Written By: Brad Campbell | September 10, 2024
Many courthouses are also historic buildings, with some even dating as far back as the 1700s!
Preserving such historic government buildings presents unique challenges when it comes to balancing the restoration and maintenance of their historic architecture with the need to integrate modern requirements and amenities.
This is especially true when it comes to security — implementing modern security measures often requires the modification of the surrounding structure, especially in buildings that were built using long-outdated techniques and materials.
However, historic buildings are very limiting in terms of what can and can’t be done to modify them, giving rise to the need for custom, non-invasive retrofit security solutions that don’t affect the existing architecture in the long run.
Riot Glass J Series sub-framing is one such solution that can be used to retrofit security glazing on courthouses, securing them against forced entry and civil unrest without the need to drill or otherwise permanently modify the surrounding window structure.
This retrofit process can be done as part of “courthouse hardening” in order to protect against a range of physical threats to the building and the people inside.
The term “courthouse hardening” refers to the process of strengthening and fortifying a courthouse's physical defenses, primarily to prevent forced entry and mitigate risks associated with civil unrest, angry mobs, and potentially active threats.
Courthouse hardening can involve a range of security measures, including the installation of reinforced doors and windows and forced entry-resistant and/or bullet-resistant security glazing.
By hardening their defenses, courthouses can better protect people inside against physical threats, helping to ensure the integrity of legal proceedings and maintain public order in the event of civil unrest during periods of heightened tension or conflict.
The Riot Glass J Series was developed specifically for historic government buildings, including courthouses and other facilities. It is primarily designed to protect building occupants inside these types of government buildings from angry mobs of rioters during incidents of mass civil unrest (preventing security breaches like the January 6th rioters breaching the Capitol building’s windows).
The J Series uses an industry-first compression framing system that mounts over a building’s existing windows with no need to permanently fix it to the existing framing via drilling or another invasive, destructive method. J Series sub-framing can be cleanly removed at a later date if needed, leaving no signs that it was ever there!
The non-invasive retrofit capabilities of the Riot Glass J Series for courthouse hardening have earned it the approval of both the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the Historic Society, allowing it to be used to harden not only courthouses, but also other historic government buildings and different types of protected buildings with historical significance.
Additionally, the J Series meets the ASTM F3808 forced entry testing requirements for a 15-minute forced entry attempt by an armed, angry mob, one of the most stringent forced entry testing protocols out there.
These testing protocols simulate multiple attackers using readily available objects, such as heavy hand tools and found objects, to try and gain unauthorized entry to a building by breaking a window or door.
Passing the test for 15 minutes means that there was no penetration during this time — the J Series remained firmly in place, preventing forced entry and keeping the attackers on the outside.
J Series Specifications and Qualifications:
The name “J Series” refers to the sub-framing itself, but this sub-framing is designed to work seamlessly with Riot Glass and ArmorPlast retrofit security glazing, which are available in both containment-grade (non-ballistic) and ballistic-grade (bullet-resistant) models.
This allows courthouses to choose the level of security needed for specific window openings, offering a highly flexible solution that protects against everything from rioting and looting to active threats.
J Series sub-framing can also serve as the foundation to which we can mount ArmorPlast Gen II Series security framing, resulting in the highest level of fenestration security. The Gen II Series uses a series of shock gaskets to more efficiently distribute the force from impacts and is compatible with various models of virtually unbreakable ArmorPlast security glazing.
The easiest way to understand what the J Series does is to look at it as a sort of exoskeleton for other Riot Glass solutions, providing a suitable structure to which we can retrofit other forced entry mitigation solutions without harming the surrounding structure of historic government buildings.
That being said, the J Series can also be manufactured as a standalone product, allowing for additional customization options.
While the J Series is primarily intended for historic government buildings, including courthouses, there are other cases in which a building may benefit from using J Series sub-framing as the base for other retrofit solutions.
Examples of potential situations in which the J Series might benefit other types of buildings include:
Courthouse hardening is essential for maintaining the safety and integrity of these important public buildings and their occupants, especially during major civil unrest.
The Riot Glass J Series offers a unique, non-invasive retrofit solution that balances modern security needs with the preservation of historic architecture.
For more information on the Riot Glass J Series for courthouse hardening and how it can cost-effectively increase the security of courthouses and other historic buildings, contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
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