Patent ID: 8061930

Claim:
A method for providing protection from a terrorist threat, the method comprising: a) aligning multiple barriers into a row between an expected safe side and a threat side, wherein each barrier is aligned side-against-side with another of the multiple barriers to form an adjacent pair respectively; and b) using at least one coupling device and at least one retaining device between at least one of the adjacent pair of barriers; wherein the row extends longitudinally from a first barrier to a second barrier; wherein each of the barriers comprises a mass of solid material that comprises two opposite sides, two cavities with one in each of the two opposite sides, and a tunnel through the mass of solid material between the two cavities; wherein each of the barriers further comprises a tie-bar that extends through the tunnel of that barrier and has two end-portions each of which penetrates at least a portion of one of the two cavities of that barrier; and wherein at least one tie-bar has a laterally larger cross-sectional area in at least one of its end portions than along a mid-portion of said at least one tie-bar; and wherein at least one instance of said coupling device comprises an enclosure that laterally encircles said at least one of its end portions and obstructs said at least one of its end portions from being pulled out of the enclosure; whereby at least all excepting said first and second barriers of said row have sufficient strength to remain coupled throughout a terrorist event that is one selected from the group consisting of a colliding terrorist's vehicle and a terrorist's explosive blast; and whereby forces from said terrorist event can be strong enough to cause at least some of the coupled barriers to slide across a supporting surface, and can cause breakage of solid material where the solid material interferes with rotation between adjacent barriers.