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November 2007

Better Building Products And Technology Improve Security

Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies, international experts in access control, door safety and security, has developed a raft of innovative products aimed at increasing public safety on the railways, enhancing facilities and improving staff access.

Bomb rated automatic doors for stations
One of the major developments, and one with important ramifications for the rail travel industry, is a new range of bomb rated automatic doors. With increased awareness of security and terrorism and its impact upon everyday life, manufacturers in the construction industry have become increasingly concerned with designing better products to protect buildings and their occupants. Up to now, architects and designers have been unable to incorporate fully protective entrance systems into their projects. Consequently, over the last two years, the research and development division of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies has focused on the design and development of a suitable solution. One of the key requirements was to produce a bomb blast resistant automatic door which would avoid creating a ‘fortress’ environment by maintaining the same access friendly performance and similar appearance to normal automatic opening doors. The result is a new range which provides a high performance solution for public entrances which require a blast-resistant, secure, bi-parting automatic door system which will withstand the blast overpressures associated with a typical vehicle bomb. This is particularly suitable for high risk areas and buildings, such as railway stations, airports and other transport hubs. It is capable of withstanding the effect of 100kg TNT explosions at both 45m and 25m.

 Better Building Products And Technology Improve Security


Dramatic testing
A new website, www.bombblastdoors.co.uk, showcases dramatic video footage of the bomb blast test. In addition, it includes information about the range as well as a link for ordering a new comprehensive guide to blast protection automatic doors. The aim of the tests was to prove that the new doors can protect building occupants from the effects of an explosion, such as high-velocity shards of glass, and to ensure that after an explosion door security is not unduly compromised and integrity is maintained. The testing was carried out in accordance with the US General Services Administration, International Standards Organisation and Bomb Blast Standards. Blast gauges were used to measure the blast pressure and the blast loading for each test. As a result, the range met or exceeded the GSA (C) and ISO EXV 45 and ISO EXV 25 standards.

Steel is the ‘new timber’for doors
In addition to Bomb blast doors, Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies also manufactures a comprehensive range of performance steel doorsets. Widely used in commercial, educational, transport and retail environments, these performance doorsets are ideal for high traffic areas, such as in railway and underground stations. Offering advantages to users that other door systems find hard to match, steel doors and frames are not only more robust than timber but provide higher levels of protection against vandalism, fire and general wear and tear. They also require very little maintenance and offer longer life performance. A new ‘Fast Track Service’ has been designed to simplify steel doorset specification. Available in various predesigned styles and options, Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies steel doorsets, manufactured under the Martin Roberts brand, are factory prepared and reinforced to facilitate accurate and time-saving installation on site. They are sold complete with complementary hardware sets selected from the high quality and stylish Briton Contract range. Customers using the Fast Track Service benefit from a combination of choice, performance, speedy delivery and costeffective pricing. Fast Track steel doors are designed for the most popular single and double door applications and provide outstanding quality, reliability and durability – meeting or exceeding the new European standards.

Biometrics to control access and attendance
Security and access are vitally important to the railways and there is now fascinating new technology in this area. Biometrics, for example, has now come of age and Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies is leading with some new and astonishing hardware. Biometrics is the science of studying a person’s physical characteristics in order to identify. Of course, using the body to prove unique identification is not new. Fingerprinting has been around for many years; historians have found examples of thumbprints being used as a means of unique identification on clay seals in ancient China. More recently, DNA profiling has become a popular method of identification, albeit one not suited to everyday use. However, biometrics technology has now taken a large leap forward with the attendant recognition that reading the finger, the hand and, more recently, the face is the future of access control and personal identity.

Fingerprint readers
For railway employees, fingerprint readers are a secure and lowcost biometric solution for access control points that have minimal traffic flow and small user populations. These are particularly suited for gaining access to secure areas, such as the ticket office, signal box, computer rooms and document control facilities. Importantly, the system can be easily integrated into new or existing electronic access control systems to provide a quick and easy retrofit solution.

Hand Readers
Biometric hand readers are more robust than fingerprint readers. The reader simultaneously analyses more than 31,000 points and 90 measurements of an individual’s hand – including length, width, thickness and surface area – to verify that the person using the device is really who he or she claims to be. The system eliminates the need for creating, administering and maintaining card-based access control systems, eliminates the risk of fraud and is one of the most reliable biometrics available today. The system is particularly suited to controlling access in high-volume, high-throughput access points. 

The future
Tragic events, such as the attacks on London, 9/11 and the Madrid bombings, have brought security concerns to the fore. More than ever before, transport security is an important part of Government’s long-term counter-terrorist strategy. As a result, the policy of Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies is to continue the design and development of products relevant to this strategy. This will contribute to the provision of safe and secure but aesthetically pleasing environments for both railway staff and the travelling public.