Hostile Vehicle Mitigation

HOSTILE VEHICLE MITIGATION DESIGN | AESTHETIC IMPACT | CONCEPT | CONSTRUCTION

Hostile Vehicle Mitigation is the process that minimises the threat of vehicles used as weapons towards the public and infrastructure.

WHO WE ARE FM Conway works in transportation, the built environment and public realm. In partnership with network operators, local authorities and private clients, we bring clear thinking, innovation and high-quality delivery to everything we do. Working on behalf of both communities and businesses, we have developed a self-delivery model, which combines in-house consultancy expertise with frontline operational excellence. From initial inspection through to design, delivery, refurbishment works and ongoing maintenance, this approach enables us to supply all of the services required to keep the nation’s infrastructure and open spaces operating effectively and efficiently. Our specialist Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) team is part of our consultancy division. The team includes, transport planners and engineers who have experience in delivering high-profile projects from concept through to delivery. The team is supported by specialist lighting and structural teams, along with our wider team of highways engineers who can be drawn upon to support the HVM team on demanding projects. In addition to the Consultancy element of the HVM team, our operations section has many years of experience in installing security products within the public highway, in challenging locations that require an eye for detail while working under challenging programme constraints.

We have a proven track record of designing and building HVM solutions using Vehicle Security Barriers (VSB) in complex urban environments that deter and delay potential threats.

Drawing upon our technical and consultancy expertise, and our deep-rooted knowledge of asset planning, we have the ability to design and build HVM solutions for our clients.

We are able to advise clients and provide a holistic design service from concept through to construction, using our knowledge of products on the market and experience of working in the public realm, including full project management. We have a good working relationship with all the main manufacturers and our security advisors when developing our design solutions.

Our in-house team designs in accordance to PAS 68, PAS 69 and IWA 14, as well as local and national highway design standards and regulations.

WESTMINSTER BRIDGE - HVM

Working for Transport for London (TfL), FM Conway have designed and installed permanent anti-terrorist protective barriers on Westminster Bridge. The work sees the installation of permanent barriers to protect people walking and cycling on both sides of the bridge, replacing the temporary barriers that have been in place since 2017. The new bollards exactly match the familiar Westminster City bollards, meeting the strict heritage requirements for the Grade II listed structure. They are also fully PAS compliant and therefore provide a high level of protection for both cyclist and pedestrian using the bridge. This project saw the first use of this product on a bridge in the United Kingdom, and the Design Team worked closely with other organisations to make the installation possible in areas of engineering difficulty. Nick Fairholme, TfL’s Director of Project and Programme Delivery, said: “Safety is our top priority, and the installation of these permanent measures at Westminster Bridge will play an important role in improving the safety on the bridge for those walking and cycling at this busy central London location.”

FEATURES BENEFITS

Heritage style bollard

Fully protected segregated cycle lane| PAS 68 & 69

WESTMINSTER CEREMONIAL STREETSCAPE PROJECT (WCSP)

FM Conway is the Term Service Provider (TSP) for Westminster City Council and hold the position of Principal Designer on the Westminster Ceremonial Streetscape Project, delivering the scheme on behalf of CPNI (the Centre for the Protection of National infrastructure) and MPS (the Metropolitan Police Service), as well as key stakeholders, Transport for London (TfL), The Palace of Westminster, The Royal Parks, The Royal Household and Historic England. The aim of the scheme is to protect those attending ceremonial events in and around the Royal Parks and other ceremonial areas in the City of Westminster by providing permanent, static, and quick to deploy VSB measures; using a mixture of gates, walls, removable and static bollard solutions. These permanent fixtures replace the existing temporary VSB measures that are unsightly and take time to deploy. Our Consultancy team operates as both the Lead Designer and Project Manager ensuring that we are best placed to fully understand and manage the complexities of delivering a security scheme in this important, historical area. Working closely with Historic England, we also manage archaeological investigations, the planning and listed building consent process and aesthetically designed security solutions. In addition to the roles mentioned above, we also serve as the Principal Contractor, completing eleven locations to date, comprising of gates, walls and bollard solutions.

FEATURES BENEFITS

Vehicle gates | Bollard alignments | HVM walls

Quick to deploy | Permanent | Complements street-scape

LEICESTER SQUARE HVM FM Conway has led the design of this project to protect pedestrians within Leicester Square from the threat of Vehicle as a Weapon (VAW) attacks. The design included the introduction of sliding bollards at three locations in the square to provide controlled vehicular access and static provision (including bollards and planters) at four further locations - creating a secure area for people to safely enjoy this iconic London location. The new vehicular access point at Cranbourn Street includes an intercom system allowing access to be managed in a secure way at a remote location. One of the key challenges of this project was the number of shallow utilities in the area. To combat this, the team worked closely with utility companies in order to coordinate diversions to avoid further disruption. The project was successfully delivered in under two years from when the project was commenced. An initial temporary VSB scheme was designed and installed while a permanent scheme was developed.

