Buying Guide for Deterrents

Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Bollards for Street Furniture, Pedestrian Areas, and Vehicle Access Points

Bollards for street furniture are essential elements for delimiting pedestrian areas, protecting vehicle access points, and preventing unauthorized parking in parks, squares, cycle paths, and residential or industrial settings. Choosing the right model means balancing mechanical resistance to impact with architectural integration into the environment, identifying the ground mounting method best suited to traffic flow and temporary access needs. Whether fixed installations for pedestrian safety or removable posts to allow occasional access for emergency vehicles, the Holity.co.uk catalog offers a variety of options to configure each barrier based on materials, heights, diameters, and nighttime visibility options. This buying guide will guide you in selecting the ideal product, analyzing installation types, the presence of chain links, and current traffic regulations.

1. Construction materials and impact resistance

The material composition of the bollard determines the degree of protection, the visual bulk and the type of installation:

Steel Bollards: They guarantee a modern, slim and clean design, ideal for contemporary squares, car parks and pavements. Made with galvanised and epoxy powder coated steel tubes or stainless steel, they offer high resistance to atmospheric corrosion and small footprint. They can be anchored by burial or by means of a boltable flange.
Cast Iron Bollards: They are the choice of choice for historic centres and areas of architectural value. The density of the cast iron offers a high structural mass and a classic aesthetic that integrates perfectly with period buildings and natural stone paving.
Concrete Bollards (Panettone and Monolith models): Characterised by a solid profile with a very high self-weight. The famous "Panettone" shape or the truncated-conical blocks act as a real self-supporting physical barrier. Their stability is guaranteed by the force of gravity, eliminating the need for excavations or drilling in the road surface.

2. Types of fixing to the ground and mobility

The anchoring method defines the flexibility of use of the gate over time and the mechanical resistance against collisions:

To be set in concrete (To be buried): The base of the bollard is embedded directly in the concrete plinth underground to a depth of approximately 20-30 cm. It offers the maximum level of permanent structural resistance against vehicular impacts.
To be bolted (With flange): The column has a perforated metal plate at the base which is fixed to the road surface or pavement using mechanical expansion bolts or chemical anchors. Ideal for floors, underground car park slabs or tiled surfaces where digging is not possible.
To be supported (Self-supporting): Typical of high density concrete bollards. They do not require any masonry work or bolts: they are simply positioned on the ground using lifting equipment, making them manually immovable but repositionable in the event of urban reorganisation.
Removable (With bushing and lock): Designed for entrances which require periodic openings (markets, fairs, events, private garage entrances or access routes for ambulances and fire engines). The housing bushing is recessed flush with the pavement; The cylinder engages and unlocks in a few seconds by acting on a key or padlock, allowing for the rapid manual removal of the bollard.

3. Configuration with rings, chains and night visibility

To complete the functionality of the perimeter barrier, it is necessary to evaluate the structural accessories of the cylinder:

Type with or without chain rings: The bollards equipped with one or two lateral rings welded to the head allow the passage and attachment of steel or plastic chains between one column and another. This configuration allows for the creation of a continuous and impassable boundary even for pedestrians, ideal for outlining construction site perimeters, ditches or edges of quays. The models without rings maintain a clean and essential line for blocking vehicles only.
Reflective band (High visibility): The application of one or more high intensity retroreflective bands (Class 2 approved) on the top of the bollard is essential to ensure the visibility of the column at night or in foggy conditions, reflecting the light from vehicle headlights and avoiding accidental impacts.

4. Dimensional parameters and price range

The Holity.co.uk online catalogue allows you to profile the choice of street furniture through precise dimensional filters:

Diameter: from 50.00 mm (slim steel posts for pavements) to 900.00 mm (large truncated cone elements or concrete spheres).
Height in millimetres: from 285.00 mm to 1400.00 mm above ground.

