New vehicle "arrester" certified by TTI

Published 11 February 2008

Critical infrastructure facilities, military bases, and government buildings need to be able to stop a car or a truck laden with explosives driving toward them at a great rate of speed; cement barriers and embedded vertical bar installations interfere with routine traffic and spoil the landscape; a Pennsylvania company offers a solution: A retractable net placed underground which, at the flick of a button, springs to catch, cradle, and arrest an oncoming vehicle, safely bringing it to a controlled stop

Aston, Pennsylvania-based Engineered Arresting Systems Corporation (ESCO), a developer of aircraft and vehicle energy absorption products and solutions for controlling and mitigating security perimeter threats, says it has successfully completed NCHRP and ASTM certification testing for its new In-Ground Retractable Vehicle Arresting System at the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI: 16.94, +0.42, +2.54%). The Vehicle Arrester is a nonlethal device used to “catch” and stop any category of vehicle up to and including a 15,000 pound truck traveling at speeds of 50 mph. The company says that unlike other anti-incursion devises on the market, ESCO’s system will cause minimal damage to the vehicle and/or injury to passengers. When asked about the new certifications, Mark Allen, director of ESCO’s Security Products Group, said, “Quality and safety are our primary focus when we develop new systems and these certifications are a testament to that focus. They also serve as an industry stamp of approval that helps differentiate our Vehicle Arrester solutions from others in the market today.”

The ESCO retractable Vehicle Arrester resembles a large net which, when deployed manually or automatically by a speed sensor, springs from the ground immediately to catch, cradle, and arrest an oncoming vehicle while safely bringing it to a controlled stop. Unlike traditional cement barriers and embedded vertical bar installations, ESCO’s retractable protection device — unless deployed in an emergency situation — is installed below ground so it does not impede routine traffic or detract from the aesthetics of the surrounding area. Those who may benefit from this solution include military bases, oil refineries, nuclear power plants, and other critical infrastructure which require multi-layered and robust perimeter security solutions. These facilities can use ESCO’s retractable Vehicle Arrester system as a primary perimeter defense or as an added layer of security to increase protection.