New Access Control & Security Solutions From Panel Built!

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New Access Control & Security Solutions From Panel Built!
As a modular construction provider for the past 25 years, Panel Built has constantly been innovating and pushing the envelope with our building systems.  Always looking to provide new solutions for our customers, Panel Built has developed two new security products aimed to benefit government buildings, military installations, and other high-threat level facilities across the United States and internationally.  This post will go over the two new solutions and where you can find them. 
Military & Government Access Control Points 

Panel Built has long been a modular guard booth provider to bolster facilities’ physical security efforts.  However, our military Access Control Points take various physical security tools and put them together to serve and protect military installations.  One of the primary aspects of a military aspect control point is a guard booth or inspection booth.  Not only does this building house the officers whenever there is no traffic, but the building can also actively protect the officers in case of a threat. 

Panel Built Military guard booths can be engineered to meet all levels of UL 752, NIJ, and STANAG bullet resistance levels.  An additional layer of ballistic-rated steel is placed between the officers and a potential threat, providing them a place to recover, counterattack from, or wait for reinforcements to arrive. In addition to ballistic-rated windows, doors, and walls, Panel Built can install gun ports into the building walls to help the officers an edge against a threat. Additionally, the guardhouses can house computers and equipment to help inspect the vehicles of suspicious items.

However, Panel Built can help provide much more than that for your Military ACP.  Panel Built also is a major fabricator of metal canopy systems. The majority of these military access control points incorporate a canopy over the ACP to help create a more comfortable working environment for the officers stationed there. 

Because most Military ACPs are in an open-air environment, the officers are exposed to the elements any time they’re communicating with incoming and outgoing traffic.  Panel Built’s canopy systems help shield the officers from precipitation, making them more comfortable and allowing them to do their jobs more efficiently. 

Additionally, Panel Built frequently works with various access control solutions providers to integrate their products into our building design and overall access control point design.  Heavy-duty fencing, security turnstiles, bollards, traffic gates, and more are regularly integrated into our access control point design. 

Further, the guardhouses themselves can be outfitted with additional security tools to help create a security hub with CCTV cameras, alarm systems, exterior security lighting, and more solutions. 

Forced Entry – Ballistic Rated Buildings

Forced Entry/Ballistic Rated (FE/BR) is a standardized security concept with distinct levels of Forced Entry Protection for structural systems.  The US State Department initially created these Forced Entry Protection levels to create standardized protection levels provided to particular government facilities.  The higher the threat of a terrorist attack, the higher the facility’s threat level, the higher level of FE/BR the buildings/building materials will need to be.  Today, there are four generally accepted FE/BR levels of protection: 5-minute, 15-minute, 30-minute, and 60-minute. 

To achieve these ratings, the products have undergone rigorous testing, consisting of multi-person teams attacking the buildings, doing whatever possible to gain entry or bypass the structure.  Depending on the level, the teams will consist of 2-men or 6-men teams that aim to simulate a mob-like attack on the structure. 

During the testing, the (simulated) mob members are provided weapons to attack the system, including sledgehammers, regular hammers, chisels, crowbars, screwdrivers, and other instruments of destruction. 

However, this only covers the FE (Forced Entry) portion of an FE/BR buildings.  The US DOS establishes military rifles as the required level of ballistic protection to meet their specific FE/BR definition; however, Panel Built can design the buildings to meet a wide range of ballistic rated standards ranging from 9mm handgun rounds to multiple 7.62mm rifle rounds.  Additionally, shotgun rounds can be used to test out any potentially vulnerable areas like transaction windows or pass-throughs. 

Concurrent testing is used to evaluate the structure based on both threat types. Structures are “tested to failure,” and testing is typically completed whenever the test shape (12″x12″x8″ box) can be passed through an opening or breach in the structure. The structure will be rated based on the highest threshold it surpasses.

Panel Built now offers more security solutions between the two solutions than ever before!  These products were initially designed to meet strict security needs for government and military facilities.  However, Access Control Points and FE/BR Buildings are security solutions that can help protect companies and campuses of all types.   One of these products’ primary purposes is to provide protection and shelter in an emergency, delaying an attacker or mob till the police or other backup can arrive.   Unfortunately, there are many examples of high threat violence and terrorism targeted towards practically any venue that holds a large population.  Access control points and FE/BR buildings have been a growing need in the private sector and public spaces.

If you have any questions about our factory wall systems or would like to get a quote on your own project, just let us know! We are more than happy to help with any questions or concerns that you may have. You may reach us through our phones at 800.636.3873, sending us an email to info@panelbuilt.com, or through our LiveChat feature in the bottom-right of the page.