A complete overhaul of the 6.7 million-sq.ft. Pentagon building is underway despite many years of appropriations foot-dragging in Congress. Seven phases of the Pentagon Renovation Program—each phase is called a Wedge—will bring all building systems up to speed and focus on required high-tech and stringent security measures. Of the Pentagon’s total 6.7 million sq.ft., Wedge One that started in August 2000 covers about one million sq.ft.and has produced 120 million pounds of debris, including 20 million pounds of asbestos-contaminated materials. Recycling is part of the agenda, and about 70% of the recycled debris consists of aluminum piping, copper wiring, steel products, and even the concrete itself.
Called the world’s largest low-rise office complex and the home of the US Department of Defense and the military, the Pentagon will move into the new millennium with new systems and vastly upgraded security measures. For instance, blast-resistant, steel-reinforced window frames, each weighing about 200 lb., have been installed along the outer edge of the complex. Total number of doors throughout the Pentagon will be cut back from about 45,000 doors to 20,000, less than half. Driveways for trucks and buses have been rerouted within the 29-acre site, and bomb-detection dogs will sniff trucks that must stop at a clearance gate.
The renovation started in August 2000 is scheduled for completion by 2014 at a cost of $1.22 billion. Details of the project are available at http://renovation.pentagon.mil.
Based on a report from Corporate Security
