Should I fill a bollard with concrete?

A metallic bollard derives its strength from its footing and wall thickness.

If you fill a bollard with concrete you give it more mass and make it more rigid. The greater mass gives the bollard more stopping power up to a certain point. For example, a concrete filled bollard will emerge unscathed if a vehicle lightly strikes it. However, the same bollard will break if impacted with enough force, turning it into a dangerous piece of shrapnel.

The bollards in the image to the right were filled with concrete. The bollards were struck by a vehicle. Each broke at the weakest point slightly above ground level

Before filling a metallic bollard with concrete consider the following questions:

• Was the bollard engineered to be filled with concrete?
• How will the bollards perform if I fill them with concrete?
• What liabilities am I creating by changing the bollard system design?

Please, contact us if you have questions. We would be glad to discuss your security needs and review your current bollard systems.