October 13, 2006—The Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) of Chicago expanded its Detroit branch operations to a newly built 240,000-sq.ft facility. It is one of the first government structures to address heightened security measures mandated by the US government after September 11, 2001. For the financial center’s blast-resistant curtainwall system, glazing contractor Harmon, Inc., specified Wausau Window and Wall Systems.
Wausau’s staff engineered and custom fabricated an 18,998-sq.ft. factory-glazed, steel-clad system for on-site installation. Wausau also provided 2,252-sq.ft. of its factory-glazed 6250 Superwall and 735-sq.ft. of its 8250 Superwall for field glazing by Harmon. The curtainwall system also includes 1,910sq.ft. of Wausau ‘s 8156 Series slopewall. Linetec painted all exposed framing elements in a durable Champagne Gold finish. Viracon supplied the systems’ high-performance glass.
Harmon also manufactured and installed a blast mitigating, unitized curtainwall and strip windows, interior hollow metal attack- and bullet-resistant framing and glass systems, entrance leafs including high-security doors by Norment Industries, and more than 80,000-sq.ft. of composite panel provided by Sobotec, Ltd. The sum of these components is designed to withstand both high winds and close-proximity blast loads.
Designed by SmithGroup of Detroit and overseen by the Grand Rapids, Michigan, joint venture of Skanska/W3, the new FRB branch office replaces an existing location constructed in 1926, one of the oldest in the Federal Reserve System. With an 18-month-construction schedule, the massive design-build project quickly took shape in downtown Detroit. Fitting within this time frame, the majority of the FRB’s high-security curtainwall system installation occurred over just six months.
For more information visit the Wausau Web site.
