Case Study

Beating the terrorists

Post 9/11, the threat of terrorist attack has never been far away. For one British firm the challenge is to develop and extend its range of perimeter security products to counter the bombers

Since 9/11 the threat of terrorist attacks to public buildings has been, and continues to be, a very real one. While terrorist organizations continue to evolve ever more sophisticated methods of spreading death and destruction, such groups are not afraid to resort to the rather more crude but tried-and-trusted methods.

One of these includes suicide bombing using a car or van to drive the explosives into the chosen target.

To counter such threats a number of companies are developing their ranges of perimeter security products. Foremost among these is Frontier Pitts, a UK firm based in Crawley, West Sussex.

With over 75 years' experience in the industry, the company offers a complete range of services including design, installation, maintenance, repair or refurbishment and full project management. Frontier Pitts exports 20% of all UK production (it has satellite offices are in France, Hong Kong and China) and has had equipment installed in more than 85 countries.

Its product line includes barriers, a range of gates including sliding, hinged, bi-folding and speed gates, road blockers and rising bollards, pedestrian gates and turnstiles, which are all available with a wide range of control options. Frontier Pitts also manufactures a range of manual products.

A company spokesman said: “We have always been at the forefront of new security ideas and have pioneered several perimeter security innovations. Following months of in-house design and computer simulations, our new high-security Anti-Terra range has been successfully tested to certify further what is believed to be the strongest perimeter security equipment in the world.”

The high-security range includes the Terra Blocker, the Terra Bollards and the Terra Gate; the first gate in the world to be successfully crash tested in the both the fully closed and half open positions. In accordance with Department of State SD-STD-2.01 Revision A, Certification Class K12 standard, the tests were conducted to prove the arresting capabilities of the equipment when impacted by a 7,500kg lorry travelling at 50mph (80km/hour)

Frontier Pitts was confident that all the equipment in the Anti-Terra Series would endure the toughest test and achieve the most difficult standard, while continuing to operate after the impact. K12 testing denotes that the vehicle must be travelling at a minimum of 80km/hour on impact, which equates to over three times the amount of stopping energy created by the K4 standard testing. L3 means that the test vehicles' penetration must be less than 1m. With each impact, the Terra product brought the test vehicle to a complete halt with zero penetration onto site or past the impacted face of the unit.

The Frontier Pitts crash-rated Terra Gate is available in widths of up to 6000mm and height of 3000mm. Key features of the Terra gate include operating speeds of up to two metres per second and shallow foundation requirements of only 280mm, allowing installation of the gate even on sites where underground services exist. The Terra Gate is the only gate in the world to be successfully impacted in both the fully closed and the half opened positions without the need for repair. The Terra Gate was a finalist at the IFSEC Security Industry Awards in the category of Best New Physical Security product.

The Frontier Pitts spokesman added: “No other company in the world can offer a sliding gate which can surpass the standards for Department of State Certification and PAS 68-69 standards, in both the fully closed and half opened positions, and continue to operate immediately after both impacts, especially without the need for repair.”

The Frontier Pitts crash-rated Terra Blocker is available in widths of up to 8000mm and a lifted height of 810mm. At the crash test the Terra Blocker brought the vehicle to a complete halt with zero penetration onto site or past the impacted face of the unit. A key feature of the design ensured that all forward energy was absorbed at the front of the equipment on impact, unlike other rising kerbs on the market, which have allowed the vehicle to ride over the equipment thus penetrating site. The front axle of the truck was pushed rearwards impacting the fuel tanks on both sides of the vehicle.

Frontier Pitts Terra Bollards have a lifted height of 900mm. The Terra Bollards were tested as a single unit and dual unit systems to the same K12 standards. In both crash tests the bollards stopped the lorry.

Even after the impact all the products were fully functional and the operating mechanisms continued to open and close the gate leaf. This impressive test result has proved not only the stopping power of this equipment, but also the reliability and fortitude of the design. 
Frontier Pitts will be exhibiting at this year's Counter Terror World exhibition at Olympia in London on 5 & 6 December. On Stand K34 visitors will be able to view all the Crash footage of Frontier Pitts new Anti-Terra Series.

Frontier Pitts has also been accredited with ISO 9001, certifying quality in sales, customer service and manufacturing. All products are CE marked for added assurance and quality.

A spokesman said: “Our Technical Sales Department can provide the complete package to specify the product you require. From detailed quotations, including proposal, equipment specification and technical information, to standard CAD drawings (for civil and electrical requirements) and super-imposed images to illustrate how the site will look once the system is installed.

“Our network of Regional Sales Advisors will visit any site in Britain, without charge or obligation, in order to provide a full, tailor-made quotation. They are able to offer technical advice on the most appropriate and effective means of upgrading and perimeter security solutions.”

Frontier Pitts have over 20 years' experience in maintaining security equipment. The spokesman added: “We believe that regular maintenance is essential in the operational life of your equipment. To achieve maximum efficiency and reduce unnecessary costs it is crucial to carry out regular routine services.

“To accomplish this we have a range of contracts that can be tailor-made to suit your individual site requirements. These include Standard, Fully Comprehensive, Extended Warranty and Response only contracts. Unique to Frontier Pitts are our excellent guaranteed response times including 4 or 12 Out of Hours and 24 or 48 Working Hours, which offer peace of mind that an engineer will be on site within a set time.”