Security bollards play a more important role in providing perimeter security than many people realize. In December 2023, a Maine woman filed a lawsuit against Dollar Tree and its property owner after being injured in an accident. The incident, which occurred the year before, involved a pickup truck crashing into the Ellsworth, Maine, store, injuring the woman and four others.
Her reason for suing the store was its use of non-crash-rated bollards, which provided a false sense of security without the necessary impact protection. Although it is up to the courts to decide who is at fault, the case brings attention to a subject that rarely gets addressed — the need for crash-rated security bollards.
At TYMETAL Corp, we understand the role crash-rated security bollards play in providing protection for military and government buildings, commercial properties, airports, and more. Let’s explore bollards in more detail, including their significance and the types available, along with various use cases to better understand these perimeter security devices.
Understanding the Significance of Crash-Rated Security Bollards in Perimeter Security
In more recent headlines, the city of Chicago and the Chicago Cubs baseball team are in discussions to enhance Wrigley Field’s security. As part of the $30 million the Cubs are requesting in funding, the team plans to install protective bollards around the property. The goal is to protect it from terrorists and other security risks. For the uninitiated, that provides a glimpse into the significance and potential that crash-rated security bollards can play in safeguarding properties of all sizes.
Crash-rated security bollards may look relatively unassuming in their design and stature, but these devices provide critical protection for properties of all types. From entertainment venues, public areas, and roadways to high security properties like military installations and governmental institutions, crash-rated bollards absorb impact to effectively halt crashes and vehicular attacks. They also provide vital access control and visual cues to aid in the flow of pedestrian foot traffic.
Bollards: The Unsung Heroes of Perimeter Protection
Bollards have been used for hundreds of years and were originally sourced from old ship canons that were repurposed to secure maritime vessels to wharves. Today, the designs have come a long way, with sleek, contemporary, and decorative styles available to suit aesthetic requirements. More importantly, depending on the crash rating, a single crash-rated security bollards could stop a 15,000-pound vehicle, which is comparable to a medium-duty truck, within three to 98.4 feet. This information provides critical insight into the type of crash-rated security bollards needed, depending on the security needs of the property, and the ideal placement of those bollards.
Combined with other perimeter security measures, these devices are far more effective than many people realize. With the appropriate bollard choice and placement, crash-rated security bollards define boundaries, keep buildings (and the assets inside) safe, and enhance road and pedestrian safety.
Real-World Threats and the Need for Bollard Security
In the volatile global security landscape in which we live, the need for robust perimeter security measures remains at an all-time high. Vehicles can be used as weapons to attack commercial, industrial, and governmental infrastructure. This underscores the need for hostile vehicle mitigation.
Imagine the damage that a vehicle — even a relatively lightweight one like a car — could cause when crashing into a building while traveling at a moderate rate of speed. It’s not an unlikely scenario and is essentially a valid concern. Ramming structures with vehicles is a technique that has been used all over the world in terrorist attacks and criminal acts. A few of the headline grabbing attacks in the last few years include:
- In January 2024, one person died and 17 were wounded in Raanana, Israel.
- In October 2017, eight people were killed and more than 11 wounded in a commercial-grade rental truck attack on pedestrians in lower Manhattan, New York.
- In April 2017, a 30-ton commercial truck killed four and injured 15 in Stockholm, Sweden.
- In March 2017, a rental car targeted pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing four and injuring 40 in London, England.
This is just a sampling of a few high-profile incidents. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s recommendations for mitigating the threat of vehicular attacks include installing physical barriers. Combined with security gates, crash-rated security bollards provide comprehensive protection.
Types of Crash-Rated Security Bollards
Crash-rated security bollards are more than just vertical posts. These elements help protect sensitive infrastructure and pedestrians from the potential damage a vehicular attack or unintentional incursion could cause. However, choosing the right type of security bollard for the unique requirements of the area is essential.
Fixed vs. Retractable Bollards: Choosing the Right Type
Fixed bollards are ideal for long-term use in areas like military compounds, financial institutions, municipal buildings, commercial properties, critical infrastructures, and more. On the other hand, retractable bollards telescope up from their bases when needed, neatly sitting flush with the ground when they aren’t in use.
Removable bollards are another option for use as a temporary security measure that effectively prevents vehicular risks. When not in use, these bollards can be removed and stored until they are needed again, making them useful for applications like parking lots, outdoor festivals, and other events.
Crash-Rated Bollards: Ultimate Protection Against Vehicle Attacks
As the lawsuit mentioned earlier demonstrates, not all bollards are created equally. When choosing crash-rated security bollards, it’s vital to be mindful of the devices’ crash ratings.
In recent years, M-ratings have superseded K-ratings, adopting criteria from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The ASTM crash ratings differ as they gauge the distance a vehicle’s payload travels past a barrier, rather than focusing solely on its frontal impact. Similar to K-ratings, M-ratings consider factors such as vehicle dimensions, velocity, and distance traveled.
To determine the crash-rated bollards that will provide optimal protection for the property at hand, it’s essential to conduct a thorough risk assessment. Additionally, working with the experts at TYMETAL can ensure you choose the most appropriate option for the specific needs of the application.
Benefits of Utilizing Crash-Rated Security Bollards
High-quality crash-rated security bollards can last for decades. They provide ongoing security in high traffic areas, properties with sensitive security concerns, and locations in need of risk mitigation. Two primary benefits include enhancing perimeter security and providing cost-effective protection that can be used alone or in tandem with security fences and gates.
Enhancing Perimeter Security with Bollards
TYMETAL’s line of crash-rated security bollards ranges in capabilities, including options capable of stopping cars traveling at 30 miles per hour (mph). We also carry bollards capable of stopping 16,534-pound trucks traveling as fast as 50 mph. Essentially, when you partner with the right provider, you will find a bollard product to suit every need.
- Define Spaces: Create boundaries or enhance traffic safety by adding bollards to pedestrian crossings, narrow roads, or high curbs.
- Protect Pedestrians: Install bollards in areas with heavy foot traffic to keep people safe from wayward vehicles or malicious vehicular attacks.
- Protect Critical Infrastructure: Any building at risk of vehicular incursion — intentional or not — should install bollards to protect critical assets.
Cost-Effective Perimeter Protection Solutions
Perimeter security solutions are an investment. That’s why TYMETAL’s clients appreciate these cost-effective options designed to enhance security. Designed for performance, function, and easy installation, our shallow mount crash bollards offer optimal impact absorption with installation that is far less expensive with minimal replacement costs. Should the system encounter a strike, only the cover or shroud will need to be replaced, with the footing system and main bollard left intact. That is what we call cost-effective protection.
The Future of Comprehensive Perimeter Protection
In an uncertain world, one thing remains beyond question, and that is the critical need for perimeter security protection. Used alone, security bollards can mitigate the damage from vehicular impacts and help direct traffic. Employed in combination with commercial security fences and security gates, crash-rated security bollards meet the critical security needs of modern infrastructure.
TYMETAL understands the future of perimeter security. Contact us today to learn more about our available solutions, determine the best options for your property’s unique requirements, and to discuss custom options.
