Bollards

Steel bollards

The everyday bollard: a steel pipe, usually filled with concrete, set in the ground in front of whatever a vehicle might hit. Here are the sizes manufacturers publish and how each one mounts.

By the Safety Bollards team · Updated 2026-10-26 · Every spec below links to the manufacturer’s own page.

What manufacturers publish

Model (maker)	Body	Height above grade	Mounting	Rating
R-1007-06 pipe bollard (Reliance Foundry)	6⅝ in ASTM A500 B structural steel, primed or galvanized, 133 lb	84 in overall length	Fixed in new or existing concrete	None
Pour-in-place 6.6 × 48 (Proguard Pacific, BC)	6.6 in steel, galvanized	48 in	36 in embedment	None
Surface mount 4.5 × 48 (Proguard Pacific)	4.5 in steel, yellow	48 in	Bolt-down base	None
BDB6 bolt-down (Post Guard)	6.5 in OD schedule 40 steel, powder-coated yellow	42 or 48 in	10 × 12 in base plate, four ¾ in holes	None
H-7685 to H-11158 pour-in-place (Uline)	5.5 in 9-gauge steel, four welded anchor tabs	36, 42, 48 or 60 in usable	Installs in 10 in of wet concrete	None
FX4536SS stainless (ännt, Georgetown ON)	4.5 in 316 stainless, satin	900 mm (35.4 in)	305 mm min embed in a 254 mm min footing	None
T-603.048 median bollard (City of Toronto standard)	90 mm OD steel, 6.35 mm wall, painted black	900 mm	Set 300 mm into a concrete median with a cross-pin and grout	None

None of these is crash-rated. They stop a slow car, a forklift or a reversing truck; for a deliberate attack see crash-rated bollards.

Pick the mounting first

Existing slab: core-drilled. A cored hole filled around the post holds far better than a bolted plate.
New concrete or asphalt: embedded in its own footing, or a pour-in-place post set in the pour.
Can’t dig (a parkade deck, a slab with services in it): surface-mount, knowing a base plate takes much less load.

Size and finish

Most sites use 4½ in posts for marking and 6 in for impact, at 36 to 42 in tall (bollard sizes). Galvanized steel holds up best to salt; a yellow cover over a galvanized post gives the visibility without repainting. Stainless is for storefronts where looks matter.

How many

Leave at least 36 in clear where people pass, and no more than about 5 ft where the point is to stop a car (spacing guide). The site-plan builder works out the count for each run.

Questions

Should steel bollards be filled with concrete?

Yes, for impact protection. Reliance Foundry’s install guide fills the whole pipe with concrete after setting it, and Uline suggests filling its pour-in-place posts for extra stability.

Can steel bollards stop a car?

A concrete-filled 6 in post in a proper footing stops most low-speed hits, but only a crash-tested system has a rating for it. If a written rating matters (insurance, a security plan), specify an ASTM F2656 or F3016 rated bollard.