Embassies Upgrading Perimeter Security with Barriers

Feb. 27, 2007
U.S. embassies, including those in Beijing, Sarajevo, Vienna and cities in Germany, Greece, Macedonia and Saudi Arabia, are upgrading vehicle access control by installing advanced anti-terrorism barriers to avoid car and truck bombings.

Manufactured by Delta Scientific, the counter-terrorist vehicle control systems utilize the company's most-advanced DSC501 and DSC2000 shallow foundation barriers.

"Both of these barriers are K12 crash certified with no penetration, meaning they will stop 15,000 pound (66.7 kN) vehicles traveling 50 mph (80 kph) dead in their tracks," explained David Dickinson, Delta Scientific senior vice president. "In fact, the DSC501 is tested at K54 and stops a 65,000 pound (289 kN) traveling at the same speed. That's 5.4 million foot-pounds of energy."

The shallow foundations of the two barriers have provided a major breakthrough in high-duty, anti-terrorist barricades. They obviate the concerns of interference with buried pipes, power lines and fiber optic communication lines. The shallow foundations also reduce installation complexity, time, materials and corresponding costs.

More than 1,000 DSC501 counter-terrorist barriers have been installed around the world since the barrier first began shipping in 2001. The DSC501 was originally designed for the U.S. Navy and ultimately will be used at every U.S. Air Force base in the world.

The DSC2000 can go from the "down" to "up" position in less than one-half second and is designed for heavy use of more than 100,000 cycles per month, providing increased security for high capacity locations. Multiple deployment configurations allow the DSC2000 to be used in a wide variety of applications, from wide roadways to narrow driveways.

About the Author

Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith is the former content director of EHS Today, and is currently the EHSQ content & community lead at Intelex Technologies Inc. She has written about occupational safety and health and environmental issues since 1990.

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