A dramatic crash test was performed at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Sept. 24 to determine if a newly designed perimeter security device is effective in protecting U.S. embassies and other facilities around the globe. A video of the test showing a 15,000-pound truck crashing into the barrier at 50 miles per hour has gone viral on sites like the Texas Tribune and Houston Chronicle.
“We have been working with the State Department since 2001 developing various devices designed to keep locations safe from bombings,” TTI Associate Research Engineer William Williams, who designed the barrier, says. “The State Department wanted a design that was more visually pleasing than the devices used in the past.”
The new 42-inch-tall pipe barrier — which the State Department has not yet named — is made of steel and concrete materials readily available in countries around the world. It spans 15 feet long and is anchored into a shallow concrete foundation 18 inches thick. The weight of the whole system is about 50,000 pounds.
The test was considered a success because the bed of the truck and its cargo were prevented from passing the barrier.
Related Links
At A&M, Researchers Crash Trucks to Test Barriers (Texas Tribune)
SEE IT: Texas A&M tests anti-ram barriers by crashing 15,000-pound truck traveling 50 mph (New York Daily News)
VIDEO: Texas A&M Tests Barriers To Keep US Embassies Safe (Houston Public Media)