AU2018202474A1 - A security barrier device for stopping, redirecting or disabling hostile vehicles. - Google Patents

Abstract

Patent Application of David Hartigan A security barrier device for stopping, redirecting or disabling hostile vehicles. One or more barrier devices are placed on the ground to prevent the access of vehicles. Should a hostile vehicle strike the barrier device with sufficient momentum, the striking edge of the vehicle contacts the concave central section (10), forcing the striking edge upwards, thus lifting the front wheels off the ground. With sufficient further momentum, the vehicle's striking edge will continue upwards until it contacts the underside of the top section of the barrier device (12) forcing said top section away and thus lifting the leading edge of the base (14) off the ground, causing said base to strike the underside of the hostile vehicle, lifting the front of the vehicle further off the ground, rendering it immobile. The geometric shape of said base will make the combined vehicle/ barrier device unstable, rolling the vehicle to one side, and off its wheels preventing any further movement. -12

Description

In recent times, passenger and commercial vehicles have been used with devastating effect to deliberately inflict injury or death on pedestrians. Civic Authorities and security organisations around the world have reacted by deploying a range of measures which are designed to prevent offending vehicles from accessing designated pedestrian areas, such as footpaths, pedestrian malls, the entry to public buildings and the like.

Similarly, the operators of secure facilities are seeking means of effectively preventing ram-raid type incursion into buildings.

The threats and impacts of the use of a “vehicle-as-a-weapon” have been analysed by such organisations as the UK’s Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure, with codes of practice and technical standards for Hostile Vehicle Mitigation being published and widely adopted (https://www.cpni.gov.uk/hostilevehicle-mitigation).

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Some of the more elaborate systems which have been developed require installing metal bollards which can be lowered into the ground to allow access for vehicles, then raised up to prevent further access. Other measures deployed in response are permanent in nature, requiring the installation of either fixed metal or concrete bollards that are either bolted in situ or partly recessed into the ground.

In may circumstances, the installation of permanent bollards or barriers is not possible, as the road or entry to the building or area to be protected may not be owned by the operators of said building or area. In other circumstances, the installation of permanent barriers may not be appropriate as the protection requirement in itself may be temporary, such as the entry to one-off public gatherings, including concerts, sports events and the like.

Other protection and entry prevention measures include the use of massconcrete obstacles, which are designed to block the path of vehicles. These massconcrete barriers are often intended to be temporary in nature. These mass-concrete barriers are passive in nature, relying solely on the mass of the barrier to resist the movement of the vehicle, and as a consequence, are excessively large, taking up much of the space being protected. Most of these mass-concrete barriers are also aesthetically offensive, being either simple large concrete blocks, typically 1 metre cubed approximately, or lengths of highway-edging barriers, know as Jersey Barriers, placed across entries, either individually or in close proximity.

While many examples of barriers and bollards exist that are aesthetically pleasing, they tend to be smaller in nature, and are intended merely to dissuade inappropriate parking or the inadvertent passage of vehicles into pedestrian areas.

Those barriers that are sufficiently robust to prevent a deliberate high-speed incursion of a vehicle are either permanently fixed in or to the ground, or are of the massive, unattractive nature noted above.

None of the sufficiently robust relocatable barriers previously developed have been designed to be attractive or at least visually inoffensive and make no attempt to soften their visual impact. They do not make any concession to the aesthetic amenity

2018202474 07 Apr 2018 of the spaces they are intended to protect, which are often pedestrian streetscapes, iconic infrastructure, historic buildings and the like.

The Jersey barrier is typical of the many previous examples of highway safety barriers. In all cases, the premise of the design is that a vehicle impacting the barrier has done so as a consequence of some accident, error or other misfortune. While the designs are intended to slow and restrain the errant vehicle, considerable consideration is given to minimising the effects of the impact on the vehicle, and in particular on the occupants. Encouraging roll-off in the event of an incidental blow, while maintaining prevention of head-on penetration to adjoining road lane is the primary objective. None of these prior arts are designed to deliberately and forcefully disable the errant vehicle, to prevent further use of the offending vehicle to inflict death or injury on other pedestrians.

The use of “Cone” bollards such as those available from Markstar, USA, (https://www.markstaar.com/concrete-cone-bollard-tf6072.html) is widespread, and while the round nature of the base is likely to topple a vehicle should it ride over the bollard, this inventor can find no prior example of a barrier device which has been specifically designed to maximise the likelihood of elevating the hostile vehicles wheels as high as possible, with a view to toppling the vehicle on to its side.

