Misplaced Pages

#563436

39-433: A bank vault is a secure room used by banks to store and protect valuables, cash, and important documents. Modern bank vaults are typically made of reinforced concrete and steel, with complex locking mechanisms and security systems. This article covers the design, construction, and security features of bank vaults. Unlike safes , vaults are an integral part of the building within which they are built, using armored walls and

78-702: A hard surface, or have debris fall upon it during a fire. Burglary-resistant safes are rated as to their resistance to various types of tools and the duration of the attack. Safes can contain hardware that automatically dispenses cash or validates bills as part of an automated cash handling system. For larger volumes of heat-sensitive materials, a modular room-sized vault is much more economical than purchasing and storing many fire rated safes. Typically these room-sized vaults are utilized by corporations, government agencies and off-site storage service firms. Fireproof vaults are rated up to Class 125-4 Hour for large data storage applications. These vaults utilize ceramic fiber,

117-571: A high temperature industrial insulating material, as the core of their modular panel system. All components of the vault, not just the walls and roof panels, must be Class 125 rated to achieve that overall rating for the vault. This includes the door assembly (a double door is needed since there is no single Class 125 vault door available), cable penetrations, coolant line penetrations (for split HVAC systems), and air duct penetrations. There are also Class 150 applications (such as microfilm) and Class 350 vaults for protecting valuable paper documents. Like

156-857: A nuclear blast. The most famous is the Teikoku Bank in Hiroshima whose two Mosler Safe Company vaults survived the atomic blast with all contents intact. The bank manager wrote a congratulatory note to Mosler. A second is a vault at the Nevada National Security Site (formerly the Nevada Test Site) in which an above ground Mosler vault was one of many structures specifically constructed to be exposed to an atomic blast in Operation Plumb Bob - Project 30.4: Response of Protective Vaults to Blast Loading . The wall panels are molded first using

195-410: A patent for a burglar-resisting safe and began a production of safes. The Chubb brothers had produced locks since 1818. Chubb Locks was an independent company until 2000 when it was sold to Assa Abloy . On November 2, 1886, inventor Henry Brown patented a "receptacle for storing and preserving papers". The container was fire retardant and accident resistant as it was made from forged metal. The box

234-426: A regular mold and screw the steel on after the panel is dry. Round vault doors were popular in the early 20th century and are iconic images for a bank's high security. They fell out of favor due to manufacturing complexities, maintenance issues (door sag due to weight) and cost, but a few examples are still available. A day gate is a second door inside the main vault door frame used for limited vault protection while

273-423: A series of small holes that can eventually be linked to form a gap. Vault manufacturers work closely with the banking industry and law enforcement in order to keep up with such advances in burglary. Safe The first known safe dates back to the 13th century BC and was found in the tomb of Pharaoh Ramesses II . It was made of wood and consisted of a locking system resembling the modern pin tumbler lock. In

312-484: A special reinforced concrete mix. In addition to the usual cement powder, stone, etc., additional materials such as metal shavings or abrasive materials may be added to resist drilling penetration of the slab. Unlike regular concrete used in construction, the concrete for bank vaults is so thick that it cannot be poured. The consistency of concrete is measured by its " slump ". Vault concrete has zero slump. It also sets very quickly, curing in only six to 12 hours, instead of

351-520: A tightly fashioned door closed with a complex lock . Historically, strongrooms were built in the basements of banks where the ceilings were vaulted , hence the name. Modern bank vaults typically contain many safe deposit boxes , as well as places for teller cash drawers and other valuable assets of the bank or its customers. They are also common in other buildings where valuables are kept such as post offices, grand hotels, rare book libraries and certain government ministries. Vault technology developed in

390-498: A type of arms race with bank robbers. As burglars came up with new ways to break into vaults, vault makers found new ways to foil them. Modern vaults may be armed with a wide array of alarms and anti-theft devices. Some 19th and early 20th century vaults were built so well that today they are difficult to destroy, even with specialized demolition equipment. These older vaults were typically made with steel-reinforced concrete . The walls were usually at least 1 ft (0.3 m) thick, and

429-456: A variety of fire rating classifications, 125, 150, and 350 representing the maximum internal temperature in degrees Fahrenheit the safe may not exceed during the test. The classifications come in durations from 1 ⁄ 2 -hour to 4 hours in length. The safe is exposed to gradually higher temperatures depending on the duration of the test. The most common standards being the 350 one hour (1,700 degrees) and 350 two hour (1,850 degrees) ratings as

SECTION 10

#1732885013564

468-430: Is a major component of quality control, where physical product is examined visually (or the end results of a service are analyzed). Product inspectors will be provided with lists and descriptions of unacceptable product defects such as cracks or surface blemishes for example. Early stone tools such as anvils had no holes and were not designed as interchangeable parts . Mass production established processes for