FEATURES

Controlled vehicular access | Interim/temporary VSB installed | Greening of VSB Secure perimeter | Contemporary look and feel | Permeable measures

BENEFITS

SOHO TEMPORARY HVM Soho is a popular destination for Londoners and tourists alike, with a huge variety of independent bars and restaurants, all of which have struggled to run at full capacity due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Westminster City Council brought forward a scheme to pedestrianise key streets and permit outside dining on the carriageway space each evening and at the weekend. Responding to concerns from the police, Westminster City Council commissioned FM Conway to design and implement a temporary HVM design to secure the newly created outside dining areas. The team worked with manufacturers to develop a solution that permitted vehicles to access the streets during the day, but provided safe areas to accommodate the expansion of outside dining during the evenings. Our Consultancy team designed a solution which made use of the Surface Guard product that provides pedestrians with a permeable, surface-mounted solution whilst delivering a robust vehicle protection, without requiring any permanent changes to the road layout. These temporary measures can then be opened to traffic again once the outdoor dining areas are closed to customers, adding flexibility, whilst protecting people from any vehicles entering the area maliciously or in error.

FEATURES BENEFITS

Temporary VSB design | Planters

Security that blends with the environment | Aesthetic Impact considered

DESIGN CHALLENGES/ CONSIDERATIONS

Buried Services: A typical problem in most urban areas, which requires either working with the statutory undertaker to relocate their assets, or to incorporate bespoke solutions to avoid the need for relocation altogether. Basements: Much like buried services, the basements of nearby buildings can prevent standard VSB products from being installed. Public Highway: With the majority of measures being installed on the public highway, VSB infrastructure shares the same challenges as other projects: traffic flows and network impacts, accessibility and mobility, public service vehicles, as well as the legislation behind these design considerations, such as Traffic Management Orders.

DESIGN CHALLENGES/ CONSIDERATIONS

Public Realm: HVM measures will always have an effect on the public, and it is critical to select the correct product that blends into the streetscape and has a positive impact on the use of the space. Heritage and Character Areas: Many projects will be located within heritage areas or near the backdrop of a historic or listed building. We work with Local Planning Authorities, Historic England and manufacturers to ensure the finished product complements the street scene. Tree Roots: Similar to buried services, tree roots can also be an issue with regards to the installation of VSB. FM Conway has extensive experience working collaboratively with Arboriculturalists to agree and install protective measures, as well as designing bespoke solutions to avoid damage to tree roots.

KEY ACRONYMS

WHAT IS PAS 68 & 69? PAS 68 is the UK’s standard and the security industry’s benchmark for HVM equipment. It is the specification against which vehicle security barriers and their supporting foundations are tested with a single horizontal impact, in order to find solutions to prevent vehicle attacks.

CPNI CPNI - (the Centre for the Protection of the National infrastructure) is the government authority for protective security advice to the UK national infrastructure. Their role is to protect national security by helping to reduce the vulnerability of the national infrastructure to terrorism and other threats. HVM Hostile Vehicle Mitigation - measures are the integrated deployment of security processes, procedures and physical obstructions to counter vehicle borne threats. They typically include; deterrent communications, security awareness, incident response planning and training, operational security, traffic management and the deployment of physical obstructions such as vehicle security barriers and traffic calming measures.

PAS 68 identifies impact test methods, tolerances, test vehicle type and vehicle performance criteria that need to be met for a product to be considered secure.

PAS 69 entitled ‘Guidance for the Selection, Installation and Use of Vehicle Security Barriers’ provides design guidance to ensure that equipment is installed correctly – tailored to the relevant International Standards.

PAS Publicly Available Specification

WHAT IS IWA 14? IWA 14 is an international standard. UK and USA requirements are brought together in the IWA International Workshop Agreements (IWAs). All vertical elements selected to prevent vehicle access should be fit for purpose and successfully tested or conform to ISO International Workshop Agreement (IWA). See IWA 14-1:2013 – Vehicle security barriers. Part 1: Performance requirement, vehicle impact test method and performance rating according to ISO ‘specifies the essential impact performance requirement for a vehicle security barrier (VSB) and a test method for rating its performance when subjected to a single impact by a test vehicle not driven by a human being.’ Part 2: Application ‘provides guidance for the selection, installation and use of vehicle security barriers (VSBs) and describes the process of producing operational requirements (ORs). It also gives guidance on a design method for assessing the performance of a VSB.’

RSES The Register of Security Engineers & Specialists

VAW Vehicle as a Weapon

VBIED Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device

VDA Vehicle Dynamic Assessment

VSB Vehicle Security Barrier - A VSB is a product designed to prevent vehicle access. It has undergone testing at an independent and accredited test house, to a recognised vehicle impact test standard and achieved a performance rating in accordance with that standard.

To speak to someone about your HVM requirements please contact:

Darren Harlen - Design Manager Consultancy Services

Tel: 07775 022 487

Email: darren.harlen@fmconway.co.uk