Similarly the use of “Pyramid” bollards, such as those available from Clonmel Street Furniture, IRL, (http://clonmelstreetfumiture.com/products.html) have long been used as vehicle security barriers. When stmck by a hostile vehicle the pyramid bollard will topple over, absorbing some of the vehicles momentum, and in certain circumstances may become wedged under the vehicle, helping to disable it. However, this inventor can find no prior instance of a vehicle security barrier that has attempted to hone the shape of the barrier device to actively use the momentum of the offending vehicle against said vehicle.

The redirection of momentum in other devices is not new. Lighthouse designers have long used predetermined curvature at the base of the lighthouse to force any offending waves upwards, thus dissipating the waves momentum, perhaps most famously the Bell Rock lighthouse off Scotland built some 200 years ago.

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Concrete barriers with concave profiles have been used in many instances to protect prone coastal areas from violent wave action. The Donaghadee sea wall in Scotland, using a pre-fabricated concave wall system by Moore Concrete, UK, (https://www.moorc-concrctc.com/civil/coastal-dcfcncc/donaghadcc-scawalls/donaghadee-sea-walls-in-progress-moore-concrete-2/) is a typical example. In this case, the offending wave is forced up, around the inside of the concave concrete barrier, and eventually back towards the sea. This inventor has found no prior examples of where such curved or concave profiles have been used to actively redirect a hostile vehicles momentum to forcefully disable it.

Devices developed for other industries exhibit some of the characteristics that might be adapted for vehicle security barriers, such as log-stops, available from Permacrete, NZ, (http://www.permacrete.co.nz/concrete/blocks-and-barriers/), which exhibit concave lower sections, but these devices are cumbersome, and would be even more visually aggressive than Jersey barriers, or simple mass-concrete blocks, if deployed in public spaces.

Some of the building-site safety products available such as the Multi Application Safety System from Safe Site Facilities, UK (http://www.safesitefacilities.co.uk/products/barriers-traffic-management/streetworks-barriers/mass-crash-tested-barrier), again exhibit some of the characteristics (concave shape) which might be adapted to vehicle security barriers, but these products are designed for incidental impact, and thus the minimisation of harm, not hostile vehicle mitigation and vehicle disablement.

Examples of bollards with large bases in proportion to their girth and height are also common. The TF6097 Portable Concrete Bollard from FS Industries, USA, (http://www.fsindustries.com/more info/portable concrete bollard tf6097/portable c oncrete bollard tf6097.shtml) provides for a slender upright with a relatively large octagonal shaped base. While it is conceivable that a vehicle striking the bollard could topple it, causing the base to impale the underside of the vehicle, the shape and centre of gravity of the bollard are such that in many instances the bollard would simply slide forwards in the direction of travel of the vehicle.

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SUMMARY

In accordance with the present invention a device comprising of a concave barrier with a large base intended to deflect a hostile vehicle’s momentum to forcibly stop, redirect or disable such vehicles.

Objects and Advantages

Accordingly, besides the objects and advantages of the vehicle security barrier described in my above patent, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:

a) to provide an easily relocatable vehicle security barrier capable of providing vehicle intrusion protection at least as effective as that of unsightly, and space consuming mass-concrete barriers;

b) to provide a relocatable barrier as a mitigation against vehicle-as-aweapon attacks that can be tested against international standards including IWA14-1; PAS68; and ASTM F2656;

c) to provide an effective vehicle security barrier without the requirement for permanent fixture to the ground, eliminating the need for bolting to the pavement or excavation of the pavement to accept the significant in-ground components of alternative products. This approach is particularly important when the road or access-way to the protection zone is not owned or controlled by the operator, or where the protection zone is temporary in nature, such as at the entry to one-off gatherings like concerts and sporting events;

d) to provide a vehicle security barrier that is aesthetically pleasing, and can add to the visual appeal of streetscapes and architectural installations;

e) to provide a vehicle security barrier that is sufficiently robust to withstand a deliberate high-speed vehicle impact, but which does not appear to be massive in nature

f) to provide a vehicle security barrier that actively redirects an offending vehicles momentum, to effectively stop or disable said vehicle

g) to provide a vehicle security barrier that can be fitted with simple accessories that either enhance its visual appeal, such as flag poles and

2018202474 07 Apr 2018 potted plants, or to increase its functionality such as table tops or linking chains or ropes;

h) to provide a vehicle security barrier that in itself is aesthetically pleasing, but which can be visually enhanced by the application of paints or screens. The use of suitable heritage or landscape colour schemes would further improve aesthetic appeal in certain iconic areas. The promotion of art competitions to decorate the barriers would have the advantage of lifting the ambiance in other locations. The application of corporate, sports club or artist logos or messages would contribute to the appeal of one-off sporting or cultural events being protected.

i) To provide a series of vehicle security barriers that can be produced in varying sizes, with varying concavity and base geometry to ensure an optimum response to varying threat types and levels is available.

