Guide to ASTM F2656 standard

In 2007, the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) first published the F2656 Vehicle Impact Test Method for Perimeter Barriers.

In 2003, the US Department of State's Office of Diplomatic Security issued a new standard (SD-STD-02.01, Revision A) for Test Methodology for Perimeter Barriers.
The standard has been changed for several reasons. The main reason for the change was the limited distance, which excluded the use of appropriate protective devices at the relevant sites, which did not meet the high test requirements, namely the prevention of the possibility of penetration by a vehicle into the territory of the object by more than 1M. In this regard, the amended standard provides for the range of penetration of the vehicle into the territory of the object by only 1 m. Also, the ASTM F2656 standard is one of the few that includes the passenger safety parameters provided for by the normative act.

Upon completion of the test, deformation of the safety barrier, vehicle penetration range, and damage to both the test item and the test vehicle are documented based on measurement results, instrument readings and photographs. Based on this data, the security barrier is assigned a corresponding protection class. Key indicators such as the type of car (its mass) and speed are encrypted into a code (for example, M50, C740, RU50, etc.). In addition to this, an important indicator in the rating is the penetration range of large particles. The penetration range is encrypted in the symbols P1, P2, P3 and P4. Each of the codes corresponds to a certain distance of penetration of large particles (over 25 kg) outside the blocking device (see table below).

Note: VSB with a penetration rating of P4 will not be included in the DOD Anti-Ram Vehicle Barrier List.

On the pictures below, you can see the difference in penetration measurements during testing to ASTM F2656, IWA 14-1 and PAS 68.

PAS68:2013 and ASTM F2656
IWA 14-1:2013

Another authoritative rating for barrier manufacturers is DOD Anti-Ram Vehicle Barrier List. The DoD list is an approved list of manufacturers that have shown that their equipment meets the stringent testing requirements for anti-ramming equipment and will function reliably against high speed vehicle attack.

The DOD barrier list is an approved list of tested barriers by the protective design centre (PDC). All TiSO vehicle mitigation equipment has been extensively tested in accordance with ASTM and IWA standards to ensure that it meets the strict criteria required by the PDC for DoD approval.

The Protective Design Center (PDC) is the US military center of expertise for engineering services related to force protection and protective design. We provide engineering design and support services to the US military for both permanent and semi-permanent applications and to the DOD and other U.S. Government agencies to protect people and property assets against criminal and terrorist threats.

To be included in this list, the manufacturer must undergo an appropriate audit and the equipment must meet the highest quality criteria and international protection requirements. TiSO has met the required standard and are therefore now included in the approved lists.

Two other major standards that you will come across are PAS 68 and IWA. PAS 68, which has a lot in common with IWA 14, is a British test specification for reducing the danger of hostile vehicles and is fully explained in our detailed guide. The International Workshop Agreement (IWA), issued in 2014, follows a structure similar to PAS 68 with two key differences.
First, penetration measurements are taken from the front of the test product, not the back. Secondly, the scattering of debris is not recorded. We'll look at this rating in more detail in the next tutorial. Another standard you can also find is the CWA, which is a European agreement that combines the elements of PAS 68 and PAS 69. PAS 69 is a specification for the correct installation of impact tested products.

If you still have questions regarding the classification of international standards or would like to know the price of our certified bollards and road blockers, then leave your request below.