Bomb truck barrier - GIF

[Altair]

Bomb truck barrier developed by Texas A&M's Transportation Institute.




Previously:

Boeing 720 controlled impact demonstration - video
Heavy tire controlled explosion test - videos
Propane tank controlled explosion test - video
Perfect controlled demolition of twin chimneys - video

[Frank S]

I don't know so much about Texas A&m as being the developers 8" sch 80 and thicker pipe barriers have been around for years in many countries. Oilfield rig manufactures have had them around some of their rig building yards since back in the 70s

[ranald]

sad that we would need them.
Recently i visited Brisbane (where they wouldn't evacuate staff in city hall back in the 60's & 70's when bomb alerts were advised) and found better bollards ( than the steel ones we planted in parks ((in 90's)) allowing staff to enter but prevent hoons entry) around mall entrances. My 90 y.o.friend says she is glad her time is nearly up.

[Frank S]

When I was in the Middle East we made a lot of these barriers
completely self contained the hydraulic pump could either be located inside or mounted in a control booth there was a nitrogen pressurized accumulator mounted inside .
the system was closed loop not only were there springs inside the cylinders but in-order to retract the barrier the cylinders had to be pumped down then the system was held closed via solenoid valves any disruption in the electrical the barrier deployed and could not be lowered without a 30 ton load or pumped down. If say a car or medium sized truck had its front tires on the barrier plate when it deployed the vehicle would almost be tossed, as the pressure from the accumulator would be expelled into the cylinders at a rate to 200 gallons per minute it took only 2.5 gallons to fully deploy the cylinders or about 1/2 second to go from flat to 3 feet high

These drawings do not show the system
the top plate is 3/4" thick

[ranald]

Thanks Frank. We all know such items are needed in hostile places but some of us (like me ) take it for granted that home is safe. Before 911 it was just the IRA and an occasional person with an axe to grind who was a threat but so much goes on behind the scenes that most of us are privilaged not to know about while all the time demanding transparency. Some have heavy consciences while others sleep sound as a button.

[Frank S]

Ranald; actually it is wishful thinking that before 911 things were more or less honky-dory except for limited factions. especially in terms of Islamist extremism as far back as the 1600's politicized Islam started becoming prevalent in the Muslim countries. Although one could argue it dates nearly a 1000 years earlier to 620 when a jihad against Christians was done in Spain, but that was not a political movement it was in actuality a religious attempt at ethnic cleansing.
the Waring factions bestrewn moderate or mainstream Muslims and the Islamic extremist who have been indoctrinated by radical Mullahs, much like what we call the left are trying to indoctrinate children in schools and universities in most western societies, have been going on for a very long time. Certain events have brought this to our attention though the correlations may not always be interpreted or realized such as 1951 when a Palestinian nationalist assassinated Abdullah at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Fifteen-year-old Prince Hussein saw his grandfather die, and the next day carried a gun for the first time. A year later he was king. 6 days of 1967 Iran in 1979, Iraq & Kuwait 1990
There are far too many events throughout history that have led up to the need for barriers to block vehicles.
And to be fair these are not limited to any single facet or sec of people their ethnicity culture political or religious beliefs or lack there of

[ranald]

yes that is fact but not all perceive/d the threats as being home based or home threatening and that is why I mentioned Brisbane mall as it was a matter of "it couldn't happen" to us where in realty it can, just like in NZ. The 3 stooges made us laugh (or cringe) with their antics about nazis & schimitar weilding muslims & such forth but for many history & modern day tech & extremeism were miles or millenia apart.....until it happens closer to home. History is something we can learn from and hopefully avoid. It is a shame we don't have a real "melting pot" for peoples.

[hemmjo]

Unfortunately, the lesson being learned from history is that we do not learn very well from history.

[Toolmaker51]

Seemingly it matters not what slice of humanity we describe, if there are minor activists; successively higher levels more resolute exist. They motivate others do their bidding. Targeting the upper echelon rarely ceases negative activity.

[NeiljohnUK]

Thanks Frank. We all know such items are needed in hostile places but some of us (like me ) take it for granted that home is safe. Before 911 it was just the IRA and an occasional person with an axe to grind who was a threat but so much goes on behind the scenes that most of us are privilaged not to know about while all the time demanding transparency. Some have heavy consciences while others sleep sound as a button.

Just the IRA... Well they did enough killing, not just in Eire or N.I. or even just the UK. Where I sit in Southern England they blew up a number of shops and public places. One female terrorist having brought down a Police officer with a leg shot went back, stood over him and blew his brains out, at the time Americans were the main funding source of and specialist sniper suppliers to the IRA. The IRA could also found to be training in the Middle East with American government funded Islamic terrorists training to fight Americas proxy wars, especially against the Russians in 'stan. The current mess in Syria has a lot of similarities.

As yea sow, so shall yea reap...

And for all the good the Good Friday agreement may have done with PIRA, CIRA and RIRA continue the 'struggles' (is it terrorism, or just a cover for criminal activities?) to this day.