DRAWING FIGURES

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows various aspects of a vehicle security barrier, namely the broad base, concave central section, bulbous top section, central hole and lifting devices.

REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS base of barrier 12 concave mid section bulbous top section 16 central hole for flagpoles proprietary lifting devices

DESCRIPTION -PREFERRED EMBODIEDMENT

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 1.

Pre-cast Concrete Vehicle Security Barrier

The general appearance of the barrier device is similar to a simple pawn in a chess set, with a broad base; a concave centre section, and a slightly bulbous top

2018202474 07 Apr 2018 section. The particular size; radius; and curve of each section can be varied, depending on the nature of the threat to be protected against. The barrier device, usually pre-cast concrete, may be smooth formed, with uniform curves and radii, or it may consist of multiple flat sections, faceted in such a way as to achieve the general appearance of the concave version.

The barrier is a device for stopping, redirecting or disabling hostile vehicles comprising:

- a base that stabilises the barrier device, and provides said device with a very low center of gravity. Said base is generally in the order of 500mm to 2000mm in diameter, and is generally in the order of 50mm to 350mm thick, is generally formed in a geometric shape, including circular, pentagonal, hexagonal or square, wherein said base may work alone or in conjunction with similar adjacent barrier devices. The diameter, depth and geometric shape of said base will be dependent on the type of vehicle intended to be arrested, and the level of threat perceived.

- a concave, curved or angled central section, wherein the concave starts at the topmost perimeter of the base, and angles or curves upwards. A hostile vehicle would ride over the leading edge of said base, and strike the curved or angled central section, said curve or angle forcing the striking edge of the vehicle upwards. Said central section would generally be 500mm to 2000mm in height, and would generally be 100mm to 500mm in diameter at its narrowest point.

- a top section, comprising of further angles or curves, generally opposite to, but not necessarily the same radius as the angles at the bottom of the central section, and further comprising a top section. Said top section is generally in the order of 150mm to 500mm in diameter, and is generally in the order of 50mm to 500mm thick, is generally formed in a geometric shape, including square, circular, pentagonal, or hexagonal. The use of a geometric shape in said top section is not dependent on the use of that same geometric shape in said base. The diameter, depth and geometric shape of the top may also be influenced by the choice of accessories to be used.

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- a series of accessories that may be used on top of said barrier device, which may include table tops; plant containers; chain, rope or tape connections to connect two or more barrier devices; flag poles; light fittings with or without solar panels; and the like.

- a central hole in the barrier device, accessible from the top, and extending down part or all the way to the bottom of said base, wherein a pole for flags, warning devices, chains; light fittings and the like, is inserted into the hole, either alone, or in conjunction with said accessories.

- The barrier device can be manufactured from cast concrete, by using a simple mould. The concrete may or may not have any type of reinforcement, such as extruded steel reinforcement bar or the like.

- The barrier device may or may not have one or more lifting devices cast into the concrete to facilitate ease of movement.

- The barrier device may, in conjunction with said lifting device, or as an alternative to said lifting device, have recesses cast into the base to accommodate the tynes of a fork lift truck to facilitate ease of movement

ADDITIONAL EMBODIEMENTS

Additional embodiments include:

Steel barrier device

The barrier device may also be manufactured from steel or other metal. The metal may be pressed from a mould; welded; riveted or joined in any other way to form a shape that accomplishes comparable functional and aesthetic outcomes as described for the concrete version. The metal barrier device may be hollow, such that it may be filled with water, sand, or another medium to further increase its mass, and thus its ability to withstand the momentum of the errant vehicle. Metal embodiments of the barrier device may be manufactured in such a way as to allow multiple devices

2018202474 07 Apr 2018 to be nested or stacked for efficient transport. One-piece bollards could be produced hollow, with no base, such that the barriers could be stacked one on partially inside the other. Alternatively, the barrier could be produced in mirrored halves. The two halves of each barrier device could then be joined together at the intended place of use, either permanently or in such a way as to allow the device to be disassembled, stacked or nested, then relocated for reuse.

