GB2283507A - Modular strongroom - Google Patents

Abstract

A modular strongroom, which can be prefabricated and assembled in situ and demounted for removal elsewhere comprises a pair of end walls (13), a pair of substantially C-shaped side walls (12), ends of the side walls at least partially overlapping the end walls externally, and primary anchoring means (23) for securing interlocking joints between the side and end walls, said anchoring means penetrating both the side and end wall adjacent said joints. <IMAGE>

Description

MODULAR BTRONGROOM The invention relates to a modular strongroom which can be prefabricated and assembled in situ and demounted for removal elsewhere.

Banks and other organisations which handle large amounts of cash and other valuable items require high security areas for storing cash and valuables to protect from theft and damage. Whereas new buildings can be designed with integral state-of-the-art strongrooms, many existing strongrooms are of insufficient standard to withstand modern criminal attack. Furthermore, a number of banks and other organisations use existing and/or rented buildings in which there are no strongroom facilities. In some cases such organisations wish to have strongrooms which can be erected independently of existing buildings, for example, to house automated cash dispensing machines.

To resolve this, a number of modular strongrooms have been designed which can be easily installed in existing buildings, having been first prefabricated elsewhere. These prior art strongrooms are generally constructed from a large number of interlocking panels made from steel, which is generally armour-plated to withstand attacks by explosives, diamond core drills, chemicals and the like.

There are, however, many problems with these prior art strongrooms. Because of the materials they are made from, they tend to be very expensive. It is also difficult and expensive to obtain such a strongroom which is not of a standard size, because of the added cost of making different sizes of panels. The installation of such strongrooms can be dangerous and requires a particular skill, because of the weight of the panels. Once installed, some of the prior art strongrooms are also unstable because of the many panels used in their construction. The joints between the panels are weakened if put under pressure and can possibly be breached if subjected to repeated striking forces, as are known from the recent crime wave of ram raiding. In particular, these prior art strongrooms are not suitable for being erected outside an existing building as a free-standing building in its own right.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a modular strongroom which overcomes these disadvantages.

According to the invention there is provided a modular strongroom comprising a pair of end walls, a pair of substantially C-shaped side walls, ends of the side walls at least partially overlapping the end walls externally, primary anchoring means for securing interlocking joints between the side and end walls, said anchoring means penetrating both the side and end wall adjacent said joints.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompany drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a section plan view of a modular strongroom according to the invention taken on the line I-I of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a section end elevation of the modular strongroom of Fig. 1 taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the modular strongroom of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section plan view of an alternative embodiment of a modular strongroom according to the invention on the line IV-IV of Fig. 5; Fig. 5 is a section end elevation of the modular strongroom of Fig. 4 on the line V-V of Fig.

4; Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged horizontal and vertical cross-sections of a side wall of the modular strongroom of the preceding figures; Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged horizontal and vertical cross-sections of an end wall of the modular strongroom of the preceding figures; Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of the angle cleats connecting the side walls of the modular strongroom of Fig. 5 with the floor/roof.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, there is illustrated a freestanding modular strongroom 10 comprising a floor 11, a pair of side walls 12, a pair of end walls 13 and ceiling 14. The floor 11 is mounted on a structural slab of, say, concrete (not shown) and may be fixed thereto by appropriate means. A roof 15 may be added to creat a pleasing appearance, and an opening 16 made in an end wall 13 to receive, for example, an automated cash dispenser 17. In such an application a canopy 18 may be provided for users of the dispenser 17. Access is provided to the strongroom 10 by means of an entrance 20 with a suitable security door 21. For additional security an inner interlocking door 22 may also be provided. The entrance 20, for obvious reasons, would be located in an opposite end wall 13 to the end wall containing any opening 16.

The side walls 12 each comprise a single generally C-shaped precast concrete panel which includes special security reinforcement. High density security grade concrete which is preferably used, generally has a high volume of steel fibres with a retaining mesh fabric layer therein. This provides protection against impact which is significantly increased over normal reinforced or unreinforced concrete.

