Special Access Program Facilities (SAPFs) are specialized spaces that satisfy the criteria for generating, safeguarding, handling, discussing, and storing classified or unclassified program materials.
Famous SAPFs include Air Force Plant 4, the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Dugway Proving Ground, and the China Lake in the Mojave Desert.
Similar to SCIFs (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities), SAPFs are classified based on operational requirements.
SAPF classifications include:
- Continuous Operation Facilities (i.e. Accredited facilities staffed and operated 24/7),
- Open Storage Facilities (i.e. Accredited facilities in which Sensitive Compartmented Information or Special Access Program information may be openly stored or processed without use of U.S. General Services Administration-approved storage containers),
- Closed Storage Facilities (i.e. Accredited facilities where Sensitive Compartmented Information or Special Access Program material is required to be stored in U.S. General Services Administration-approved storage containers when not in use.)
SAPFs include new structures and temporary areas built in existing structures. SAPFs include facilities within the United States and outside the United States.
That said, SAPFs typically include the penultimate zone of highest security in a new or existing structure.
More permanent SAPFs, namely Continuous Operation facilities, Open Storage facilities, and Closed Storage facilities can be incredibly complex structures, requiring special attention to detail throughout design and construction.
Governing SAPF design codes and standards include the Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) 705 standard, the Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) No. 4-010-05, (UFC 4-010-05) SCIFF/SAPF Planning, Design, and Construction standard.
For SAPF design and construction in high-risk areas, governing design codes and standards include the International Building Code (IBC), the Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) No. 4-010-01 (UFC 4-010-01), DoD Minimum Antiterrorism Standards for Buildings and the UFC 4-023-03, Design of Buildings to Resist Progressive Collapse.
SAPF new builds and/or renovations (in existing buildings) can be tricky for General Contractors.
Below are the top 5 structural blind spots in SAPF Design and Retrofit Projects for General Contractors.
Preeminent Solutions is a DBE-certified, MWBE-certified, LDB-certified and soon to be 8(a)-certified and WOSB-certified, civil/structural engineering firm specializing in structural forensics and construction-defect expert witness work.
Contact us for your next S’ forensic engineering team APF Construction-Defect case.
Wind-Load Resistance
Often SAPF new-builds and/or pre-existing structures are situated in areas with high wind-risk, due to Hurricanes, Tropical cyclones, and/or other windstorms.
In high wind-risk regions, SAPFs must maintain robust perimeters (i.e. perimeter walls, roofs, etc.)
Per the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) Code, the governing code on the matter at time of this publication, in high wind-risk regions, structures shall be designed to withstand the minimum wind loads in accordance with ASCE 7.
Key exceptions include:
• Designs using the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), “Maintenance and Condition Assessment of Telecommunication Towers”, TIA-222 for antenna-supporting structures and antennas
• Wind tunnel tests in accordance with ASCE 49, “Wind Tunnel Testing for Buildings and Other Structures”
• Temporary structures in compliance with IBC Section 3013
• Designs using the National Association of Architectural Metal Manufacturers (NAAMM) “Guide Specifications For Design of Metal Flagpoles,” NAAMM FP 1001
Key signs of high wind-risk susceptibility (i.e. poor wind-risk resistance) in buildings include:
• Missing or Under-designed Hurricane Strap Connections
• Long and/or Unbraced Overhang Eaves
• Loose and/or Degraded Roof Decking
• Loose and/or Degraded Exterior Wall Panels
• Corroded / Deteriorated Connection Fasteners
• Corroded / Deteriorated Anchorage to Foundation
• Unreinforced or Under-reinforced Masonry Walls
• Excessively Large Shear Wall Openings
• Poor Floor Slab / Roof Continuity
• Discontinuous Vertical and Lateral Load Paths
• Preexisting Failed Connection Joints at Corners
• Sagging Roof Lines
• Bowing and/or Leaning Columns and Walls (particularly at corners of structure.)
• Severe Diagonal Cracking in Reinforced Concrete Elements
• Severe Horizontal Cracking in Vertical Masonry Elements
Wind loads include major forces that impact the Lateral Force Resisting System (LFRS), and thus the overall stability, of a structure.
It is imperative for public safety that structures are able to withstand design wind load demands, particularly in high wind-risk areas.
Key signs of wind damage in buildings include:
• Membrane peeling or unzipping along perimeter flashing and eaves.
• Twisting of Roof Purlins due to Unbalanced Wind Loads
• Buckling of Long-Span Open-web Steel Joists
• Excessive Deflection/Ponding on Roof
• Warping of Wall Panels
• Out-of-Square Roll-up Door Frames
• Out-of-plumb Columns or Portal Frames
• Deformed Anchor Bolt and Base plate Connections for Column Supports
• Fractured Welds
• Fracture Surface Corrosion due to Impact and Removal of Protective Coating
• Beam Connection Corrosion and Deterioration
Such issues are especially relevant in the retrofit of existing structures that were not originally designed to be used as a SAPF facility.
Consult Preeminent Solutions’ Free Online Education Center for resources and checklists regarding structural wind damage:
Link: https://psengrinc.com/learning/
Contact a qualified structural engineer if your structure displays any of the above signs of wind damage.
Ceiling and Raised-Floor Seismic Bracing
Frequently SAPF new-builds and/or pre-existing structures are situated in areas with high seismic-risk.
