Penn State U. recently received $3.6 million from the U.S. Department of State to research security enhancements that will be used in U.S. embassies and other government facilities abroad.

The Penn State Thomas D. Larson Transportation Institute will use the funds to study anti-ram barriers, specially designed gates meant to stop vehicles traveling at high speeds, which could be a security threat, said Zoltan Rado, director of the Penn State Crash Safety Research Facility.

The College of Engineering will collaborate with the College of Information Sciences and Technology to evaluate security risks for different government buildings and to determine what security measures will provide the most effective protection, said Daniel Linzell, director of the Penn State Protective Technology Center.

Part of the research will be dedicated toward designing aesthetically pleasing and unobtrusive anti-ram barriers that will still provide adequate protection for U.S. personnel and buildings, Rado said.

“The intention of the work we are doing is not only to protect our interests and people, but to do it in a way that is as palatable as possible,” Linzell said.

Rado said the U.S. doesn’t want the barriers to the U.S. embassy in Paris, for example, to look like a fortress, whereas in places that are more hostile to the U.S, barriers might be designed to be appear more obtrusive and secure.

“You might want some of these buildings to be open deterrents,” Rado said. “Like, ‘Hey, don’t even try here.’ ”

Rado said Penn State’s Crash Safety Research Center — a facility that allows researchers to crash cars and trucks at high speeds — will use the grant to test the effectiveness of different anti-ram barriers.

The facility allows researchers to collect data about the impacts and the effectiveness of the barriers, Rado said.

Potential designs for the barriers are studied using computer simulations in conjunction with tests at the facility.

“We do a lot of computer models of the proposed crash test to get an idea of how things will perform,” Linzell said.

The simulations are compared to actual results of the facility’s tests, which allows researchers to create an accurate computer model of how the barriers will react in different situations.

Michael Casper, information specialist for the Larson Institute, said that though Penn State was awarded $3.6 million, the U.S. Department of State could grant more money in the future depending on the success of Penn State’s research.