Security Bollards

Security bollards are crash-rated steel posts that physically stop vehicle intrusion — from accidental storefront strikes to deliberate ramming attacks. Built with rugged construction, they provide effective vehicular access control. With the ability to quickly rise up and down, these bollards offer dynamic control over access points, preventing unauthorized vehicles from entering while allowing authorized passage. From safeguarding storefronts to controlling traffic flow, our bollards offer a versatile solution with uncompromising strength.

Types of Security Bollards

Security bollards are steel posts installed at building entrances, parking facilities, and public spaces to stop or deter vehicle intrusion. 2M Technology supplies three main security bollard configurations:

Crash Ratings — What They Mean

Security bollards are tested and rated under ASTM F2656 (US) and PAS 68 (UK) standards. Modern datasheets list these as ASTM F2656 M-ratings — M30, M40, and M50 are the current designations for the legacy K4, K8, and K12, and the number is the speed at which the barrier stopped a 15,000 lb test truck (our road blockers and vehicle barriers guide covers the ratings in depth):

• K4 — Stops a 15,000 lb vehicle at 30 mph. Standard commercial security bollards for most access control applications.
• K8 — Stops a 15,000 lb vehicle at 40 mph. Required at many federal facilities and high-value commercial sites.
• K12 — Stops a 15,000 lb vehicle at 50 mph. Specified for embassies, military installations, and critical infrastructure.

The 2MHB hydraulic security bollards can be specified to K4, K8, or K12 depending on the threat level and site access plan.

Security Bollard Applications

• Government and civic buildings — Federal and state facilities require ASTM F2656-rated security bollards at all vehicle access points. 2M Technology’s bollard systems meet DoD anti-terrorism force protection standards.
• Banks and financial institutions — Ram-raid attacks on ATMs and bank lobbies are mitigated by crash-rated security bollards installed in front of glazing and entrances.
• Retail and hospitality — High foot traffic areas, outdoor dining, and storefront pedestrian zones require security bollards that balance aesthetic design with impact resistance.
• Campuses and stadiums — Perimeter security bollards define the vehicle exclusion zone around arena entrances, campus quad areas, and transit stops.

Security Bollards FAQ

What do security bollards cost installed?

Fixed bollards typically run a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars each installed depending on crash rating and foundation depth; hydraulic retractable units are a per-lane system with excavation and a hydraulic power unit, priced closer to gate-automation projects. Site conditions — utilities, drainage, concrete depth — move cost more than the post itself.

Should I choose fixed, removable, or hydraulic bollards?

Choose by who needs to pass: fixed posts where no vehicle should ever enter, removable where fire lanes or event access need occasional openings, and hydraulic retractable where authorized vehicles pass daily — deliveries, executive parking, embassy gates. Most perimeters mix all three.

Bollards or a road blocker — which stops a ramming vehicle better?

Both arrest rated threats when specified correctly. Bollards protect long pedestrian frontages while people walk freely between posts; a hydraulic road blocker concentrates maximum stopping power in a single vehicle lane. Perimeter = bollards; controlled truck gate = road blocker; many sites use both.

How far apart should security bollards be placed?

Standard anti-vehicle spacing is 4 to 5 feet between posts — tight enough that no passenger vehicle fits through, wide enough for wheelchairs, strollers, and pedestrian flow. Corner and curve placement follows the site’s vehicle approach geometry, which is part of 2M’s survey.

Do cities require crash-rated bollards for outdoor event spaces?

Requirements are accelerating after recent vehicle-ramming attacks — our analysis of the New Orleans response covers what cities deployed and why. Combined layouts often pair bollards with traffic spikes on exit lanes.

Contact 2M Technology for a security bollards site survey, crash rating recommendation, and installation quote. We handle permitting, concrete work, hydraulic connections, and integration with existing access control systems. See the federal Whole Building Design Guide vehicle-barrier resource for the engineering behind ASTM F2656 ratings.

2M Technology integrates security bollards with access control systems and AI security cameras for a complete perimeter solution — contact us for a site survey.