Mark Devall, Solutions Manager – HVM at Hill & Smith Barriers, explains the importance of Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) and how these solutions could develop in the future.

Can you explain in your own words what Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) is?

Hostile Vehicle Mitigation is physical security put in place to prevent potential attacks by vehicle threats such as cars, lorries and Large Goods Vehicle’s (LGV), the main barriers for this are static, automatic or removable bollards, wire rope systems, fencing gates and barriers. 

HVM facilitates authorised access of vehicles through access control points, alternatively denying unauthorised access into specific buildings, commercial assets, data centres, etc.  

Temporary products are available for events such as Royal celebrations, festivals, parades and sporting events, these products are generally deployed prior to the event and collected on completion, opening the space back to its intended purpose. 

The key is to keep vehicles far away from the asset or crowds of people. HVM is utilised across most transport hubs, train stations, airports, commercial assets and anywhere where a mass gathering of people visit, work etc. 

What type of threats does HVM help to prevent? 

Since 2005, products have been developed and tested. The UK standard is to test a vehicle at 7500kg’s in category speeds of 48 kilometres, 64 kilometres, or 80 kilometres per hour.

The attack angle is generally 90 degrees onto the face of the product, but this can vary dependent upon the environment that HVM is required. 

The facing side of the product is vital when it comes to product selection it can be installed closer to the asset if the penetration is below a certain metreage.

This in turn means that you can install HVM closer to the buildings, as the general space between the building and HVM product will absorb that penetration.  

How important is product selection and testing when it comes to HVM solutions? 

The general process is through a specialist, who will carry out a vehicle dynamics assessment (VDA).

A VDA assesses all the carriageways that are linked into the building, along with assessing the attack angles that can be achieved by a potential threat. 

The body that carries out the VDA will assess what speeds vehicles can achieve in a set distance, this data will then allow them to put a security rating that is required.

For example, if the threat vehicle can achieve 80kph at 7.5 ton then a security rating of PAS 68:V/7,500[N2}80/90 will apply, this data will used for selection of the range of products available. 

Can you tell me a bit about the planning and installation process for permanent HVM solutions? 

The planning comes down to the customer or architects along with the support of the manufacturers so that the products parameters can be assessed against the current design drawings.

There are many challenges that arise when planning installing HVM.  

When you are in urban environments you can come across high level services, these could be 200mm underneath the finished floor level that hasn’t been documented historically, product selection then needs a further look as shallow mount technology will need to be applied.  

Permeable products are often selected so pedestrians can easily get through the spaces.

Fire escapes have got to be considered access control points for busses, drop off points, emergency service access.  

All the drawings must be observed to see what’s below the ground before you can even start picking the appropriate products.

When it comes to the installation, you have the typical challenges of heavy machinery being in place, open excavations, the public and managing the project in a safe manner.  

With industry projects that are generally brown field sites the challenges are less common due to the nature of the environment.  

How important is it for the main contractor to get the manufacturer involved? 

They have got a lot of other boxes to tick as well as other fields to manage within that project.

They do rely on us quite a lot, from an early stage of the process to get the information for the products available.

You will find all your HVM companies are doing CPDs to security specialists regularly, so they are up to date and speed with the products that are available.  

It all depends on what’s cost-effective in most circumstances, if you’ve got a large perimeter around an oil and gas facility, the regulation of the spaces means you have got to put a bollard at every 1.2 meters. 

If you use wire rope systems, which we manufacture, then your anchor posts have got to be every 100 meters, or every 200 meters, depending on which product you select.  

How do you see the design of permanent HVM solutions developing as threats evolve? 

Some of the challenges that we have already discussed is shallow mount products being chosen over deep foundation products.  

That’s been the evolution of HVM, to get the shallower products tested and compliant.

Then from an architectural perspective, making products more aesthetically pleasing will be a priority, generally it’s stainless steel or powder coated sleeves for the bollards, so this will definitely be an area of development.  

This article was originally published in the November Edition of Security Journal UK. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.