Security-Perimeters: Common Types and Their Uses

This article discusses the various security perimeters, which are crucial to protecting properties against accidental vehicle smashes. You must have seen drivers losing control of their vehicles and smashing driving into storefronts, homes, or high-traffic public spaces like parks.

Such incidences can damage buildings, infrastructure and cause human injury or death. Also, they can lead to smash-and-grab robbery and other forms of direct attacks.

So, what can be the solution? The answer is–security perimeters, which can block vehicles from getting out of control.

What are Security-Perimeters?

Security perimeters are equipment to prevent unauthorized access, such as people or vehicles to a property.

Typically, the best practices in security perimeter design include the following two aspects:

a perimeter barrier to prevent access to the site
at least one access control point where vehicles and pedestrians can be screened before allowing them to pass through

Security perimeters can either be passive–fixed in place– or active–removable o allow access when needed.

Passive barriers can include walls, beams, engineered planters, fixed bollards or heavy objects, water features, and fences.

Active barriers can include rotating-edge systems, rising-wedge barricades, retractable bollards, crash beams, crash gates, and surface mounted wedges and plates.

It will help if you install attractive security perimeters that can match your building or community aesthetics. And that can help you create a more uniform, seamless transition from the street.

Other, more functional features of well-designed security perimeters include:

Allowing for natural pedestrian flow and access
Not unnecessarily blocking or impeding vehicular traffic in the area
Providing emergency evacuation access
Providing access for emergency vehicles

Types of Security-Perimeters

Here are the common types of security perimeters:

Bollards

Bollards are excellent options for commercial buildings, government sites, parks, and storefronts. Bollards can offer protection without obstructing pedestrian flow.

Remarkably, they are great options for managing risks, especially when people need to exit a building at once, as they allow a permeable perimeter in the case of fire or another on-site risk.

The best thing to do is to break up long rows of bollards with other security items like trees, planters, benches, or retaining walls to use them as attractive security perimeters. And you can break up long lines of bollards if they exceed 100 continuous feet in length. Moreover, you can remove bollards in some cases to allow passage for vehicles. It is applicable especially in parks to discourage visitors from driving on an access road, but at the same time, you need to allow park maintenance vehicles to pass. Likewise, you can use them for blocking the entrances to buildings and parking garages.

You can use crash-rated removable bollards for areas that need access and prevent an attack at all points.

If you need a permanent solution, you can use a fixed bollard that can resist crash-rated impacts. Typically, you need to secure such bollards in place and set them deeply in concrete

Such high-security road bollards can stop a vehicle quickly, without allowing the following vehicles to pass through.

Many materials are used to make bollards. So, you can choose between ductile iron, steel, aluminium, and plastic. The materials can be customized to match the aesthetic in your community.

You can use lighted bollards to increase site safety for pedestrians and drivers. Moreover, they are suited more for community-park ambience. And, the remarkable thing is that they can act as a path or perimeter lighting too.

Security Planters

Planters with bushes or small plants can make effective security perimeters that stop slow-moving vehicles through friction.

You should bear in mind that high-speed impacts can either shift or cause an explosion. So, the best thing you can do is, reinforce the planter by strengthening with below-grade depth and additional crash-rated bollards concealed in the planters. You should place them parallel to restrict the flow of pedestrians.

Notably, security planters can also add more green space. A good trick is to incorporate planters into concrete walls to help soften the look of the concrete. Also, you can maintain live landscaping in planters as they are placed in areas with adequate sunlight and water.

Reinforced Wall Barriers

Walls also can provide security which depends on the height, width and thickness of the wall. But, you should be careful while installing wall barriers.

For example, if there is a bomb or terrorist attack, reinforced walls cannot withstand the explosion's impact. As a result, the wall can turn into fragments.

You can use a wall to prevent day-to-day vehicular traffic.

Usually, wall barriers are unattractive. However, you can turn them attractive by carving artwork or a logo on the front. In addition, you can engage a professional painter to create paintings.

Trees

Trees can act as attractive security perimeters. You should deepen the base of the roots as much as possible to withstand the impact of vehicles better. You can place trees in a line or groups for protection.

But refrain from using young trees as security perimeters because they cannot provide robust protection. Also, ensure that trees are healthy and get enough access to sunlight and water.

Sculptures and Large Objects

Public art installations or sculptures can protect your property. Moreover, you can use large boulders and rocks to set up an effective and attractive security barrier while visually appealing to the area.

If you use them along with the traditional or custom bollards, you can increase the security level.

Benches

With benches, you can hit two birds with the same stone. Meaning, they can provide a place for people to sit while acting as a security barrier.

There can be options for you to use standalone benches or include them alongside next to other types of security barriers like bollards, planters, trees, and decorative fencing.

You can even customize their design to match the surroundings. You can also add bollards to increase the overall impact resistance.

Tiger Traps

A tiger trap can be an excellent security option if you have enough space available. In addition, you can regard a tiger trap as a non-obtrusive security perimeter option. During installation, you need to install a sub-grade collapsible material below the ground level. The material can withstand foot traffic but collapses under the weight of a vehicle, which gets trapped against a low bench or underground foundation wall.