Road Blockers are normally sunk into the ground but surface mounted products are available for temporary applications, as are portable blockers which are a plate style version and available mounted on a towable trailer.
Surface mounted Road Blockers have been tested using trucks up to 7.5t in weight and with impacts of up to 80kph – although evidence shows that truly surface mounted products are less likely to get a “zero penetration” result.
Portable Road Blockers have been tested slightly less vigorously using vehicles up to 6.8t in weight at speeds of up to 64kph.
Road Blockers are flexible in terms of foundation depths needed and so can be installed in most terrains so long as the site circumstances allow for foundations to be properly installed. They offer a visible deterrent, so suit applications where site operators wish to convey a message that the site is accessible to authorised vehicles only and not necessarily to the general public. They can be continuously operated with a high level of duty cycling available and are generally used for government, military, industrial and commercial situations where a higher level of security is required. Road Blockers are not normally selected for aesthetics but rather to support a strong message of ‘keep out’ to unwanted visitors.
Blockers can be integrated well with other perimeter security products subject to the control logic utilised in the Road Blocker. They lend themselves well to being incorporated into interlocking systems (they can be designed to operate in conjunction with each other where their functions are mutually dependent).
Road Blockers are ideal in some circumstances to create an airlock – a two stage verification system, where a vehicle is allowed access into a holding area protected by a combination of HVM blocking systems. This enables further vehicle/driver checks at the perimeter of the site prior to being authorised entry. This reduces the risk of compromising the site’s security, whilst these checks are made within the holding area and security personnel are kept within the site perimeter.
Road Blockers are not always easily visible to vehicle drivers without additional signage or alerts – so great care needs to be taken in the design of their overall operation and usage. They are not, for various reasons, normally recommended or suitable for use in areas providing pedestrian or cyclist access. Also consideration needs to be given to installing them with anti-skid toppings for the safety of any vehicle that is intended to drive across in the down position. Suitable safety systems and controls will normally need to be part of any HVM Road Blocker installation and there will always be a requirement for a full site risk assessment to be carried out and findings acted upon.
Further information on independently tested HVM Road Blockers can be found in the searchable product database on this website
