Print this page Homeland Security Design and Construction
John A. MacGiffert, PMP, LEED-AP, CIEC
Course Outline
There has been a paradigm shift in the design and construction of security provisions for U.S buildings and facilities due to recent terrorism activity. This six-hour online course presents a methodology for assessing the threat and vulnerability of our buildings based the lessons learned from past attacks and the resultant damage. It is important for design professionals to understand the threat probability and vulnerability of a building in order to select the appropriate security provisions that should be incorporated into the design of a building or facility. This course provides design and construction guidance through a comprehensive list of security provisions that can be utilized included site location and layout, architectural considerations, structural options, building envelope, mechanical and electrical systems and chemical, biological and radiological protection.
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to
enhance the understanding of the course materials.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Become familiar with current issues that affect homeland security building design and construction
- Understand the differences between homeland security and the other vulnerabilities and threats that affect security and construction
- Will learn about recent terrorist attacks, their intent, their impact and the lessons learned from these events that could be implemented in future building design;
- Be able to determine whether a particular building is vulnerable to a terrorist attack and the magnitude of the threat to a particular building that is vulnerable to a terrorist attack;
- Gain an understanding of the forces created by a bomb explosion and the resulting damage;
- Be able to apply security provisions from the design guidance for limiting or mitigating the effects of terrorist attacks;
- Be able to apply site location and layout principles for mitigating the effects of a terrorist attack;
- Be able to apply architectural, structural and building envelope principles for mitigating the effects of a terrorist attack; and
- Be able to apply mechanical and electrical design principles for mitigating the effects of a terrorist attack.
This course is intended for architects, engineers and contractors.
Benefit to Attendees
Attendee of this course will learn about the design guidance available for limiting or mitigating the effects of terrorist attacks.
Course
Introduction
We all received an extreme wake-up call after the fall of the twin tower in New York City. Unfortunately, it took a horrific event to bring this topic to the forefront of building design and construction. Prior attempts have been made to universally wake us up through the initial bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, Oklahoma City Murrah Building bombing, attempted destruction of our overseas embassies and properties, etc. We have come to the conclusion that we need to find better ways to protect occupants, assets and buildings from human aggressors. This course will provide the guidance necessary to meet this objective.
Course Content
In this lesson, you are required to study the following document:
Homeland Security Design and Construction
Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.
Course Summary
The Homeland Security: Design and Construction course was created for owners; design professionals, contractors and other construction professionals who would like to improve their knowledge of security and building design issues, techniques and trends related to homeland security implications for building design and construction. The course includes and introduction, a study of past terrorism events, homeland security assessment techniques and design guidance for improved security of buildings and facilities in the U.S.
References
For additional technical information related to this subject, please refer to:
http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/st/st-bips-06.pdf
http://www.wbdg.org/design/secure_safe.php
http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/2150-downlaod Reference Manual to Mitigate Potential Terriorist Attacks Against Buildings
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
