Get in touch
The Client
Shanghai is the economic capital of China, and is home to a population of over 25 million people. Sitting at the heart of the city, ‘The Bund’ is one of the most crowded tourist hot spots in the country.
For a century, the Bund has been the pride of Shanghai and is one of the most recognisable symbols of the city. A living museum for the colonial history of the 1800s, the area is famous for its historical buildings along the north Zhongshan road, and iconic views of the Pudong Financial District skyscrapers alongside the Huangpu River.
This area sees a significant amount of pedestrian traffic from tourists and residents, especially during peak holiday seasons such as Chinese National Day, China Golden Week and the New Years celebrations.
The Challenge
On New Year’s Eve, 2014, The Bund saw a deadly stampede after over 300,000 people gathered for the annual celebrations. 36 people were tragically killed and 49 injured. Since the incident, security has been a top priority for the district’s local government.
There has also been an increase in threat levels to crowded places at a global level, due to the ‘vehicle as a weapon’ threats becoming a tactic used in terror attacks.
To address these concerns, Shanghai’s government proposed the installation of automatic, high-security bollard systems around The Bund, paired with a surveillance management system to secure the area.
The Objective
ATG Access was approached to provide recommendations for the supply and installation of impact-tested SPTT Automatic Bollards in several key areas around The Bund. These bollards would be implemented at intersections to allow areas to be closed off to vehicle traffic when necessary, whilst still allowing pedestrian access.
While this flexibility was required, the site had restrictions on excavation depth which would limit the installation of traditional bollards.
The Solution
ATG Access, through a local in-country partner, met with project stakeholders and recommended automatic, crash-tested bollards to secure the tourist area and keep crowds safe.
These products were suggested due to their shallow foundation profile, which required a depth of less than 900mm to install, making them the ideal solution for the site’s limited installation depth.
In total, seven automatic systems were procured, containing eighty-six bollards. The protection line was installed at seven different road junctions.
The Results
The project was divided into two phases with the first three systems being delivered within eight weeks. The local partner working alongside ATG managed to complete the installation and commissioning before the national holiday – China Golden week.
The final four locations were also completed, installed and commissioned before the Christmas holidays, 2017. The local government has now used the systems during a number of festivities. These include the Chinese National Day and also the Shanghai International Marathon.