In seismic-prone regions, SAPFs must maintain robust perimeters (i.e. perimeter walls, roofs, ceilings, raised-floors, etc.) resulting in the use of braced perimeter elements, namely braced raised floors and braced ceilings. Required seismic bracing also extends to specialized equipment, including fire protection systems.
Key signs of poor, seismically-braced raised floors and ceilings include:
• Weak/ Wobbly Pedestal Connections to Subfloor
• Missing Stringers between Floor Posts.
• Shifting, Rocking, or Creaking Floor Panels
• Missing Compression Struts from Ceiling to Bottom of Above Slab
• Slack/Loose Ceiling Support Cables
• Improperly-braced Electrical or HVAC Fixtures (i.e. vents, lighting, etc.)
Earthquakes impart tremendous loads unto the members, foundations, connections, and joints of building structures. As a consequence, it is imperative that raised floors and ceilings be properly braced to reduce the risk of collapse during a seismic event.
Key signs of poor, seismically-braced fire protection systems include:
• Loose/Slack Braces
• Poorly Anchored Pipe Supports
• Missing Lateral Supports
• Missing Axial Supports
• Inadequate Fire Sprinkler Pipe Clearance
• Excessive Spacing in Between Supports:
• Non-seismic Connections or Fasteners
Consult Preeminent Solutions’ Free Online Education Center for resources and checklists regarding seismic damage:
Link: https://psengrinc.com/learning/
Contact a qualified structural engineer if your structure displays any of the above signs of poor seismic bracing.
Generator Anchorage and Vibration Loads
Depending on the SAPF classification, the SAPF may require an Electronic Security System (ESS) and in turn twenty-four hours of uninterruptible standby power to maintain the ESS system.
To ensure uninterrupted power, emergency generators are available: Generators support SAPF operations during storms or outages.
Such generators create heightened localized floor loads, including new equipment live loads, new vibration loads, and more.
Excessive concentrated loads can exceed slab punching-shear capacity and create differential deflections in raised-floor systems.
This issue is especially relevant in the retrofit of existing structures that were not originally designed to be used as a SAPF facility.
Key Signs of differential deflection in slab systems include:
Uneven or Sloping Floors
Unplanned Water Ponding
Facade and/or Cladding Distress
Severe Concrete Cracking
Consult Preeminent Solutions’ Free Online Education Center for resources and checklists regarding structural overloading:
Link: https://psengrinc.com/learning/
Contact a qualified structural engineer if your structure displays any of the above signs of differential deflection.
4. UPS and Battery Floor Loads
Depending on the SAPF classification, the SAPF may require an Electronic Security System (ESS) and in turn twenty-four hours of uninterruptible standby power to maintain the ESS system.
To ensure uninterrupted standby power, batteries, battery systems, uninterruptible power supply (UPS), UPS equipment, and/or engine-generators may be used. Such equipment may create heightened localized floor loads, including new equipment live loads, new vibration loads, and more.
Excessive concentrated loads can exceed slab punching-shear capacity and create differential deflections in raised-floor systems.
This issue is especially relevant in the retrofit of existing structures that were not originally designed to be used as a SAPF facility.
Key Signs of differential deflection in slab systems include:
o Uneven or Sloping Floors
Unplanned Water Ponding
Facade and/or Cladding Distress
Severe Concrete Cracking
Consult Preeminent Solutions’ Free Online Education Center for resources and checklists regarding structural overloading:
Link: https://psengrinc.com/learning/
Contact a qualified structural engineer if your structure displays any of the above signs of differential deflection.
5. Demolition-Induced Instability
SAPFs include new structures and temporary areas built in existing structures.
Renovation-related demolition can uncover a host of underlying issues in existing structures.
Excessive demolition and particularly the removal of roof and slab diaphragm elements without appropriate temporary shoring, can destabilize sections of existing structures.
Note: Structural instability is a threat to life and must be address immediately.
Key signs of structural instability due to demolition include:
Rapidly Expanding Cracks
Diagonal Cracks in Concrete Beams
Diagonal Cracks in Concrete Walls
Stair-step cracking in Masonry Walls
Widening vertical tension cracks in load-bearing elements
Severe Horizontal Cracking and Bulging in Masonry Walls Cracks Radiating from Corners of Windows and Doors
Crushed or Spalling Concrete around Compressed Zones
Key signs of roof or slab discontinuity due to demolition include:
Sagging Rooflines near Cut Zones
Dipping Roof Ridges near Cut Zones
Rafter Separation from Supporting Walls
Truss Separation from Supporting Walls
Buckled Metal Deck Panels
Sheared Fasteners
Torn Flashing at Transition Joints
Severe Diagonal Concrete Cracking in Slabs
Spalling or Chipping of Concrete
Rusting steel reinforcement
Concrete Slab Efflorescence on the Slab Underside
Rust Stains bleeding through Concrete Pores
Consult Preeminent Solutions’ Free Online Education Center for resources and checklists regarding structural performance:
Link: https://psengrinc.com/learning/
Contact a qualified structural engineer if your structure displays any of the above signs of structural instability.
Preeminent Solutions is a DBE-certified, MWBE-certified, LDB-certified and soon to be 8(a)-certified and WOSB-certified, civil/structural engineering firm.
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