BergerWorld: 2nd Quarter 2004

The U.S. State Department Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) manages 152 embassies and 73 consulates around the world employing thousands of people. For the past 14 years, the Berger Group has assisted the OBO in facility assessments and planning, architectural and engineering studies, construction management and security upgrades.

Currently, Berger is tracking and managing the costs, schedules and progress of more than 200 ongoing projects, including a number of security upgrades.

Increasing embassy security has been a primary focus for the State Department since the attacks on the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The Berger Group has worked to reduce the threat of bomb blasts, chemical or biological attack and intruders and protect the safety of embassy employees and visitors.

To meet the Department of Homeland Security's new federal security requirements, OBO selected the Berger Group and Ammann & Whitney to upgrade security systems at 16 embassies and consulates around the world. Drawing on the Group's multi-disciplinary skills, a dedicated team of experts in architecture, civil, structural and electrical engineering and security was created to survey the buildings, prepare security designs, supervise upgrades and install new systems.

The Team conducted detailed surveys of embassies and consulates in Austria, the Czech Republic, Djibouti, Eritrea, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, the

Philippines, South Africa and Zimbabwe and developed site-specific designs and construction specifications for the priority upgrades.

A key concern was improving the embassy's resistance to physical attack such as forced entry, bomb blasts and ballistics. To withstand these types of attacks, the Team designed forced entry and ballistic resistant doors and windows and installed shatter resistant window film, anti-ram barriers and improved public access controls. To prevent car bombs from damaging the compound, the Team installed heavy planters and hardline walls. Berger also upgraded Marine guard booths, compound access control facilities and electrical generators.

An essential security concern is preventing unwanted intrusion. The Team introduced state-of-the-art security protections for the embassies combining improved access with closed circuit television monitoring, perimeter fences, alarm systems, metal and explosive detectors and X-ray machines. The Team also focused on preventing chemical or biological attacks through heating and air conditioning systems by establishing equipment enclosures and emergency shut off areas. Once the detailed security designs were completed, Berger worked with the contractors to ensure the proper installation of all the systems.

In 1991, after 15 years of planning and construction, the government of Nigeria moved to its new capital city in Abuja. Since the early 1980s, the city of Abuja has blossomed in a fertile valley 337 miles from the old capital of Lagos. In 2001, the U.S. State Department decided to relocate the embassy to Abuja and selected the Berger Group as part of a joint venture with DMJM to take part in the design and construction of a new compound. Berger prepared civil, geotechnical, mechanical, electrical and sanitary designs, including on-site power, water supply and sanitary treatment systems to enable self sufficiency. Berger, with specialty blast services from Ammann & Whitney, also focused on securing the buildings against potential attacks. Blast resistance design was incorporated into the five-story main Chancery office building and support areas, including thickened reinforced concrete walls and framing, shatter-proof windows on the first floor and a thickened heavily reinforced concrete wall around the exterior of the compound. The Team also protected the building against a biological or chemical attack using specialized air handling units with chemical/biological filtering systems.

Protecting the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan has been a significant challenge over the years. In 1995, two consulate officials were killed on their way to work and in 2002, 12 Pakistanis were killed and more than 40 wounded when a car bomb exploded at the gates of the consulate. To prevent similar tragedies, the Berger Group was selected to upgrade the blast walls and provide safe stand-off distances. The Team reviewed previous designs for the blast wall and modeled the effects of varying magnitudes of impact. Using these findings, the Team strengthened the walls and extended the distance between traffic movements and the consulate, enhancing the safety of employees and pedestrians.

The State Department recently selected the Berger Group and PAE to design and build an embassy compound in Kabul. This $32 million project requires the joint venture to assess a wide variety of security concerns and link the site's various security systems into an integrated network. The Team selected a single story building design incorporating traditional construction materials and styles while providing increased blast protection.

In association with Kullman Industries, Berger also constructed a new embassy in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. As part of this fast-track construction project, Berger undertook civil, geotechnical, foundation and security design, including perimeter walls designed to secure the compound.

Berger has also surveyed embassies and consulates in Argentina, Brazil, the Central African Republic, Chad, Liberia, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay and identified security upgrades which would improve the facilities' resistance to forced entry and blasts.

As the primary decision making location for foreign policy, the massive U.S. Department of State headquarters in Washington, DC is a potential target for foreign and domestic terrorists. To ensure that the building is equipped with high quality security systems, the Department of State selected the Berger Group to design an electronic access system and integrate it with existing monitoring systems.

Berger conducted a site survey, physical structure analysis and condition assessment to determine the most effective system for the building. During the survey, the Team found that the present electrical network could not support additional upgrades and installed an electrical conduit, new cables, wiring and power systems to support the improved control system. To avoid disrupting the work of State Department officials, Berger created a detailed schedule meshing critical project milestones with the needs of personnel.

Designing a system to accommodate more than 50,000 employees per day presented Berger with a number of challenges. The Team worked with the existing structure of the building to install over 800 access points around the 1.2 million square foot building. These access points will be managed by a remote station, protecting the building from the highest possible threat. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the state-of-the-art system, the Berger Group arranged for a preview of the system with State Department officials, who accepted the design following the first test.

Once the design was approved, the Team began installing the access points at all the building entrances. Because these areas pose the greatest risk of intruders, the Team assessed the structural, electrical and security integrity at each of the main entries and installed additional protections. Berger then linked the new access points and security features to the existing fire alarms, intrusion detection systems and surveillance systems, creating a comprehensive, multi-layered network.