The available range guarantees maximum flexibility for every municipal or private spending plan, moving within a price range between €45.00 and €1110.00 for a single element:

Access range (€45.00 - €120.00): Includes the arches and fixed steel columns to be bolted or embedded without rings.
Mid-range (€120.00 - €350.00): Maps the cast iron bollards for historic centers, the removable steel models with buried bushing and key lock, and the classic concrete "Panettoni" with built-in ring.
Top of the range (€350.00 - €1110.00): Identifies the high-thickness AISI 316 stainless steel barriers for marine areas, the removable high-security posts and the large monolithic design elements in reconstituted stone for representative squares.

Request a personalized quote on Holity.co.uk

Protect the pedestrian areas of your city, organize the traffic flow of your parking lots and secure the entrances to your company with the bollards for street furniture available on Holity.co.uk. Filter the products by material (steel, cast iron or concrete), select the type of fixing (grout, bolt, support or removable) and add the reflective band for maximum safety in the evening.

Request a personalized quote today: our sales team is at your complete disposal to provide you with technical data sheets with quotes, approval certificates and special offers for batch orders.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are the operational differences between the installation by grouting and the one with a plate to be bolted to the ground?
The installation by grouting requires an excavation in the road surface of approximately 20-30 cm deep in which to drown the extension of the bollard body with concrete casting. This system guarantees maximum resistance to lateral impact stresses induced by vehicles. The fixing by bolting instead uses a flanged metal plate welded to the base of the post: the anchoring is done using expansion bolts by drilling directly into the surface pavement. It is the ideal solution for underground car parks or historic stone paving where deep excavations are not possible.

How does the extraction mechanism work in removable bollards equipped with a housing bushing?
Removable bollards are made up of two separate elements: a rigid cylindrical bushing (fixed and embedded flush with the road surface) and the actual post. By inserting the post into the bushing, an internal mechanism with a triangular key or European cylinder lock blocks the structure, preventing unauthorised lifting. When it is necessary to open the passage for emergency or service vehicles, simply turn the key to release the hook and manually remove the post, leaving the road surface completely flat and free of obstacles.

Why do the concrete bollards called "Panettoni" not require drilling or excavation for installation?
Domed concrete bollards (commonly known as "Panettoni") base their operation on mass and the force of gravity. Made of high-density vibrated concrete reinforced with synthetic fibre, they reach a weight of between 100 and 180 kg. This concentrated load makes it impossible for intruders to move them manually, acting as a self-supporting ballast that is positioned on the ground by crane on a truck without having to drill holes in the ground or spread cement binders.

In which installation contexts is the presence of a retroreflective band on the head of the bollard mandatory?
The application of a high-intensity retroreflective band is recommended and regulated by the Highway Code for all bollards placed along roadways, pavements, cycle paths or vehicle access points not equipped with dedicated continuous public lighting. The microprismatic film reflects the light from the headlights of oncoming vehicles, making the outline of the bollard visible from dozens of meters away and preventing accidental collisions or damage to tires during turning and parking maneuvers.

How do you choose between a cast iron bollard and one in AISI 316 stainless steel for a coastal town?
In seaside locations or along seafronts exposed to salt spray, the choice of material is essential to prevent corrosion. AISI 316 stainless steel contains a percentage of molybdenum that makes it resistant to paint and salt rust, guaranteeing a shiny and unaltered surface over time with zero maintenance. Traditional cast iron, on the other hand, offers a classic style ideal for ancient villages, but requires surface treatments such as cataphoresis and high-thickness epoxy painting to resist salty air without developing traces of surface oxide.

How does the price range in this category (€45.00 - €1110.00) correlate with the mass of the material, the removable mechanisms, and the anti-corrosion treatments?
The price variability depends on the quantity of raw material used, the presence of release mechanisms, and the quality of the finishes. The entry threshold (€45.00 - €120.00) includes fixed tubular posts in painted steel with a plate to be bolted. The intermediate range (€120.00 - €350.00) includes removable bollards with a stainless steel bushing and security lock, bollards cast in decorated cast iron, and self-supporting concrete blocks. Top-of-the-range prices (up to €1,110.00) are reserved for high-thickness AISI 316 stainless steel armored barriers and monolithic architectural artefacts in reconstituted stone for the redevelopment of large office centers and urban squares.