Metalith anti-ram vehicle and blast mitigation barriers - resources photo

Home > Resources > Barrier vs. Shipping Container

Resources

Comparison of Infrastructure Defense Technologies' Metalith™ Physical Security Barriers and Shipping Containers

With all the transportation hubs and seaport and port authorities having access to thousands of shipping containers, this is a logical question. However, while the outward appearance of some shipping containers and some finish options of the Metalith physical security barriers may be similar, that's where any similarities and ability to function as a blast barrier or crash barrier end.

	The Only Similarity Is The Appearance!

Let's examine some of the major advantages the Metalith barriers have over the use of standard shipping containers:

Structural Design and Integrated Design
Tested and Certified
Liability
Ease of Shipping
Economic Value vs. Use as a Barrier
Height, Width, and Monolithic Structure
Appearance
Functionality - How will we use it?

Structural Design and Integrated Design

The Metalith barriers have been designed from conception for use as blast mitigation barriers and anti-ram vehicle barriers. The 16 and 18-gauge steel internal bracing design and structure is designed to hold between 300,000 and 500,000 pounds of fill without creating head pressures that cannot be supported by the structure.

The most common 40-foot long shipping containers are designed to hold 50,000 pounds typically, and 67,000 pounds maximum for the high cube models, and are specifically designed to support floor weight for lifting by cranes. They are not designed to resist explosive impact or severe crash impact. They would succumb to the head pressure generated by 300,000 and 500,000 pounds of fill by bowing out the walls, or possibly, blowing out the walls.

There are no standard shipping containers that could hold the amount of protection fill material the Metalith does, therefore, they cannot offer similar protection as blast mitigation barriers or crash barriers.

The Metalith barrier wall system is designed to provide constant drainage if rain, snow, or moisture enters the fill material.Shipping containers, with their permanent floor, are more likely to retain the moisture that could eventually lead to rusting of the containers lower wall areas.

Tested and Certified

The Metalith perimeter security barriers have been tested and certified by the U.S. Department of State as their highest rated, K12 certified, anti-ram vehicle barriers. Shipping containers are not designed and constructed to be able to pass the Department of State crash barrier tests.

The Metalith barriers have undergone blast mitigation testing at the Energetic Materials Research & Testing Center. They were exposed to two separate high order detonations providing blast pressure attenuation readings of between 90% and 99% depending on the standoff distance. The testing showed the Metalith barriers stopped all thru penetration of shrapnel and blast fragmentation materials while creating no secondary fragmentation from the Metalith steel barrier walls. Standard shipping containers would be torn apart by high order detonations, providing little blast attenuation and, most likely, becoming lethal secondary fragmentation objects themselves.

Shipping containers are designed and built to incorporate many components that are welded or bolted on that can break free during a blast becoming lethal secondary fragmentation debris.

Liability

The Metalith crash and blast barriers are designed for those specific purposes. The use of standard shipping containers as blast mitigation barriers or anti-ram vehicle barriers might become a major liability or insurance issue for an organization. Why weren't barriers designed for the express purpose of containing or mitigating a blast or designed to stop a vehicle containing a truck or car bomb used instead of cheaper, and much less effective, shipping containers partially filled with some material?

The Metalith protective barriers were specifically designed and engineered to:

Protect personnel and critical infrastructure assets from the direct explosive blast effects
Deflect explosion blast waves or pressure waves,
Protect against anti-ram vehicle penetrations
Protect personnel and assets from shrapnel and exploding fragments
Screen against direct fire, and
Prevent chain reaction explosions.

Standard shipping containers are not designed for any of those reasons or for the applications the Metalith barriers are best suited for.

Ease of Shipping

The Metalith barriers were expressly designed to be able to be shipped to forward military areas on 463L pallets used by C-130 and C-7 military transport planes. They can be easily shipped via rail, truck, ship, or plane to any needed location. Shipping containers will require specialized truck transport to a facility or the use of an overhead crane to position them in place.

Economic Value vs. Use as a Barrier

Freight containers are designed to provide generate revenue and provide value to their owners by being rented or purchased to transport freight. Using a viable shipping container as a blast barrier or crash barrier eliminates their ability to continue to generate that revenue stream. If the containers are being retired due to their age or condition, they are not likely to be of much use as a barrier with capabilities that can match those offered by the Metalith barriers.

Height, Width, and Monolithic Structure

The Metalith barrier walls can be specified to be any length, from dozens of feet to many miles, providing very strong unitized barriers. While it is certainly possible to weld structural bars between shipping containers placed end to end to provide more strength, or possibly bolt them together, there is no comparison to the unitized strength provided by the Metalith barrier wall system.

The Metalith anti-blast and anti-crash walls have been engineered to be able to stand 25' high as a single, connected unit, and perform as tested. Stacking two shipping containers on top of each other or back-to-back will not remotely yield the stopping power provided by the Metalith barriers.

It is normal that shipping containers containing 50,000 pounds are stacked on top of each other, but they are not designed to hold 300,000 to 500,000 pounds of fill. If standard shipping containers could be filled with this many pounds of fill, they would probably "pancake" together, providing only damaged containers and offering no real blast protection or crash protection.

Appearance

The Metalith anti-crash, anti-blast, perimeter security barriers have been designed to provide a pleasing aesthetic appearance. The Metalith barriers were designed so architectural applications can benefit from our anti-climb option, protective roof option, or the myriad of available Coranar(TM) color finishes. The Metalith barrier panels can be shipped to the required location in hundreds of pre-finished, long lasting, colors. Metalith panels can be made from galvanized steel, stainless steel, Cor-Ten(TM) steel, aluminum, or electrogalvanized steel. These panels will provide a long-lasting high quality appearance without rusting. Metalith panels can be produced to handle most architectural requirements.

Functionality - How do we fill it?

The Metalith physical perimeter security barrier walls are designed to be easily filled by using a front loader to drop the sand or dirt fill into place. If desired, the Metalith roof option can be quickly installed to provide a permanent top seal.Shipping containers have end load doors and it is impractical to be able to fill the containers more than half way and still be able to close the end doors.

The partial filling of the shipping containers may cause the top half to be ripped off during a low order detonation, certainly during a high order detonation, causing the container to become secondary fragmentation materials. Additionally, the shipping container will not be able to perform the required task of blast mitigation or blast containment.