Bollards, physical barriers designed to restrict vehicular access while allowing pedestrian movement, are becoming increasingly important in the realm of physical security.
These fixed obstacles effectively manage vehicle movement, preventing entry while maintaining accessibility for foot traffic. Understanding key statistics related to bollards reveals their significant role in enhancing safety across various environments.
Significant Growth in the Bollard Market
The global market for bollards is anticipated to reach $4512.9 million by 2032, marking a substantial rise from its 2024 valuation of $2859.8 million. This growth, highlighted in industry reports, is primarily driven by both commercial and residential sectors.
Reducing Building Crashes with Bollards
Bollards deployed in front of commercial structures serve as a preventive measure against vehicle crashes, enhancing the safety of occupants and reducing the risk of theft. The Storefront Safety Council reports that approximately 100 vehicle crashes into buildings occur daily in the U.S., resulting in 16,000 injuries and 2,400 fatalities annually. Increasing bollard deployment at commercial sites could significantly decrease these alarming statistics.
Adhering to Crash Testing Standards
Safety bollards are subject to rigorous testing procedures to meet established industry standards. High-security bollards, for instance, comply with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards, offering specific penetration ratings, known as M-ratings, to indicate their capacity to withstand impacts. The M-rating specifies the vehicle speed a bollard can halt; an M30 bollard can stop a 15,000-pound vehicle traveling at 30 mph, whereas an M50 can handle the same weight vehicle at 50 mph.
Infrastructure Investment Encourages Bollard Use
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed in 2021, has allocated $25 million in grants for bollard installations, spanning from 2022 to 2026. This funding aims to bolster pedestrian safety in high-traffic areas while mitigating potential terrorist threats. The Act highlights the strategic importance of bollards in safeguarding crowded spaces.
Importance of Proper Bollard Installation
Bollards must be firmly anchored to withstand expected impact forces, making their installation a crucial element in their effectiveness as security tools. Bollards are typically mounted to deep foundations, but alternatives like shallow foundation and portable bollards offer flexibility. Delta Scientific, known for its range of access control solutions, provides several shallow foundation options requiring minimal excavation while ensuring robust crash ratings.
Bollards play a vital part in security strategies, acting as deterrents against unauthorized vehicle access and enhancing protection for pedestrians and structures. By controlling vehicle entry, they help minimize risks of terrorism in dense pedestrian areas.
Their installation at commercial premises also acts as a barrier against thefts facilitated by intentional vehicle crashes. Moreover, retractable bollards provide additional security at sensitive locations, such as government and military sites, where controlled vehicular access is paramount.
Bollards are fixed barriers that restrict physical access to an area. They are often used to limit vehicle traffic. Pedestrians can easily walk in the spaces between well-placed bollards, but cars cannot pass through. Examining key bollard statistics provides insight into how they improve safety.
5 Key Bollard Statistics That Highlight Their Value
There is little question that bollards improve security and safety. Municipalities, military bases, schools, housing developments, and private businesses use them to restrict vehicle access. The following seven statistics help show their value.
1. The Bollard Market Is Growing
The global bollard market is expected to reach an astonishing $4512.9 million by 2032. That is a significant increase over its 2024 level of $2859.8 million. According to the Bollards Market industry report, the majority of this growth comes from commercial and residential users.
2. Bollards Can Help Prevent Up to 100 Building Crashes Each Day
Bollards placed in front of commercial buildings prevent vehicles from crashing into them. This keeps people inside safer and helps prevent theft. According to the Storefront Safety Council, there are 100 vehicle crashes into buildings each day. These cause 16,000 injuries and 2,400 deaths per year.
Deploying bollards in front of more commercial buildings can help to drastically lower this sobering bollard statistic.
3. Bollards Must Meet Crash Testings Standards
Safety bollards must undergo extensive testing to meet industry standards. High-security bollards should meet the standards established by the American Society for Testing and Materials. Other agencies that have bollard standards for specific applications include:
- International Building Code
- National Fire Protection Association
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Delta Scientific builds bollards that meet ASTM F2656 standards. This standard establishes a penetration rating for vehicle safety barriers which is expressed as an M-rating. The highest M-rating is M50.
The ASTM M-rating clearly indicates the impact speed a bollard can withstand from a 15,000-pound vehicle. A bollard rated at M30 can effectively stop a 15,000-pound truck traveling at 30 miles per hour. One rated at M50 can stop the same truck traveling at 50 MPH.
4. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Encourages Bollard Installation With $25 Million in Grants
The 2021 legislation known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or H.R. 3684 provides significant funding to help install bollards. According to the text of the act, approved projects may access up to $25 million in funding ($5,000,000 per year, 2022 through 2026) for approved bollard installation projects.
This funding was included because bollards are shown to reduce the risk to pedestrians in high-traffic areas. The law specifically indicates that bollards can also help minimize the risks of terrorist activities in areas with large numbers of pedestrians.
5. Proper Bollard Installation Matters
When properly installed, safety bollards are virtually immovable by anticipated forces. This is why they are such a valuable access control tool. There are three main ways to install bollards so they perform as intended. A traditional safety bollard mounts to a deep foundation that extends several feet below the surface. The foundation must provide a secure anchor to ensure crash ratings are met. It is also where retractable bollards remain when they are not deployed.
Delta Scientific has several options for shallow foundation bollards. These require as little as 14 inches of excavation for secure placement, while still providing M50 crash ratings. There are also portable bollards that can be installed quickly for temporary purposes. These typically bolt onto the surrounding foundation. Portable bollards are more secure than cones for short-term pedestrian protection.
The Role of Safety Bollards in Access Control
The statistics about bollards clearly show that they play an important role in security plans. They effectively stop vehicle traffic from entering restricted areas, which reduces crashes with pedestrians and buildings.
Bollards can deter terrorist activities in areas with heavy foot traffic by restricting vehicle access. This is a crucial role and a large part of why funding for them was included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Placed in front of commercial buildings, they reduce the number of thefts following intentional crashes. Retractable bollards enhance security in government and military facilities where security personnel can deploy them to stop cars from entering or exiting the grounds.
Explore More Bollard Statistics
Delta Scientific is a pioneer in facility access control solutions. They have extensive experience designing, testing, and manufacturing safety bollards and barriers.
