Bollards & Post Covers

Removable Bollards for Better Access and Security

Bollards with padlocks at their base separate a sidewalk in front of posters at concert hall.

Removable bollards regulate vehicles and ensure pedestrian access

Bollards with padlocks at their base separate a sidewalk in front of posters at concert hall.
Removable bollards allow variable access for deliveries and emergencies.

Access and security are two key considerations for any property. Whether you run a business or manage a residential property, you may be looking to keep vehicles out of restricted areas—while still ensuring access when you need it. Here, we’ll look at how removable bollards help.

Access bollards for better security

When we look at access, first we need to ask, “Access for who?” For businesses, customers need to come and go quickly and conveniently. For residential buildings, occupants need longer-term storage for vehicles and occasional accommodation for visitors. Access can also mean different things. For example, pedestrian access may require different infrastructure—such as sidewalks, crosswalks and areas of refuge—than vehicle accommodations, which may require paved surfaces, signage and traffic lights.

Many sites also require a degree of security. Utility areas, shipping and receiving docks and maintenance roads may be prime sites for sensitive equipment or building exposures. Pedestrian areas and open green spaces can be places for families and their children—and should also be free from public vehicles. Keeping unauthorized vehicles away from these areas will reduce risk of accidents. On occasion, however, maintenance and security vehicles may need their own priority access. Read more about pedestrian-oriented design.

Bollard solutions

White bollards blend in with a white and glass building
Bigger decorative bollards are placed over internal mounts.

Access control bollards are ideal for site security. Specifically, they prevent vehicle entry while allowing pedestrians to pass freely. They are also less intrusive than other forms of barriers—such as fences, walls or hedges—as they preserve clear site lines and the spaciousness of open areas.

Cost and value are other factors to consider. Bollards can be significantly less intrusive to install, requiring only minor excavation or drilling. The overall labor for installation, maintenance and operation is often less costly and less time-consuming.

Removable bollard options

Often, fixed, no-entry barriers may not be ideal. Access requirements can change throughout the year, season to season, month to month or even day to day. Long-arm barriers, or other types of gates, can be common solutions, but depending on the site, removable bollards can be more suitable—as they are more economical and don’t require hardwiring for automated controls.

What are some of the most common uses for removable bollards?

Bollards are less intrusive to install and preserve clear site lines in open areas

Lane access

Bollards are often installed to keep vehicles from gaining access to certain areas, but what happens when maintenance vehicles need to get through? Removable bollards prevent regular public access and allow emergency or maintenance vehicles to pass when necessary.

Community events

Community facilities such as stadiums, event areas and public parks often serve a number of different purposes throughout the year, from public gatherings to overflow parking accommodation. Strategically installing removable bollards can create effective divisions for public events when required, while allowing regular traffic flow at other times.

Seasonal closing

Weather conditions, operating schedules or other seasonal considerations can require that site areas be closed to vehicles during certain parts of the year. Installation and removal of removable bollards can section a space for a summer patio or prevent access during winter months.

Removable bollard options

A line of bollards, one sporting a padlock, separates foot and bike traffic on a rainy seaside path.
This removable bollard allows access for worker vehicles only.

Removable bollards are available in a range of styles and mountings to fit different site requirements.

Decorative metal bollards come in powder-coated ductile iron, steel, aluminum, and have wide bases with internal mountings. Standard removable bollards are placed into below ground receivers and are locked into place. They are light enough to unlock and remove several times a day. For another light but shallow removable bollard option, especially helpful in parking garages, warehouses, and factories, there are slide-mount bollards which bolt onto existing concrete. Bollards with a special base fit laterally into the slide mount and are locked with a padlock. Flexible removable bollards, that can be driven over without injury to the car or bollard, also are placed into below-grade custom bases.

Standard removable and flexible bollards are installed into new poured concrete. Decorative bollards offer the additional option of bolting onto existing concrete.

There are a few locking mechanisms available for standard metal bollards that slide into receivers:

  1. Chain receivers: Bollards are padlocked to a securing chain when installed. When removed, chains can be stored inside the receiver and covered with a stainless steel lid.
  2. Hinged lid: Bollards are padlocked to a hinged lid when installed. When removed, the lid closes flush with the top of the receiver.
  3. Internal lock: On select models, the locking mechanism is internal to the bollard and simply needs a key—no additional padlocks are necessary.

Decorative bollards with a wider, heavier base must cover their mounting rather than being placed into it. These can be embedded as with standard mountings, but also offer the option of bolting into existing concrete for bollards that will not need to be moved often.

  1. Premium receivers: Bollards bolt to receiver extensions and are secured with padlocks when installed. When removed, receiver extensions retract flush with ground surfaces to avoid obstruction.
  2. Standard receivers: Bollards bolt to surface-mounted brackets and are secured with padlocks when installed. When removed, brackets can be removed from embedded concrete anchors.

Durability and aesthetics

Bollards offer a simple, non-intrusive solution for regulating vehicle access. With the range of products and installation hardware available, we’re able to cater to the needs of any building or property. Material, design and finishing are often key factors to ensuring bollard installations suit their surroundings. When selecting removable bollards for your property, using high-quality materials will ensure lasting performance with minimal maintenance or upkeep.