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 bank manager wrote a congratulatory note to Mosler. The most famous is the Teikoku Bank in Hiroshima whose two Mosler Safe Company vaults survived the atomic blast with all contents intact. There are at least two public examples of vaults withstanding a nuclear blast. 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. The concrete has been engineered for maximum crush resistance. Modern bank vaults are now typically made of modular concrete panels using a special proprietary blend of concrete and additives for extreme 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. It relies on its immense thickness for strength. This material was not substantially different from that used in construction work. That is, the vault manufacturer not only makes the vault parts, but brings the parts to the construction site and puts them together.īank vaults are typically made with steel-reinforced concrete. The customer usually orders the vault to be delivered and installed. After the customer signs off on the design, the manufacturer configures the equipment to make the vault panels and door. The vault manufacturer consults with the customer to determine factors such as the total vault size, desired shape, controls, and location of the door. ![]() The manufacturing process begins with the design of the vault, and the rest of the bank is built around it. The vault is usually the first aspect of a new bank building to be designed and built. ![]() Today vaults are made with thinner, lighter materials that, while still secure, are easier to dismantle than their earlier counterparts.īank vaults are built as custom orders. Total weight ran into the hundreds of tons (see the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland). The walls were usually at least 1 ft (0.3 m) thick, and the door itself was typically 3.5 ft (1.1 m) thick. These older vaults were typically made with steel-reinforced concrete. Some 19th and early 20th century vaults were built so well that today they are difficult to destroy, even with specialized demolition equipment. Modern vaults may be armed with a wide array of alarms and anti-theft devices. As burglars came up with new ways to break into vaults, vault makers found new ways to foil them. ![]() Vault technology developed in a type of arms race with bank robbers. They are also common in other buildings where valuables are kept such as post offices, grand hotels, rare book libraries and certain government ministries. 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. Historically, strongrooms were built in the basements of banks where the ceilings were vaulted, hence the name. ![]() Unlike safes, vaults are an integral part of the building within which they are built, using armored walls and a tightly fashioned door closed with a complex lock. It is intended to protect their contents from theft, unauthorized use, fire, natural disasters, and other threats, much like a safe. Since this door weighs 22.5 short tons (20.4 t) this system is capable of applying 7.5 short tons-force (67 kN) inward.Ī bank vault is a secure space where money, valuables, records, and documents are stored. This door has a four-point system for pressing the door into its opening (note the two stanchions left of the door opening) capable of exerting one third of the door's weight in closing force. To the right of the door's center are two linked boxes for the combination mechanisms and to the left is a four-movement time lock. On the right is the back side of the open door. This large 24-bolt Diebold vault door at the Winona National Bank was built in the early 1900s.
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