Road Blockers: High-Security Products For Saving Your ...

ROAD BLOCKERS: CRUCIAL DEFENSE MECHANISMS FOR IMMENSE INVESTMENTS

Have you ever fathomed your multi-million-dollar investment vanishing in an instant? Your investment need not be one of those unfortunate tales. Road blockers can safeguard your millions.

Both government bodies and private entities pour substantial amounts of money into constructing facilities such as data centers, commercial buildings, recreational spaces, government offices, oil & gas facilities, water conversion, and power plants, to name a few. However, without Road Blockers at entry points, all these investments are at risk, potentially disappearing within seconds, along with numerous lives.

Why Opt for Road Blockers?

Amid the rise of global terrorism, security needs are heightened daily. Vehicles loaded with explosives can weigh several tons, and if such a vehicle breaches the gate, devastation follows in mere minutes, if not seconds. Road blockers prevent these vehicles from forcefully entering compounds, designed specifically to halt heavy trucks at high velocities.

If an unauthorized vehicle attempts to breach the premises, it crashes against the road blocker. The blocker absorbs and safely dissipates the energy from the impact, protecting both the facility and its occupants from potentially fatal attacks.

Photo 1. Optima Road Blockers at Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) Site, Kuwait.

Understanding Road Blockers

Road blockers, also referred to as wedge barriers, consist mainly of two components.

a) The steel part

b) The power/drive unit.

The steel segment of a road blocker is installed in the road's center to bar unauthorized vehicle access. This steel part halts incoming vehicles, typically painted with reflective yellow and black stripes for visibility. Customizable colors are possible as long as the paint remains reflective for nighttime noticeability.

The power/drive unit propels the steel segment up and down, powered by hydraulic, pneumatic, or electromechanical systems.

Operating Road Blockers

Guard personnel operate road blockers via a desktop control keyboard. Upon a vehicle's arrival at the gate, the guard checks the vehicle, questions the driver, and verifies accompanying documents and IDs. Once cleared, the guard presses the down button on the control keyboard to lower the blocker, turning the traffic light green, allowing entry.

Once the vehicle crosses the loop cable, the blocker lifts automatically, and the traffic light turns red. The blocker can also be raised using the up button on the keyboard.

Photo 2. Optima Road Blocker Desktop Control Keyboard

Road blockers can be integrated with access control and fire alarm systems, enabling monitoring, control, fire alarm responses, and emergency operations.

a) Monitoring: Blocker status can be viewed via an access control panel

b) Control: Blockers can be moved up/down through the access control panel

c) Fire Alarm: In a fire event, blockers automatically lower, allowing vehicles to evacuate and fire services to enter.

d) Emergency: Blockers rise automatically in non-fire emergencies or threats, activated through a panic/emergency button in the guardhouse or security room.

Moreover, integration with access control devices such as RFID/long-range card readers, proximity card readers, biometric readers, automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) systems, and wireless RF remote controls is possible. However, using these devices can pose security risks from unauthorized individuals using authorized access devices.

The most secure method is operating road blockers using a desktop control keyboard following a security clearance.

Manual hand pumps are also available for power outages. If manual operation is undesired, hydraulic accumulator kits or dry batteries with DC motor & pump kits can provide several operations during power loss.

Selecting the Right Road Blocker for Your Project

Road blockers come in various shapes and sizes, tailored to specific applications and site conditions, typically ranging from 2m to 6m in width. They are categorized mainly into four types based on installation requirements:

i. Full-depth type road blockers: Requires a depth greater than 1m for installation, the original generation of road blockers.

ii. Shallow mount type road blockers: Needs less depth than type i, ideal for depth constraints of less than 50cm.

iii. Surface mount type road blockers: Suitable for locations with existing concrete bases or if the ground can be excavated up to 30cm max, affixed on the surface of the concrete slab with embedded power/drive units for ease of installation.

iv. Mobile type road blockers: Also known as movable blockers, best for temporary road closures, operating sites that change locations, or temporary borders and traffic control. Equipped with solar panels, they offer easy movement, installation, and operation without external power sources.

Depending on your site and application needs, choose the appropriate type. For guidance, Ulgen Industrial Systems Inc. offers optimized solutions tailored to site-specific conditions.

Installing Road Blockers

Installation processes vary by road blocker type. Nonetheless, installation is straightforward following the supplied step-by-step manual from Optima Road Blockers. For additional support, contact the Optima engineering support team via email, phone, or WhatsApp. With extensive experience in designing, manufacturing, and installing road blockers, the team is readily available for assistance upon request.

Are Road Blockers Worth the Money?

Initial costs for road blockers can be a few thousand dollars. However, the resulting security is invaluable. The decision remains up to the investor, yet road blockers offer substantial savings by preventing the reconstruction of facilities and, critically, protecting human lives.

Available in two sizes, 2.0m and 2.5m, the Hydraulic Rising Kerb is capable of bearing axle weights of three tonnes (Type A).

The 3-tonne Road Blocker opens in 3 seconds, with an optional Manual Hand Pump for raising and an accumulator for rapid opening in 1 second.

Advanced programmable logic controllers coordinate hydraulics, access control, and traffic light signaling systems. During power failures, an emergency lowering feature is standard in all 3-tonne Road Blockers.

Various access control options include proximity cards, radio tokens, keypads, and intercoms. These, combined with induction loop or photocell safety systems, ensure the Rising Kerbs open and close smoothly on each activation.

Designed and manufactured in the UK, all 3-tonne Road Blockers and Rising Kerbs adhere to BS6571 standards and UKCA approval, operated using powerful hydraulic pumps and drive ram systems controlled by PLCs.

These road blockers and rising kerbs are ideal for use in car manufacturing plants, parking entrances and exits, dealership forecourts, restricted access routes, shopping centers, and hotels.

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