In a past life before BangShift, back when I was visiting locations that would require an up-front payment that even Bill Gates himself would choke to write out onto a check, we had a major problem: VBIED, or Vehicle-Born Improvised Explosive Device…or, for the layman, “car bomb”. In Iraq, that was a pretty common assault tactic. Load up anything from a half-dead Lada to a dump truck full of explosives, convince someone that their religious servitude demands their sacrifice, and aim the vehicle at the nearest checkpoint full of whoever you want to make disappear. That was bad enough. Then you got into ramming attacks, where explosives didn’t even have to come into play. Just take a vehicle and aim at people who would otherwise be in no danger. Want to know why buildings now have crash-proof bollards and the like surrounding them?
“The ability of a driver to survive such a crash is not a primary concern.” That’s a pretty dark statement when referencing a crash test, but the goal behind Texas A&M’s Transportation Institute’s test had nothing to do with driver safety at all. Instead, the Transportation Institute was working with the U.S. State Department to develop a barrier system for embassies that would stop an explosives-laden truck dead in it’s tracks on this project. This particular bar system is buried 18 inches into the ground and as the video shows, has absolutely no trouble stopping a speeding International carrying a simulated load of explosives dead in it’s tracks. It’s stout enough that the engine gets accordion-ed back with the cab. They weren’t kidding about driver survival, as the driver would be reduced to a grease spot inside the cab. Watch and cringe along with us.
That base looks to contain about 5 1/2 to 6 yards of concrete. It SHOULD stop about anything.
My thoughts exactly.
Kind of amazing how it can redirect so much energy down and back.
AWESOME!!!!!!
But what happens when the bomb delivery vehicle is a lowered Miata?
Will that be made available to the public? There’s places where something like that might come in handy. Like nuclear power plants.
Looks like the idea is to make sure the barrier stays intact by hitting the truck above its frame and rip the truck in half. I have to wonder how it would work if the truck hits one of the edges instead of dead center.
That sound of it hitting the barrier was spectacular!
That’s a tough piece of metal.
Did you notice the concrete base actually lifting a bit upon contact?
I would love to give Texas A & M props for this barrier in most cases it seems as though it would stop nearly anything. But what if it was a lowered vehicle, motorcycle, or even a loaded vehicle with shock sensitive explosive such as nitroglycerin. They will prey upon exploits such as a tool to blow stuff up like they intended, even more so what about tracked vehicles like M1 Abram tanks. Now if the barrier had a “barrier” such as a sensor that triggers an EMP blast that sensed the on coming vehicle. It would stop anything truely.
Video is incredable.
A side that is useless info, My friends daughter just got a job at the A&M Transportation Institute in the Motor Cycle Safety Div.