What are your Real Barrier Requirements?

Vehicle barrier systems are an important consideration in the security of protected sites. Standoff plays a critical role in controlling blast loads and vehicle control is necessary to address many attack scenarios not related to explosives. Without the ability to stop a vehicle, it is nearly impossible to protect buildings from determined attackers using vehicles. Therefore, on most projects, careful selection, siting, and installation of vehicle barriers, in combination with appropriate gate operations, are necessary to keep explosive devices and other threats at sufficient setback to achieve the desired protection goals. The selection of appropriate barrier systems should be the result of a process of weighing risks, tactics, and costs to arrive at a design vehicular threat. The threat determination should then be followed by a site evaluation to determine achievable impact angles and approach speeds and, finally, selection of appropriate barrier systems capable of stopping this moving threat at the required locations. To be successful, the process requires professionals with a wide range of skills and experience. The threat and risk evaluation process necessitates security professions with backgrounds in intelligence and law-enforcement. The site evaluation lends itself to professional with a background in transportation, roadway planning and vehicle dynamics. The barrier design process requires a background in engineering mechanics and structural dynamic analysis. Therefore, it is important that there is a common understanding among the various professions on the important barrier design parameters. This paper discusses barrier design requirements in terms of five major design parameters. Suggestions for common coordination documents are also provided, and design processes for five major classes of barrier are reviewed with the pros and cons of each. Readers will receive insights into common pitfalls in the barrier design process and should gain an understanding of how to fully describe barrier requirements on a project.