Case Study: U.S. Department of the Treasury

Sloan Security Group Completes Complex U.S. Treasury Design-Build Security Project

Overview

United States – The U.S. Treasury has a long-standing history of minting coinage for the United States. This particular treasury site was originally opened over 150 years ago, making it one of the longest operating treasury facilities in the world. Millions of visitors and employees visit the facility to experience the facility and its historical displays. Although this facility has been part of America’s history for well over a century, it has not been immune to the changing security environment.

New security measures would help protect the main visitor/employee entrance and the entrance to the popular facility tour and gift shop. Visitors often line up along the sidewalk prior to entry, becoming vulnerable to a vehicle attack.

Sloan Security Group (SSG) was selected to complete this complex bollard security project in September of 2020.

Challenges

City and County Standards – The SSG project management team worked with the City and County remotely (due to COVID-19 protocols) to design a bollard security project that would meet both city/county and Federal M-50 security standards. Sloan and engineering subcontractor, David Evans and Associates had to develop a Transportation Engineering Plan (TEP) and submit it to the city/county, which in turn needed the approval of 49 internal city/county departments and 5 utility companies. The process was especially complicated due to the existing sidewalk cross slopes exceeding ADA requirements and numerous utility manholes, valves, and building drains in the sidewalk.

The Bollard layout and crash-rated design requirements needed to be safely integrated around the utilities. The Bollards which are located in the sidewalk, and are on city/county property, were also subject to the U.S. Government's Interagency Security Committee (ISC) requirements.

Bollard Design and Manufacturing - The Bollard design required numerous individually fabricated pieces to fine-tune the aesthetics and lighting implementation prior to production.

Denver Mint Lighted Bollard Covers — U.S. Treasury - Bollard Installation

Excavation and Installation - The installation was complicated around the excavation and numerous encumbrances including manholes, vaults, electrical, fiber, water, and sewer lines in the sidewalk required careful planning and agency coordination. The setting of the Bollards to the correct elevation and location had to be precisely calculated due to the varying sidewalk slopes resulting from the ADA sidewalk requirements and existing manhole and utility valves.

Solution

City and County Standards - Sloan Security Group obtained all city and State required Contractor licensees to work on city property and complied with all city/county contract specifications, Traffic control planning and signage, and city inspection requirements. This design and approval process took 11 months, required over $100,000 in the effort, and resulted in obtaining the required city/county sidewalk encroachment, demolition, and building permits.

Denver Mint Entrance Bollards — U.S. Treasury - Entrance Bollards

Bollard Design and Manufacturing - The final product required lengthy collaboration with many stakeholders including engineering and fabrication. Sloan had to work closely with vendors on material lead times and address supply chain disruption to keep the project on schedule and meet engineering and architectural requirements.

Excavation and Installation - Sloan had ongoing schedule coordination with Treasury staff, and the armed, 24/7, Treasury Police force so there was no impact on the site’s security and employee/visitor access and the flow of materials delivered in and out of the facility by hundreds of trucks.

Sloan mobilized its construction team to complete the sidewalk demolition and installation of the 55 (M-50) Bollards which were engineered in both shallow and deep foundation configurations by Gibraltar and Barrier1 manufacturing. The architectural Stainless Steel Cover was a lighted design manufactured by Sloan. The project included approximately 70 CY of concrete removal, 70 CY of soil excavation, and placing 140 CY of heavily reinforced rebar and fiber 5,500 PSI concrete placed by our contractor, Denver Concrete Works. The electrical supply to the Lighted Bollards was installed by Empire Electric and required extensive conduit routing to connect to the 100-year-old building electrical system. All of this place took place within a busy urban environment with almost no staging or laydown areas.

M50 Rated Bollards - U.S. Mint — M50 Rated Bollards at Night - U.S. Treasury

Result

The U.S. Treasury management team is pleased with the project, which finished on budget despite the lengthy engineering approval process. The Lighted Bollard design adds a unique aesthetic to the site while providing safety and added lighting for visitors and pedestrians passing by.