Test Programme
for the Modular Barrier System
The MRP Barrier System has been subject to a rigorous programme of independent testing since it was first developed in 1998. This is an ongoing programme to ensure continual development. The tests have included:-
NUCLEAR TEST PROGRAMME
Our nuclear test programme has covered;
Wall Height – The system has been designed and tested to a height of 6 metres, 8 rows high;
Compression – An empty block can carry a load of 7 concrete filled blocks (5 tonnes) without significant distortion and will return to its former shape. A single empty block can be vertically loaded to 25 tonnes (5 times design) without catastrophic failure and an ability to almost return to the original dimensions;
Tilt capability – An 8 block high wall filled with water can tilt to at least 5% from vertical without toppling;
Freezing – Water froze after 100 hours at –22 Celsius and thawed after 200 hours at ambient temperature
Impact – Tests indicate that water filled blocks can withstand impact energies of over 1 kJ without failure;
Radiation Testing – The radiation shielding tests indicated that the efficiency at the joints was just 17% less than that at the centre of the block.
MILITARY TEST PROGRAMME
The MRP Barrier System has been tested by the UK MOD; the US Airforce Safety Centre and Cranfield University. This test programme covered barrier assembly and construction; small calibre bullet; projectiles up to 50 mm diameter; bombs up to 1000 kgs; RPG’s; torpedo heads; and guided missile heads. These various tests concluded the MRP Barriers filled with water were;
Easily placed, filled, emptied and relocated;
Effective for stopping and slowing fragments from a wide variety of explosions;
155mm HE Shell: Very few fragments exit the rear of the barrier and these have velocities below 200m/s.
Small Arms: 5.56mm bullet does not penetrate the barrier, 7.62mm bullet penetrates the barrier but with low energy;
1000lb Bomb: Fragment velocities reduced from 1180-1700m/s to 97-700m/s acceptor bombs lying adjacent to detonated donor bombs separated by an MRP water barrier show only minor abrasions and no fragment marks.
Mk24 Torpedo Warhead: Similar tests to the bombs with water barrier screening did not result in a sympathetic response.
Skyflash and Sidewinder Missile Warheads: No fragments penetrated the barrier, although some were embedded in the rear face with front face impact velocities of 1000-2200m/s.
Particularly effective for placing around munitions or between combat aircraft at airfields in order to meet operational readiness requirements, prevent prompt propagation and defeat the low-angle, high velocity fragments (to such an extent that they can reduce the intermagazine distance from K11 to K6)
These tests ultimately led to the MRP Barriers being widely adopted in-service with the RAF, Royal Navy, USAF, RNAS etc. for segregation of munitions in handling, storage, transport and operations.