507-626: Is a safe that is made from an otherwise ordinary object such as a book, a candle, a can, or wall outlet. Valuables are placed in these hidden safes, which are themselves placed inconspicuously (for example, a book would be placed on a book shelf). Fire-resistant record protection equipment consists of self-contained devices that incorporate insulated bodies, doors, drawers or lids, or non-rated multi-drawer devices housing individually rated containers that contain one or more inner compartments for storage of records. These devices are intended to provide protection to one or more types of records as evidenced by

546-444: Is a type of safe that is designed to protect its contents from high temperatures or actual fire . Fire resistant safes are usually rated by the amount of time they can withstand the extreme temperatures a fire produces, while not exceeding a set internal temperature, e.g., less than 350 °F (177 °C). Models are typically available between half-hour and four-hour durations. In the UK,

585-834: Is the entry level security rating offered by Underwriters Laboratories and it has its own standard: (UL 1037). The standard originally had one level, now known as RSC Level I. The standard was expanded in 2016 providing a greater range of security options. This standard also involves a drop test for products weighing not more than 750 pounds, simulating attempting to gain entry by dropping the safe. Safes at this level are typically, but not exclusively, used for commercial applications such as jewelers and coin dealers. These ratings are granted to combination locked safes that successfully resist when attacked by two technicians with common hand tools, picking tools, mechanical or portable electric tools, grinding points, carbide drills and pressure applying devices or mechanisms. In addition to those requirements,

624-486: The 16th century, blacksmiths in southern Germany, Austria, and France first forged cash boxes in sheet iron. These sheet-iron money chests served as the models for mass-produced cash boxes in the 19th century. In the 17th century, in northern Europe, iron safes were sometimes made in the shape of a barrel, with a padlock on top. In 1835, English inventors Charles and Jeremiah Chubb in Wolverhampton , England, received

663-495: The 1980s and 1990s with the development of improved concrete material. Bank burglaries are also no longer the substantial problem they were in the late 19th century up through the 1930s, but vault makers continue to alter their products to counter new break-in methods. An issue in the 21st century is the thermal lance . Burning iron rods in pure oxygen ignited by an oxyacetylene torch, it can produce temperatures of 6,600–8,000 °F (3,650–4,430 °C). The thermal lance user bores

702-502: The BS EN-1047 standard is set aside for data and document safes to determine their ability to withstand prolonged intense heat and impact damage. These conditions are maintained for the duration of the test. This is usually at least 30 minutes but can extend to many hours depending on grade. Both kinds of safe are also tested for impact by dropping from a set height onto a solid surface and then tested for fire survivability once again. In

741-567: The EN 1047-1 (fire resistance standard similar to the fire resistance safe standard of UL) and EN 15659 (for light fire storage units) were published. Quality control Quality control ( QC ) is a process by which entities review the quality of all factors involved in production . ISO 9000 defines quality control as "a part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements". This approach places emphasis on three aspects (enshrined in standards such as ISO 9001): Inspection

780-497: The UL-608 standard include: As with the US, Europe has agreed a series of test standards to assure a common view of penetrative resistance to forcible attack. The testing regime is covered under the auspices of Euronorm 1143-1:2012 (also known as BS EN 1143-1: 2012), which can be purchased from approved European standards agencies. Key points include: Bank vault technology changed rapidly in

819-650: The United States, both the writing of standards for fire-resistance and the actual testing of safes is performed by Underwriters Laboratories . An in-floor safe installed in a concrete floor is very resistant to fire. However, not all floor safes are watertight; they may fill with water from fire hoses. Contents can be protected against water damage by appropriate packaging. Reinforced, fireproof cabinets are also used for dangerous chemicals or flammable goods. Wall safes are designed to provide hidden protection for documents and miscellaneous valuables. Adjustable depth allows

SECTION 20

#1732885013564

858-419: The assigned Class rating or ratings; Class 350 for paper, Class 150 for microfilm, microfiche other and photographic film and Class 125 for magnetic media and hard drives. Enclosures of this type are typically rated to protect contents for 1 ⁄ 2 , 1, 2, or 4   hours; they will not protect indefinitely. They may also be rated for their resistance to impact should the safe fall a specified distance onto

897-417: The bank to determine specifications like size, shape, and security features. Modern vaults are typically constructed using steel-reinforced modular concrete panels engineered for maximum strength and crush resistance. A 3-inch thick panel of specialized concrete can be up to 10 times stronger than an 18-inch panel of standard concrete. Bank vaults are typically made with steel-reinforced concrete. This material

936-444: The creation of parts and system with identical dimensions and design, but these processes are not uniform and hence some customers were unsatisfied with the result. Quality control separates the act of testing products to uncover defects from the decision to allow or deny product release, which may be determined by fiscal constraints. For contract work, particularly work awarded by government agencies, quality control issues are among

975-405: The data-rated (Class 125) structures, these vault systems employ ceramic fiber insulation and components rated to meet or exceed the required level of protection. In recent years room-sized Class 125 vaults have been installed to protect entire data centers. As data storage technologies migrate from tape-based storage methods to hard drives, this trend is likely to continue. A fire-resistant safe

