On the front line at St Pancras

publication date: May 1, 2008

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author/source: David Harris

In the climate surrounding the security of public transport, the importance of robust and reliable vehicle access denial devices cannot now be understated.

ATG Access Ltd has continuously developed its product range and improved on all aspects of the design and operation of both demountable and retractable bollard systems. The result is a high-quality product range boasting the highest level of professional accreditation available.

Why bollards?
In recent years, retractable and/or demountable bollards have become an acceptable form In the climate surrounding the security of public transport, the importance of robust and reliable vehicle access denial devices cannot now be understated. of street furniture. They are pedestrian friendly and they present no trip hazards in the retracted position (unlike hinged devices). They are also visually acceptable and comply with the PAS 68 standard, which specifies the performance of vehicle security barriers and their supporting foundations when subjected to a single horizontal impact. These factors were a high priority during the restoration of St Pancras International station for which ATG Access was awarded a contract to install one hundred and fifty five bollards.

Success with that project then led to a contract for the installation of fifty eight bollards at Ebbsfleet International station. The selection of ATG Access for these two major railway station contracts was based on the company’s reputation for delivering a superior product,
following the results of a searching evaluation by the contractor’s project team. In particular, there were potential difficulties concerning the presence of underground services in the locations selected for the bollards. Significantly, the ATG Access bollard system has the advantage of a particularly shallow mount: a unit with a foundation depth of just 150mm will potentially stop a 7.5 tonne trucktravelling at 50mph!

“When selecting bollards for the St Pancras International station site there were four main criteria: the product had to comply with CPNI guidelines (PAS 68); the aesthetic appearance had to complement the station buildings; the design had to be acceptable to both English Heritage and the London Borough of Camden; and we wanted to procure the units from a company with a good reputation for impact-tested barriers.ATG Access satisfied all these criteria.”