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28th March 2022
The most secure buildings in the world and how they are protected
Most if not all of us rely on various security measures to keep ourselves, others and our valuables safe, from Padlocks to PIR Sensors. But for the buildings that contain some of the most valuable and private information and commodities, these measures must be at the highest level of durability and technical sophistication. We take a look at the most secure buildings in the world and the exact measures that are taken to make them so formidable.
IronmongeryDirect
28th March 2022
5 mins
US Bullion Depository – Fort Knox, USA
Located in close proximity to the Fort Knox military base, the US Bullion Depository was built with a fortress in mind, both in terms of its design, and its security measures.
The US Bullion Depository is responsible for holding one of the largest shares of the gold reserves acquired by the US, and according to Radcliff & Fort Knox Tourism¹ has an estimated value of 7 trillion dollars.
With a value this high, it is no surprise that the Bullion Depository has a number of security measures in place, both in the building’s construction and the implementation of high-tech equipment.
As well as a series of fences surrounding the building, the Depository is constructed with thick granite walls, which aside from precious minerals such as diamond and topaz, is one of the toughest minerals available.
To put this in to perspective, granite sits at around 6.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, while standard Gypsum for example is rated at 2.
The vault inside the US Bullion Depository is protected by a 20-tonne blast-proof door which is equipped with a Code Operated Lock, which can only be accessed by using unique passcodes only given to members of staff within the Depository.
You may not be protecting trillions of dollars in gold, but it is still vital to keep your valuables safe, and our range of Code Operated Locks can give you the peace of mind and reassurance you need.
Bold Lane Car Park – Derby, UK
Strict security measures do not just apply to protection extremely valuable assets or top-secret information, sometimes they are just used to keep the every day person and their vehicles safe from crime.
The Bold Lane Car Park in Derby is not your average car park, with Derby City Council claiming that it is “one of the safest and secure car parks in the world”². First introduced in the 1990’s, the facilities supplied in partnership with Parksafe, include individual barcodes for each parking space and a Control Room that is manned 24/7.
This car park could be seen as being at the forefront of surveillance in terms of this type of building. Bold Lane currently has almost 200 CCTV Cameras in operation, as well as a set of motion sensors that tracks both vertical and horizontal motion, meaning that both vehicles and people can be tracked to prevent and punish any form of crime taking place.
When it comes to CCTV Cameras and Motion Sensors, whether you need 2 or 200, you can find exactly what you need from top security brands including Yale and ERA here.
The Svalbard Seed Vault – Spitsbergen, Norway
Not every high security premises is built for the same purpose, which is the case for the Svalbard Seed Vault in Norway. Instead of cameras and sensors to prevent various crimes and espionage, the measures taken to guard this vault are designed to keep its precious contents protected from perishing, and therefore potentially threatening to ruin the future of our planet’s delicate ecosystem.
This vault contains almost 1 million different species of plant and tree seeds, essential for repopulating our natural landscape in the event of an environmental emergency. The seeds are protected via a mixture of naturally occurring and man-made security measures.
The Svalbard Seed Vault is located deep in a mountain in a remote region of Norway, close to The North Pole. This location was chosen due to the lack of tectonic activity and permafrost, which is ideal in aiding the preservation of these seeds.
A fortified tunnel was constructed as the only means of getting in and out of the vault, and this tunnel leads to a completely airtight door. Its is said that this door is currently covered in a thick layer of ice, which is indicative of the sub-zero temperatures inside the vault, said to be as low as -18 Degrees Celsius.
You may not need to protect any valuables in a sub-zero vault, but our range of marine grade Exterior Code Operated Locks will offer protection as well as durability against environmental aggressors.
Now you know exactly what it takes to keep some of the most secure buildings and locations in the world protected, if you’re in the market for Locks, Safety and Security products that provide the level of protection you need, you can find out more about them here.
References:
https://www.radclifftourism.org/faqs.shtml