1014-440: The door itself was typically 3.5 ft (1.1 m) thick. Total weight ran into the hundreds of tons (see Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland ) . Today vaults are made with thinner, lighter materials that, while still secure, are easier to dismantle than their earlier counterparts. Bank vaults are custom-designed and are usually one of the first elements considered when planning a new bank building. The vault manufacturer works with

1053-481: The inside (behind) of the difficult-to-penetrate door and is usually very modest in size and strength, but very difficult to gain access to from the outside. There are many types of lock mechanisms in use: Quality control for much of the world's vault industry is overseen by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL) in Northbrook, Illinois. UL rates vaults based on their resistance to mock break-in attempts. Key points of

1092-479: The limits. Quality was thus precisely defined using devices such as plug gauges and ring gauges . However, this did not address the problem of defective items; recycling or disposing of the waste adds to the cost of production, as does trying to reduce the defect rate. Various methods have been proposed to prioritize quality control issues and determine whether to leave them unaddressed or use quality assurance techniques to improve and stabilize production. There

1131-405: The main door is open. It is often made of open metal mesh or glass and is intended to keep a casual visitor out rather than to provide true security. A vault door, much like the smaller burglary safe door, is secured with numerous massive metal bolts (cylinders) extending from the door into the surrounding frame. Holding those bolts in place is some sort of lock. The lock is invariably mounted on

1170-402: The maximization of usable space when installed in different wall thicknesses. Some wall safes have pry-resistant recessed doors with concealed hinges. A painting can be hung over a wall safe to hide it. Small safes may be fixed to a wall to prevent the entire safe being removed, without concealment. Very small secure enclosures known as key safes, opened by entering a combination, are attached to

1209-652: The safe must weigh at least 750 pounds or come with instructions for anchoring, and have body walls of material equivalent to at least 1" open hearth steel with a minimum tensile strength of 50,000   psi. The UL Standard for tool-resistant safes and above are governed by UL Standard 687. Depending on the usage, the European Committee for Standardization has published different European standards for safes. Testing and certification according to these standards should be done by an accredited certification body, e.g. European Certification Body . For fire-resistant safes

Bank vault - Misplaced Pages Continue

1248-672: The safe on top; this may cause the locking pin to budge, opening the safe . Physicist Richard Feynman gained a reputation for safe-cracking while working on the Manhattan Project during the Second World War . He did this for recreation, describing his experiences and methods in detail in his book Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! . He made the point that the secure storage he successfully opened clandestinely (to which he would have been given access if he asked) contained contents far more important than any thief had ever accessed, all

1287-439: The secrets of the wartime atomic bomb project. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) testing certifications are known to be some of the most rigorous and most respected in the world. UL provides numerous ratings, the most common security and fire ratings as discussed below. UL ratings are the typical rating standards used for safes within the United States. They are only matched by B.T.U/VDMA certifications (Germany). UL provides

1326-467: The temperature paper chars is approximately 451 degrees Fahrenheit. UL standards are one of the principal North American protection standards. The resistance time limit specifies "tools on the safe" time without access to contents. The test might take hours to run and can be repeated as many times as the UL staff feel necessary to ensure that all prospective avenues of attack have been thoroughly explored. This

1365-405: The three to four days needed for most concrete. The vault door is also molded of special concrete used to make the panels, but it can be made in several ways. The door mold differs from the panel molds because there is a hole for the lock and the door will be clad in stainless steel. Some manufacturers use the steel cladding as the mold and pour the concrete directly into it. Other manufacturers use

1404-440: The top reasons for not renewing a contract. The simplest form of quality control was a sketch of the desired item. If the sketch did not match the item, it was rejected, in a simple Go/no go procedure. However, manufacturers soon found it was difficult and costly to make parts be exactly like their depiction; hence around 1840 tolerance limits were introduced, wherein a design would function if its parts were measured to be within

1443-441: The wall of a building to store the keys allowing access, so that they are available only to a person knowing the combination, typically for holiday lets, carers, or emergency use. Safe-cracking is opening a safe without a combination or key. There are many methods of safe-cracking ranging from brute force methods to guessing the combination. The easiest method that can be used on many safes is "safe bouncing", which involves hitting

1482-444: Was able to be safely secured with a lock and key and also able to maintain organization by offering different slots to organize important papers. Specifications for safes include some or all of the following parameters: It is often possible to open a safe without access to the key or knowledge of the combination; this activity is known as safe-cracking and is a popular theme in heist films . A diversion safe , or hidden safe,

1521-718: Was not substantially different from that used in construction work. It relies on its immense thickness for strength. An ordinary vault from the middle of the 20th century might have been 18 in (45.72 cm) thick and was quite heavy and difficult to remove or remodel around. Modern bank vaults are now typically made of modular concrete panels using a special proprietary blend of concrete and additives for extreme strength. The concrete has been engineered for maximum crush resistance. A panel of this material, though only 3 in (7.62 cm) thick, may be up to 10 times as strong as an 18 in-thick (45.72-cm) panel of regular formula concreted. There are at least two public examples of vaults withstanding

#563436