A bollard is a short, sturdy, vertical post that can be used for a variety of purposes. Originally, the term referred to a post on a ship or quay used primarily for mooring boats, but it now also refers to posts installed to control road traffic and posts designed to prevent automotive vehicles from colliding or crashing into pedestrians and structures, whether intentional from ram-raids and vehicle-ramming attacks, or unintentional losses of control. Bollards can be used for the following purposes:
- Traffic control: Bollards can be used to guide traffic and mark boundaries.
- Architectural elements: Bollards can be used as decorative elements in a wide variety of shapes and styles to accentuate or visually stand out in their settings.
- Security: Bollards can be constructed to physically block vehicle incursion, protecting people and property. These security posts may have decorative elements or be chosen to complement the landscape, but their primary consideration is resistance to impact forces.
- Safety: Bollards can be used to protect the perimeter of a store or building, or to surround retail storefronts, parking lots, and more that offers security and safety to protect patrons.
Bollards can be made from almost any material, depending on their needed function, but the most common materials are metal, stone, cement, or plastic. The use of bollards has evolved over time, and they have been used for basic traffic management from at least the beginning of the 18th century.
