Concrete bollard installation

What is it?

What are concrete bollards?

A concrete bollard is a heavy precast post made from concrete or reconstituted stone, used to stop vehicles entering pedestrian spaces, verges and open land. Its weight and mass give it presence, and it is fixed by a steel dowel into a foundation, bedded in the ground, or in some cases simply placed. Finishes range from plain grey concrete to exposed aggregate and stone-effect surfaces that suit civic and landscaped settings.

Concrete bollards are the solid, low-maintenance choice for public spaces: town squares, park entrances, library and school forecourts, retail parks and the edges of open land where vehicles should not go. They do not rust or need painting, they are hard to steal or vandalise, and they suit landscape schemes where steel posts would look too utilitarian.

The main practical issue is weight. A single concrete bollard can weigh well over a hundred kilograms and larger ones several times that, so delivery, handling and setting all need lifting equipment and a plan. Our installation crews, working under our management, set concrete and stone bollards on proper foundations so they stay plumb and do not settle or rock.

Where concrete bollards make sense

• Town centre squares and pedestrianised streets
• Park entrances and greens where vehicles should not drive
• School, library and civic building forecourts
• Edges of open land and verges subject to unauthorised vehicle access
• Retail parks and landscaped car parks
• Housing estates and communal areas
• Rural and coastal sites where steel would corrode

How it works

Most concrete bollards are made in moulds in a factory, with steel reinforcement inside and a cast-in socket or protruding dowel at the base. On site, a small foundation is dug and concreted, with a hole or sleeve left for the dowel, and the bollard is lowered onto a mortar bed with the dowel grouted in. That holds it against being pushed or rocked. Some designs have a root section that is buried in the ground instead.

Reconstituted stone is a concrete made with crushed natural stone and a surface treatment that gives it the look of Portland, York or granite. It costs less than natural stone and is more consistent in colour. Exposed aggregate, acid-etched and shot-blasted finishes give texture and help hide weathering. Colour and texture vary slightly between production batches, so bollards for one scheme should be ordered together, and spares for future replacements are worth considering at the same time.

Weight helps a concrete bollard deter vehicles, but an untested concrete post is not crash-rated. When struck hard it can chip, crack or shear at the dowel. Some precast products have been crash-tested, often with steel cores or special foundations, and these are the only concrete bollards that should be relied on for security.

Options and finishes

Typical specification

How we install it

Ground, foundations and buried services

Because concrete bollards are heavy, a weak foundation shows itself quickly as a tilt. Each post sits on a concrete base on firm ground, and on soft verges or made ground the base is deepened or widened to suit. Park and verge locations often have tree roots nearby, which need protecting and can push bollards over time if set too close. Services under footways are traced before excavation. Access for the lifting vehicle matters: soft grass, paving and kerbs can be damaged by an outrigger, so ground protection mats are often laid before lifting begins.

Rules and checks before you order

• Keep clear gaps of typically at least 1,000–1,200 mm where pedestrians pass, checking against Inclusive Mobility guidance.
• Use contrasting colours or bands so grey bollards stand out against grey paving.
• Plan lifts with an exclusion zone and suitable lifting equipment, and record the method for the site.
• On public highway or council land, agree positions and specification with the highway authority or landowner.
• Do not present untested concrete bollards as crash-rated protection.

See rules and standards by nation for highway consent, accessibility and security standards.

Maintenance

Concrete bollards need very little: occasional washing, removal of graffiti with suitable cleaners, and checks for chips, cracks and lean. Small chips can be repaired with a colour-matched mortar, but a bollard that has cracked through or sheared at the dowel needs replacing. In areas salted heavily in winter, check for surface spalling. If a line is regularly struck by vehicles, consider whether steel cores, a tested product or a different layout would suit better. Keep a note of the product name, finish and supplier, because matching a single damaged bollard years later is much easier when the original specification is known.

What affects the price

• Precast concrete or reconstituted stone
• Size, shape and surface finish
• Number of bollards
• Lifting equipment and access for delivery
• Foundation depth and ground conditions
• Reinstatement of paving or turf