The manufacturer of road blockers, bollards and vehicle barriers, ATG Access has launched the latest generation in bridge protection systems, unveiling its Populus Bollard system to a range of customers, security experts and civil engineering specifiers.
This is the second bridge security system the company has brought to market making it the only supplier with multiple systems currently available. This new solution is a short, shallow and slim solution available in the current physical security market, ideal for bridge applications.
The new system, which achieved both the IWA 14 and PAS 68 standards at tests undertaken at the MIRA testing facility in March 2020, was able to arrest a 7.5-tonne vehicle traveling at 48 kph (30 mph) at a 30-degree angle.
Tests were carried out under COVID-19 distancing restrictions demonstrating the company’s commitment to continue developing and innovating throughout the current crisis.
The internationally-recognised tests were designed to simulate the distinctive features of a vehicular attack on a bridge and resulted in minimal penetration damage of under half a metre. Bridge design dictates that vehicular attacks are most likely to be carried out at a shallow angle as a forward moving vehicle leaves the carriageway to mount the pavement at speed.
Due to their unique engineering characteristics, bridges bring specific challenges to security systems such as drainage requirements, expansion joints and depth constraints.
Coupled with the inability to close structures for prolonged installation periods, any bridge security system needs to operate within these parameters while delivering robust performance. Specifically designed for installation within areas with either no depth available or a challenging substructure, the system requires excavation of just 40mm and is installed without bolting, mechanical fixings or any upstand.
Furthermore, it requires no finishing surface treatment to the highway to conceal the top of the product, meaning it can be installed in any carriageway conditions. This innovative approach protects the integrity of the bridge structure while affording the greatest possible protection to bridge users and bridge parapets from vehicular attack.
The system can accommodate chambers, contours and expansion joints, and is available in a range of aesthetic treatments to blend into heritage and modern settings alike. It has been developed in close collaboration with local authorities, architects and engineers who have come together to establish the principles of the system which have been refined by the ATG Access design team. In development for just three months, scale models of the Populus system have been subjected to a series of simulated tests with data collected at each stage of product development with the aim of eliminating different variables.
