Project Description

INTRO

A media outlet lacked sufficient traffic control and was concerned about the security of their facility.

PROBLEM

The customer had an imperfect situation in that their existing guard booth was old and run down and they weren’t able to properly manage the flow of traffic to and from their facility. Part of the issue was that the guard booth was positioned to one side and there was only one gate arm to control vehicle traffic. This left a 25-foot open gap where vehicles would drive around the gate arm and traffic cones.

Management became concerned for the safety of their 24-hour security guards at the facility. They realized their current situation could allow for a serious threat to circumvent their security system and enter their property. This became a risk they wanted to address head on, and the media outlet’s corporate office recommended a type of guard booth they wanted this facility to have. The company had a decent idea of how they wanted to resolve the security risk, but they were not well-versed enough in the details and logistics of how the system needed to function to get the job done themselves.

SOLUTION

DH Pace was the last of three companies to work up a bid for the media outlet. The media outlet selected to work with DH Pace because we were the most knowledgeable company and displayed the most technical expertise of the groups with which they met. Specifically, DH Pace addressed corresponding details that can often be overlooked in such projects but that also make a difference in the project’s longevity. Addressing concerns like optimizing for water drainage, planning for large vehicle turnaround capacity, and strategically
placing equipment won over the media outlet.

With the type of booth already identified, DH Pace recommended the security booth’s placement and the location of the booth’s doors. To increase the effectiveness of the barriers, DH Pace recommended to add traffic spike strips to stop any intruders. The Pace team suggested a barrier gate operator and automated spike system because it offers both a high degree of security and reliability in use over time.

The recommended solution also met the specifications for Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 752 Standard for Bullet Resisting Equipment Level 3, which is an appropriate level of bullet resistance for the media outlet’s needs.

When it came time for installation, the team reconfigured the traffic lanes so the new guard booth would be positioned in the middle with entrance and exit lanes on either side. The two-person installation team supervised the directional boring, also known as horizontal directional drilling or HDD, which was necessary for the operational and electrical components underground. The team also completed the concrete work, electrical hookup and final installation. Finally, they set up the system and conducted training onsite to teach the media outlet’s employees about the new system.

CONCLUSION

By working with DH Pace, the media outlet fully met their primary goals of increasing security at their facility by implementing a guard booth and a traffic control system. DH Pace brought valuable technical expertise and implementation experience the media outlet did not have.