Security Assessments of Military Facilities in Accordance with UFC 4-020-01 DoD Security Engineering Facilities Planning Manual

An updated version of UFC 4-010-01 DoD Minimum Antiterrorism Standards for Buildings has been officially released (as of December 12, 2018). A copy of the new document can be downloaded at the link below:

https://www.wbdg.org/ffc/dod/unified-facilities-criteria-ufc/ufc-4-010-01

In accordance with the performance-based approach, the UFC 4-010-01 guidelines require the use of UFC 4-020-01 to determine if the minimum requirements in UFC 4-010-01 are adequate or if additional mitigation measures should be implemented for all facilities. When facilities are outside the controlled perimeter the minimum requirements may not be used.

When deemed acceptable, the main goal of the new minimum requirements is to provide cost savings for the construction of Military Facilities while protecting our warfighters from terrorist attacks. As such, this new version of the minimum standards has significant changes that reduce the standoff and blast-resistant design requirements for DoD facilities more than 50-ft inside a controlled perimeter. However, Progressive Collapse design for new buildings of 3-stories or more are still applicable. A few of the main changes include:

• Standard 1: Site plans and designs do not need to incorporate minimum standoff distances.
• Standard 2: Unobstructed space must extend only out 33 feet from the building (not based on wall construction). Roadways and parking are allowed within this space.
• Standard 10: Only prescriptive glazing per UFC 4-010-01 B-3.1.7 must be provided (window systems, do not have to be designed for blast resistance). Prescriptive glazing must be laminated glass (single or double pane) with 0.03 PVB interlayer.

Anti-Terrorist/Force Protection and Security Assessments and Design – At PEC, our staff has thousands of hours of “on-the-ground” experience conducting threat and vulnerability assessments and ATFP design for civilian and government clients. Under a previous task order for the USACE Protective Design Center, PEC Senior Principal Ed Conrath provided training courses throughout the United States and a one-week course in Afghanistan covering approximately 40 hours of instruction for UFC 4-020-01, Security Engineering Planning Manual and TM 5-853-2/AFMAN 32-1071, Vol. 2, Security Engineering – Concept Design. In general, the physical security assessments have included evaluation of existing conditions, identification of applicable threats and protection requirements, as well as the development of facility upgrades and cost estimates. These assessments have covered a range of credible threats, including explosive devices (IED), hostile vehicles, and criminal activity. We have completed blast and security vulnerability assessments for campuses and buildings for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), General Services Administration (GSA), and Department of Defense (DoD).

Stay tuned for future updates and upcoming training opportunities. For more information, please contact: Ed Conrath, PE, Marlon Bazon, PhD, PE, SE, and Aldo McKay, PE, PMP.