Bollards
What Is a Bollard in Construction? Meaning & Types
Cojo
May 7, 2026
7 min read
In construction, a bollard is a short rigid post embedded in or anchored to a slab, footing, or pavement that controls or stops vehicle movement and protects pedestrians, equipment, or building elements. Construction bollards are specified by diameter (4 to 12 inches), height above grade (typically 36 to 42 inches), embed depth (24 to 48 inches), material (steel pipe, ductile iron, concrete, stainless), and crash rating where applicable (ASTM F2656 K4 / K8 / K12 or ASTM F3016 P1 / P2 / P3).
The construction context matters because parking-lot bollards are routinely confused with bollard light fixtures, marine bollards (bitts), and decorative streetscape posts. The common thread is "vertical impact-rated post," but the engineering and code references differ. This article focuses on the parking-lot, perimeter, and structural-protection applications that show up in commercial construction documents.
A bollard call-out on a structural sheet drives three downstream specs: the foundation depth and reinforcement, the anchor-bolt pattern, and the crash-rating cert (if any). Get the call-out wrong and a contractor either over-builds the footing (waste) or under-builds it (liability). The 2024 International Building Code Section 1604.5 classifies bollards protecting risk-category III or IV facilities as part of the structural impact-resistance system IBC Risk Categories.
Three construction categories cover most parking-lot specifications:
For a more granular taxonomy, our 12 types of bollards explained article maps each category to common SKU families.
A construction-document bollard call-out should answer six questions in sequence: diameter, height, embed depth, foundation diameter and depth, fill material, and surface finish or crash certification. A typical call-out reads "BLD-1: 6-inch dia. Schedule 40 steel pipe, 42 inches above grade, 36 inches embed in 18-inch dia. concrete footing, concrete-filled, safety yellow finish per OSHA 29 CFR 1910.144."
The applicable codes vary by site type:
In Oregon, the Oregon Structural Specialty Code adopts the IBC with state amendments, so a federal-spec bollard install in Portland or Salem still needs OSSC review for foundation tie-in. Local jurisdictions like Portland (Title 33) and Salem (Chapter 79) add streetscape and historic-district overlays.
Material choice is mostly driven by exposure and crash rating, not aesthetics.
| Material | Construction Use | Service Life | Industry Baseline Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete-filled Schedule 40 steel pipe | Default for parking-lot, storefront, fire-lane | 25 to 40 years | $400 to $1,200 installed |
| Concrete-filled Schedule 80 steel pipe | Higher-impact retail, drive-thru | 30 to 45 years | $600 to $1,800 installed |
| 304 stainless steel | Corrosive coastal or chemical environments | 40+ years | $700 to $2,200 installed |
| 316 stainless steel | Marine and chemical-process facilities | 50+ years | $900 to $2,800 installed |
| Cast iron / ductile iron | Decorative streetscape | 30 to 50 years | $500 to $2,500 installed |
| Pre-cast concrete | Perimeter security, low-speed | 40+ years | $400 to $1,500 installed |
| F2656 K-rated assembly | Federal, high-threat sites | Test-certified | $4,500 to $10,000+ installed |
Domestic steel pipe surcharges have continued through Q1 2026 and Schedule 80 lead times stretched to 8 to 10 weeks at Pacific Northwest distributors. Stainless surcharges remain volatile because of nickel and molybdenum pricing. Most Oregon parking-lot specs default to concrete-filled Schedule 40 because it balances cost and service life on a 25-year horizon.
The installation sequence on a new slab is straightforward: excavate the footing per spec, set rebar cage, position bollard pipe vertically with temporary bracing, pour concrete to the slab line, allow concrete to cure 7 days minimum (28 days for full design strength), fill the pipe interior with concrete, finish the cap, and paint or sleeve the exterior.
A retrofit on existing concrete uses a core-drilled hole or a baseplate. Core-drilling is the structural choice because it embeds the pipe in fresh concrete bonded to the existing slab; a baseplate is faster but transfers all impact load to anchor bolts. For step-by-step methods, see our concrete-filled steel pipe bollard guide.
On an 8,500-square-foot Hillsboro warehouse retrofit in February 2026, Cojo crews installed twenty-two embedded 6-inch concrete-filled steel pipe bollards along forklift travel paths. The footings were 36-inch deep into the existing slab using a 14-inch core bit and structural epoxy.
Bollards take impact damage that is often invisible until inspected. A bollard struck below grade can hide a sheared anchor bolt or a cracked footing for years. The standard inspection cadence on commercial sites is annual, with high-traffic retail and drive-thru applications inspected quarterly. Paint and reflective bands are part of the inspection because OSHA 29 CFR 1910.144 visibility rules require yellow safety paint to remain visible.
For paint specs and refresh cycles, our bollard and curb stop painting maintenance article covers latex versus epoxy and the typical 12 to 24 month re-paint window. Cojo provides bollard installation and inspection across Oregon, including the Portland service area.
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