Thickness of wall, unit weight and price are the first criteria most buyers compare.
This is a good beginning but it fails to cover what is most important to the design of a bunker – the reinforcement and finish – that it will protect and that it will not be easily deployed and repositioned for use.
For hasty bunkers, it’s hard to find something that can bring a happy life.
These are often carried and dropped at the site, lifted and dropped repeatedly and are required to perform structurally as soon as they are dropped into position without being given any curing time or time to adjust to the site.
If a supplier considers protective units a specialty product, not “just a smaller precast box”, he will design a different unit from the start, for the following reasons:
If one does not, he’ll give a unit that appears to be just fine on the yard but structurally has an issue while in use.
Know What Type of Unit Is Needed for Your Project Precast Concrete Security Gate House Supplier
Knowing what sort of protective unit your project needs it helps to make a comparison of suppliers before realizing that not all precast manufacturers make all protective units.
Single-Occupant Hasty Bunkers
Single Occupant Units are small and easy to build a shelter for one person, and are used for observation, guard and/or checkpoint duties.
These need lifting points which are easy and fast to install and have a footprint that will fit in the restricted or tight environments.
Multi-Occupant Protective Bunkers
Multi-occupant bunkers are used by small groups and need a little more space for internal access, multiple access and firing points as required and a structure that will support the additional roof span and weight without compromising the protection level as required.
Equipment & Communications Shelters
These units are intended to protect vulnerable equipment (generators, communications equipment or control systems), not people.
They’re more interested in the inside design of the equipment for easy access, cable routing, etc., than in what features appeal to personnel – bunkers for occupants.
Modular and Linkable Units
Modular bunkers can have other bunkers connected to them for a larger protected position.
When modules are spilt between each other in strength and accuracy, the position protection is highly affected, if any module weakens its link to the other one.
Understand what type (or combination) of protective precast structure best fits your project will help you limit the number of suppliers that need to be manufacturers of precast protective structures — not just add them to a general precast catalogue.
Inquire About the Kind of Military Building They Are and How Well They Are Fortified
If a supplier is indeed serious regarding a bunker, they can with certainty state the level of protection (specification) that the unit will provide and support this with a schedule of reinforcement and actual specification that supports this.
This should be proven based on actual design data and not be assumed, e.g. “heavy duty” or “reinforced”.
Inquire directly about the degree of protection and which reinforcement schedule and concrete strength is required for that degree of protection and if the design has been verified or tested independently of the manufacturer.
If a supplier provides you with information and documentation, then it is a supplier that you want to do business with!
That is not a supplier that’s a supplier that you can rely on to provide you with a protective structure.
Discuss How They Do Quality Control on Their Products
The quality of each concrete from different manufacturers, having the same nominal specification, is widely variable.
Inquire into the process they use, how long it takes before they are ready for dispatch; ask what quality checks are performed before they are dispatch ready.
More than anything else is consistency, in the case of protective units.
It is not visible on the outside if not completely cured or reinforced, but will only be revealed when the unit is in operation.
Does the supplier perform tests to ensure that each unit is actually a unit which conforms to the specification and not just a unit which looks as if it may?
Ask for All the Documentation of an Engineering Unit
An engineering specification for the type of protective units supplied should be standard and NOT a best attempt box ticking exercise from the supplier.
This should include the design loading it was designed for, the reinforcement and concrete specification required to satisfy the design loading and confirmation of the method used to verify the design loading.
Any supplier that is confident that this claim is accurate is proving they are not simply selling marketing gobbledygook.
If the supplier is reluctant or unclear, it is a warning sign and if they are offering a price, you don’t go with them.
Make Comparisons of the Differences in Deployment and Handling Requirements
There are various restrictions on handling, depending on unit size and type.
Some bunkers take less time to setup and require little leveling, ground work or sequencing to install one vehicle/crane at a time, while others are larger or modular bunkers that may require specific lifting equipment, leveling, and/or sequencing to install them.
Find out from your supplier what type of lifting/placing equipment their units require, whether they will train you to lift/placing and whether they have ever deployed with such a time constraint before.
When you realize that you are in deployment and a unit requires something which you don’t have with you is not something you want to learn in the field.
Review Their Work History Precast Concrete Security Gate House Supplier
Check the record of the employees.
Design specifications tell about what a supplier states that their units do.
Actual units provided and performance of the units are included in completed projects.
Request examples of similar protective units provided for similar applications and how they have performed in the years and usage.
Reliable supplier with proven history of manufacturing protective units to the specification is more reliable than any product description.
Some Indications That Should Be Inspected For Precast Concrete Security Gate House Supplier
Here are some red flags that are often associated with less trustworthy suppliers:
- Any discussion on level of protection or specification of reinforcement is unclear or sometimes contradictory.
- The supplier doesn’t like to give engineering drawings before sending them out.
- There doesn’t seem to be a quality control system in place before the data is sent away.
- It’s really inexpensive but there isn’t an explanation.
If you see 2 or 3, it might be worth taking the time and asking some more questions before ordering from a particular supplier.
Integrating All the Parts of Precast Concrete Security Gate House Supplier
The most important thing to look for when you’re considering a precast concrete protective hasty bunker supplier is the ability to tell you what you need and how they will provide the level of protection, reinforcement and quality control for each unit they sell you, instead of promising you a level of protection you don’t actually need.
If it is set up correctly, the unit can do exactly what it is supposed to do – when it is needed – without question.
