When planning for the new World Trade Center site began just a few years after the destruction of the original towers, security was front of mind: Bollards were to be placed around the site, and a dedicated, below-grade routing system for commercial vehicles was among the plans. But when Superstorm Sandy hit in 2012, sending 125 million gallons of water into the WTC Vehicular Security Center, it became a point of vulnerability.
Well into construction, attention turned to adapting the design for climate resilience. Below-grade assets that needed protection from future storm surges included electrical distribution systems, ramps and loading docks.