Plastic barrier device

The barrier device may also be manufactured from various forms of plastic, and may be extruded; spun; cast; or otherwise manufactured by any other process. The plastic barrier device may be hollow, and may be filled with water, sand, or another medium to further increase its mass, and thus its ability to withstand the momentum of the errant vehicle. The light-weight nature of the empty plastic barrier device could allow it to be easily moved and transported for reuse.

ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS

There are various possibilities with regard to the concave restraining and redirecting capabilities of the barrier device.

Long embodiment - straight or curved lengths - for zone protection

Utilising the concave body shape with the extended base of the stand-alone bollard, an elongated version of the devise would offer a broader area of protection. This iteration would see the typical profile of the stand alone version taken in end view, and extended along a front view in a planar fashion to create a bollard that might typically be 1 metres to 6metres long, as is typical in a highway protection barrier.

An end profile would see a male casting on one end and a female casting on the opposite end, such that multiple straight devices could be joined end to end. This long embodiment cold be cast in either straight lengths or lengths curved to a predetermined radius.

Long embodiment - halved profile - straight or curved lengths (low rear cable) zone protection

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Utilising the concave body shape with the extended base of the stand-alone bollard, an elongated version of the devise would offer a broader area of protection. This iteration would see the profile of the stand-alone bollard device cut on its central vertical axis, such that the concave profile is presented to the direction of travel of vehicles, while the vertical rear section minimises spacial impact on the protected zone.

A typical version of this embodiment would be between 2metres and 6metres long, similar to existing highway protection barriers.

An end profile would see a male casting on one end and a female casting on the opposite end, such that multiple straight devices could be joined end to end. A recess in the rear of the casting close to the base would facilitate the further linking of multiple devices by chain or wire rope to further increase the devices impact resistance.

An offending vehicle would impact the barrier device in a similar way to the stand-alone embodiment, with the leading edge of the vehicle riding over the extended base, and being forced upwards by the concavity of the body. Further momentum of the vehicle would cause the leading edge to strike the top section, causing it to move away from the direction of the vehicle, thus lifting the base section off the ground, causing it to impale the underside of the vehicle, and thus lifting it off the ground.

The addition of the linking chain or wire rope would increase the effectiveness of the co-joined barrier devices.

The chain or wire link would also act as a pivot point for the base of the barrier, increasing the likelihood that the barrier would operate in the preferred manner, whereby the base of the barrier lifts, impales and disables the offending vehicle.

This long embodiment could be cast in either straight lengths or lengths curved to a predetermined radius.

Highway safety barrier - Straight or Curved (high rear cable)

Utilising an amended profile of the concave body shape with the extended base of the stand-alone bollard, an elongated version of the devise would be used as a highway safety barrier. This iteration would see the profile of the

2018202474 07 Apr 2018 stand-alone bollard device cut on its central vertical axis, such that the alternative predetermined concave profile is presented to the direction of travel of vehicles, while the vertical rear section minimises spacial impact on the protected zone.

A typical version of this embodiment would be between 2metres and 6metres long, similar to existing highway protection barriers.

An end profile would see a male casting on one end and a female casting on the opposite end, such that multiple barrier devices could be joined end to end. A recess high in the rear of the casting close to the top section would facilitate the further linking of multiple devices by chain or wire rope to dissuade pedestrian access, or to further increase the devices impact resistance.

An errant vehicle would impact the barrier device, but in this embodiment, the predetermined concave section is designed to urge the wheels of the errant vehicle back to the pavement.

The addition of the linking chain or wire rope would increase the effectiveness of the co-joined barrier devices.

This long embodiment could be cast in either straight lengths or lengths curved to a predetermined radius.

Race-track protection - straight or curved (rear cable + proprietary catch fence)

Very similar in nature to the highway safety barrier, but where the highway safety barrier has a predetermined concavity designed to cope with many vehicle types, including large trucks, this race-track optimised version would have a profile optimised for the very low profile of race cars.