Each end wall 13 is also made from a single precast concrete slabs, but they are substantially planar rather than C-shaped. The relative dimensions of the side and end walls 12, 13 are such that the ends 12a of the side walls 12 partially overlap the end walls 13 to provide a double skin. The ends of the end walls 13 are shaped to form an interlocking joint in the corners of the side walls 12. These joints have anchoring means 23, such as steel rods or dowels penetrating both the end wall 13 and the side wall 12 as illustrated in Fig. 4. The rods 23 are positioned to be angled from two directions, i.e.

both in the horizontal and vertical plans. This effectively forms a dovetail which resists an attack, say by a heavy vehicle pushing on the corners. The more the joint is pushed, the tighter the corners lock together. Furthermore, the joints are actually hidden from the outside making it more difficult for them to be attacked.

In order that the strongroom 10 is demountable, the dowels 23 can be removed to "unlock" the joints.

The dowels 23 may therefore be fixed in one of the walls 12, 13 and have a removable nut of other means located at an end protruding from the other of the walls 12, 13.

The end and side walls 12, 13 also have similar interlocked joints as shown in Fig. 5, with the floor 11 and ceiling 14, which are secured with vertical dowels 24. These joints may be further secured, as shown in Figs. 5 and 10 with angle cleats bolted between the walls.

In the case of the dowels 24 between the floor 11 and the walls 12, 13, these may be loose in both the floor 11 and walls 12, 13 as it will be very difficult to lift the upper structure. Alternatively they may be fixed in one or other of the floor 11 or walls 12, 13. For the dowels 24 between the ceiling 14 and walls 12, 13, these are preferably fixed in the walls 12, 13 and loose in the ceiling 14 with a fixing means on the end thereof. If a roof 15 is to be added, the dowels 24 may also be used to hold the roof 15 in place.

The resulting stongroom 10 is an economically viable demountable precast structure which offers a very high level of security. The strongroom 10 is capable of withstanding impact by vehicle, by accident or intent, physical attack with intent, removal from it's position by jacks, wedges or mechanical lifting equipment and has a high degree of weather resistance. The weight of the structure would be such that it would be difficult to lift in its entirety and it would also incorporate anti-lifting devices connecting the precast slabs to an in situ structural slab on which the floor 11 is located.

Where the strongroom 10 is not required to be freestanding, the roof 15 and opening 16 may not be needed and the strongroom 10 can be installed within an existing building or room. Furthermore, the costs of casting unusual sizes of concrete panels is significantly less than for steel panels, so it is easier and cheaper to make tailor-made strongrooms for a customers particular requirements.

Claims (16)

CLAIMS:

1. A modular strongroom comprising a pair of end walls, a pair of substantially C-shaped side walls, ends of the side walls at least partially overlapping the end walls externally, primary anchoring means for securing interlocking joints between the side and end walls, said anchoring means penetrating both the side and end wall adjacent said joints.

2. A modular strongroom as claimed in claim 1 in which the primary anchoring means are positioned at an angle to the vertical and horizontal planes of the walls.

3. A modular strongroom as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 further comprising a ceiling and a floor and secondary anchoring means for securing interlocking joints between the side or end walls and the floor and ceiling.

4. A modular strongroom as claimed in claim 3 in which the secondary anchoring means are positioned in a vertical plane to the walls.

5. A modular strongroom as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the anchoring means are removable.

6. A modular strongroom as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the anchoring means comprise rods or dowels.

7. A modular strongroom as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the joints between the side, walls, floor and ceiling ends are releasable.

8. A modular strongroom as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the joints between the side and end walls are formed by ends of the end walls and internal corners of the C-shaped side walls.

9. A modular strongroom as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising tertiary anchoring means for securing joints between the side or end walls and the floor and ceiling.

10. A modular strongroom as claimed in claim 9 in which the tertiary anchoring means comprise angle cleats.

11. A modular strongroom as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the walls, floor and ceiling each comprise a single precast concrete panel.

12. A modular strongroom as claimed in claim 11 in which the concrete panels are made of reinforced concrete.

13. A modular strongroom as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising a roof.

14. A modular strongroom as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising an opening in one or more walls.

15. A modular strongroom as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising an entrance in one or more walls.

16. A modular strongroom substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.