, removable and bolt-down models, finished to level 4. For marine and coastal environments near the harbour or the lake, upgrade to 316 grade.
Where bollards earn their place
Car parks are the most common site. Bollards define pedestrian paths, protect stairwell entries and lift lobbies from reversing vehicles, and control after-hours entry. Loading docks and warehouse entries need heavy-duty fixed bollards to protect building corners, dock levellers and roller door frames, because a reversing truck that clips a steel bollard causes minor damage, while one that hits an unprotected corner does not. Retail and commercial frontages use them to separate pedestrians from traffic and to deter vehicle-based attacks on storefronts. School drop-off zones and childcare centres use removable or collapsible bollards to manage access at set times. Industrial sites across the Hunter use heavy-duty fixed bollards for perimeter protection and to mark safe zones around plant.
Pedestrian safety versus vehicle control
These are not the same job. A 90mm standard duty bollard is enough to mark a pedestrian path, protect a corner from slow traffic, or stop casual parking. It is not designed to stop a vehicle under power. For ram-raid deterrence and anti-vehicle protection you want concrete-filled fixed bollards at 140mm or larger, set into reinforced footings with adequate spacing. If you are specifying near a public road or footpath, council requirements may apply, and some installations near road corridors need development consent or engineering certification, so it is worth confirming with the City of Newcastle or your local authority before proceeding.
Choosing your bollard
Start with what the bollard needs to stop, then work back to type, diameter and fixing. Decide whether the restriction is permanent or needs to flex, check the substrate for an in-ground sleeve versus a bolt-down plate, and match the finish to the environment: galvanised or 316 stainless near the water, standard powder coat inland, safety yellow where visibility is the priority. Tell us the scenario and we will specify the right post for it.