The race track protection barrier could be used with or without proprietary safety catch fence systems

ADVANTAGES

From the description above, a number of advantages of my vehicle security barrier become evident:

a) ease of installation and decommissioning, requiring no fixing to the pavement

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b) easily deployable with at least the vehicle-restraining capability of a much larger mass-concrete devices

c) actively deflects an offending vehicles momentum to forcefully stop, redirect or otherwise disable said vehicle

d) visually attractive, and capable of further enhancement through the use of artwork. Alternatively, the thoughtful use of benign background colours could reduce the visual impact of the device

OPERATION

The choice of geometric shape for said base, such as a pentagon, will allow multiple barrier devices to be configured such that the bases will be in direct contact with one or more other barrier devices, increasing the capacity of the combined barrier devices to resist vehicle momentum. Alternate base shapes may be used, including, but not limited to circular, hexagonal and square. A circular base would increase the toppling effect of the barrier once a vehicle has struck it. A pentagonal base could be used to interlock with the pentagonal shaped bases of other barriers, allowing a layering of protection, where the second row of pentagonal bases presented the concave body section of the second row behind but evenly between the body’s of the first row. Square bases could be used where a line of barrier devices were required, whereby the square bases are abutted to form the line, while minimising the overall footprint of the combined installation.

Because the shape of said device is pleasing to the eye, it can be deployed in circumstances where the principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design are being promoted, presenting as it does a much less confronting barrier than the mass-concrete and highway safety barrier alternatives. It can be adorned with commercial graphics, logos or advertising; painted to further blend in to existing streetscape; or can be painted brightly as part of art competitions. Said device is designed to accommodate a multitude of accessories designed to enhance its attractiveness or its functionality, such as table tops; flags; potted plants; joining chains or tapes; light fittings with or without solar panels; and the like.

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Patent Application of David Hartigan

TITLE

A security barrier device for stopping, redirecting or disabling hostile vehicles.

Claims (6)

1. Claims: I claim:

   1. A vehicle security barrier device comprising:

   a. a concave body means that will redirect an errant vehicle’s own momentum if said concave body is forcefully struck by said errant vehicle, and

   b. a base, whereby the momentum of said errant vehicle is deflected upwards while it continues forward, pushing said concave body means forward, causing a leading edge of said base to rise up, striking an undercarriage section of said vehicle and lifting the wheels of said vehicle off the ground thus disabling said vehicle, said base of said barrier device being of a predetermined geometric shape, such that the elevated front of said vehicle being unstable will roll to one side as determined by the centre of gravity of said combined barrier device and elevated vehicle.
2. 2. A vehicle security barrier device comprising:

   a. a concave body of a predetermined height, and

   b. a base, the bottom of which forms a geometric shape that is approximately as wide as said concave body is tall, and the top of said base which forms a predetermined upward curve to form said concave body shape, and

   c. a top section formed by the concavity of said concave body, whereby a front overhang of an errant vehicle forcefully striking said barrier device will ride over said base section of said barrier device, contacting said concave body section, the curvature of which will urge said leading edge of said front overhang of said vehicle upwards,

   2018202474 07 Apr 2018 lifting the leading wheels of said vehicle off the ground, until said leading edge encounters the opposite curvature of said top section of said concave body, forcing said top section away from the direction of said vehicle’s travel, causing a leading edge of said base to rise up to strike an undercarriage section of said vehicle, lifting said leading wheels of said vehicle further off the ground, and impaling said undercarriage of said vehicle on top of said leading edge of said base, the geometric shape of said base rendering the now overturned said barrier device unstable, causing it to roll to that side as the centre of gravity of said impaled and elevated vehicle determines, causing said vehicle to roll on to it’s side, thus rendering said vehicle immovable.
3. 3. A vehicle security barrier device as in Claim 2, further comprising a base that stabilizes the barrier device, and provides said device with a very low center of gravity, said base being generally in the order of 500mm to 2000mm in diameter, and generally in the order of 50mm to 350mm thick, and generally formed in a geometric shape, including circular, pentagonal, hexagonal or square, wherein said base may work alone or in conjunction with the bases of similar adjacent barrier devices.
4. 4. A vehicle security barrier device as in Claim 2, further comprising a hole accessible from the top, and extending down part or all the way to the bottom of said base, wherein a pole for a flag, warning device, chain; light fitting and the like, is inserted into the hole.
5. 5. A vehicle security barrier device as in Claim 2, further comprising a plurality of accessories that enhance the functional capability of said barrier device, including table tops and linking chains.
6. 6. A vehicle security barrier device as in Claim 2, further comprising a plurality of accessories that enhance the aesthetic appeal of said barrier device, including flag poles, lights and potted plants.