Editing Bank vault (section)

==Manufacturing process==

===Panels===
[[File:Immeuble du Crédit Lyonnais (siège).jpg|240px|thumbnail|right|[[Fichet-Bauche|''Fichet Paris'']], Vault of [[Crédit Lyonnais]] ]]

The wall panels are molded first using a special [[reinforced concrete]] mix. In addition to the usual cement powder, stone, etc., additional materials such as metal shavings or abrasive materials may be added to resist drilling penetration of the slab. Unlike regular concrete used in construction, the concrete for bank vaults is so thick that it cannot be poured. The consistency of concrete is measured by its "[[Concrete Slump Test|slump]]". Vault concrete has zero slump. It also sets very quickly, curing in only six to 12 hours, instead of the three to four days needed for most concrete.<ref>{{cite web|title=Discovery Channel (UK) How Do They Do It? (Season 3 / Episode 7 / Part 2) Diebold Vault Construction (YouTube)|website = [[YouTube]]|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oefNi2iNFEo|access-date=28 December 2010}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead YouTube link|date=February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Hercvlite Vault Panels |url=http://www.vaultstructures.com/hercvlite.php |access-date=28 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217144147/http://www.vaultstructures.com/hercvlite.php |archive-date=17 December 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*A network of reinforcing steel rods is manually placed into the damp mix.
*The molds are vibrated for several hours. The vibration settles the material and eliminates air pockets.
*The edges are smoothed with a [[trowel]], and the concrete is allowed to harden.
*The panels are removed from the mold and placed on a truck for transport to the customer's construction site.

===Door===
The vault door is also molded of special concrete used to make the panels, but it can be made in several ways. The door mold differs from the panel molds because there is a hole for the lock and the door will be clad in stainless steel. Some manufacturers use the steel cladding as the mold and pour the concrete directly into it. Other manufacturers use a regular mold and screw the steel on after the panel is dry.

Round vault doors were popular in the early 20th century and are iconic images for a bank's high security.  They fell out of favor due to manufacturing complexities, maintenance issues (door sag due to weight) and cost, but a few examples are still available.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vault Structure Inc. Round Vault Doors |url=http://www.vaultstructures.com/round.php |access-date=28 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110411044420/http://www.vaultstructures.com/round.php |archive-date=11 April 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=VSI 360 Round Vault Door |url=http://fspa1.com/pdf/Round_Vault_Door.pdf |access-date=28 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711045334/http://fspa1.com/pdf/Round_Vault_Door.pdf |archive-date=11 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A day gate is a second door inside the main vault door frame used for limited vault protection while the main door is open.  It is often made of open metal mesh or glass and is intended to keep a casual visitor out rather than to provide true security.<ref>{{cite web|title=Installation Instructions for Overly GSA Class 5 Vault Door|url=http://www.overly.com/door/tech/docs/ins-gsaCL5.pdf|publisher=Overly Door Company|access-date=28 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715024825/http://www.overly.com/door/tech/docs/ins-gsaCL5.pdf|archive-date=15 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Lock===
A vault door, much like the smaller burglary safe door, is secured with numerous massive metal bolts (cylinders) extending from the door into the surrounding frame.  Holding those bolts in place is some sort of lock.  The lock is invariably mounted on the inside (behind) of the difficult-to-penetrate door and is usually very modest in size and strength, but very difficult to gain access to from the outside.  There are many types of lock mechanisms in use:
*A [[combination lock]] similar in principle to that of a padlock or safe door is very common.  This is usually a mechanical device but products incorporating both mechanical and electronic mechanisms are available, making certain safe cracking techniques very difficult.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kaba-MAS X-09 and CDX-09 High Security Locks|url=http://www.kaba-mas.com/pdf/brochures/x_09.pdf|pages=8|date=Dec 2010|access-date=28 December 2010|archive-date=14 March 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050314012811/http://www.kaba-mas.com/pdf/brochures/x_09.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
*Some high-end vaults employ a two piece key to be used in conjunction with a combination lock. This key consists of a long stem as well as a short stamp which should be safeguarded separately and joined to open the vault door.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Scott Selby & Greg Campbell|url=https://www.scottselby.com/flawless|title=Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History|publisher=Sterling|year=2010|pages=148–149|access-date=24 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815161257/https://www.scottselby.com/flawless|url-status=live}}</ref>
*A dual control (dual custody) combination lock has two dials controlling two locking mechanisms for the door.  They are usually configured so that both locks must be dialed open at the same time for the door to be unlocked.  No single person is given both combinations, requiring two people to cooperate to open the door. Some doors may be configured so that either dial will unlock the door, trading off increased convenience for lessened security.
*A [[time lock]] is a clock that prevents the vault's door from opening until a specified number of hours have passed. This is still the "theft proof" lock system that Sargent invented in the late nineteenth century. Such locks are manufactured by only a few companies worldwide. The locking system is supplied to the vault manufacturer preassembled.
* Many [[safe-cracking]] techniques also apply to the locking mechanism of the vault door.  They may be complicated by the sheer thickness and strength of the door and panel.

===Installation===
*The finished vault panels, door, and lock assembly are transported to the bank construction site. The vault manufacturer's workers then place the panels enclosed in steel at the designated spots and weld them together. The vault manufacturer may also supply an alarm system, which is installed at the same time. While older vaults employed various weapons against burglars, such as blasts of steam or tear gas, modern vaults instead use technological countermeasures. They can be wired with a listening device that picks up unusual sounds, or observed with a [[CCTV|camera]]. An alarm is often present to alert local police if the door or lock is tampered with.