# FBI Building **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 16, 2012, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-building/644160 "2012-12-16T04:10:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![IceQube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@IceQube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IceQube)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-building/644160/1 "2012-12-16T04:10:05Z")
I ran past an FBI building today … And I saw, just behind the gates that allows cars in/out, these raised metal things. They looked like ramps, and they were just behind the gates. They were raised in such an angle as to prevent incoming traffic - they were raised toward the outside. Well, I guess they also prevent outgoing traffic … the ramps were really steep and about 3-4 feet tall. Not something you’d want to drive your car off. What are these things called? I presume they are for building security. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-building/644160/2 "2012-12-16T04:13:44Z")
Barriers? ---
**Author:** ![IceQube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@IceQube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IceQube)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-building/644160/3 "2012-12-16T04:15:22Z")
They also looked like they came out the ground/were retractable. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-building/644160/4 "2012-12-16T04:31:27Z")
They’re hydraulically raised, and drop down flat when driven on. You can leave, and the ramp just flattens, but try to enter, and you just hit the underside/raised part and stop. The ramp drops for entry when signaled manually, or by electronic command. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-building/644160/5 "2012-12-16T04:39:55Z")
Vehicle barriers, barricades, or wedge barriers. [Link.](http://www.bhsecurityinc.com/vehiclebarriers.htm) In the Pentagon in the early 2000s, they were called “dignitary ejection devices” after a couple incidents where foreign officials were surprised to have their cars high-centered due to a malfunction. ---
**Author:** ![IceQube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@IceQube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IceQube)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-building/644160/6 "2012-12-16T04:45:33Z")
Wedge barriers it is. Thank you all. Anyway … I’m a bit confused about this: [http://www.bhsecurityinc.com/products/vehicle\_barrier\_IP500.jpg](http://www.bhsecurityinc.com/products/vehicle_barrier_IP500.jpg) How is the above drop arm barrier able to “stop and disable a 1500lb (6800kg) vehicle at 30mph (48kph) in under 20feet (6 meters).” I have a hard time seeing that drop-arm stopping any car. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-building/644160/7 "2012-12-16T05:07:56Z")
I think it is thicker than it looks - look at this one (not saying they are the same): [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYwfPzdhV4c) I would have never guessed that could stop a truck like that. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-building/644160/8 "2012-12-16T05:43:31Z")
> [@IceQube](#): > > 1500lb (6800kg) 😕 1500lbs. is nothing, for a car - 6800kg is a few metric shit-tons. Obviously, they aren’t equivalent. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-building/644160/9 "2012-12-16T06:00:20Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > 😕 > 1500lbs. is nothing, for a car - 6800kg is a few metric shit-tons. Obviously, they aren’t equivalent. 😕 That’s probably a simple typo. But which way? Is it 15,000 lb = 6,800 kg, or 1,500 lb = 680 kg? ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-building/644160/10 "2012-12-16T06:03:26Z")
> [@RadicalPi](#): > > That’s probably a simple typo. But which way? Is it 15,000 lb = 6,800 kg, or 1,500 lb = 680 kg? 15,000 lb is edging its way into lightly armored vehicles. That’s 2-3 times the weight of a Hummer. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-building/644160/11 "2012-12-16T06:34:33Z")
> [@RadicalPi](#): > > That’s probably a simple typo. But which way? Is it 15,000 lb = 6,800 kg, or 1,500 lb = 680 kg? If you search “barrier IP500” on Google you get to various other sites with this barrier. Apparently it is [15,000lb/6800kg](http://www.deltascientific.com/hs_pb_ip500.php). This [datasheet](http://www.deltascientific.com/files/ip500_transportable_drop_bar_procurement_spec.pdf) says it is test to a K4/L2 rating on Department of State Specification SD-STD-02.01. And reading up on SD-STD-02.01 has been a level of interestiboring that I won’t go into. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fbi-building/644160/12 "2012-12-16T15:52:14Z")
> [@IceQube](#): > > I have a hard time seeing that drop-arm stopping any car. Maybe it’s made entirely of C4.