Sources: U.S. Customs and Border Protection; CP staff
Eyeing large scale installations along the Mexico border, the federal government has awarded contracts to Caddell Construction Co. of Montgomery, Ala., Fisher Industries of Tempe, Ariz., Texas Sterling Construction of Houston and W.G. Yates & Sons of Philadelphia, Miss. to cast prototypes of 18- to 30-ft. high reinforced concrete walls. The structures will be built in San Diego and allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) officials to assess their potential to deter illegal crossings and complement wall and barrier designs used along the border in recent years.
CPB will act in September on a request for proposals involving prototype contracts for other wall materials. The wall program stems from Executive Order: Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements, issued days after President Donald Trump took office and stating, “the [Department of Homeland Security] Secretary shall take steps to immediately plan, design and construct a physical wall along the southern border, using appropriate materials and technology to most effectively achieve complete operational control of the southern border.”
CBP issued RFP in March to acquire conceptual wall designs with the intent to construct multiple prototypes of “concrete” and “other than concrete” design. The agency will partner with industry to identify the best means and methods to construct a border wall. Prototype structures will inform future design standards, which will likely continue to evolve to meet the U.S. Border Patrol requirements. Through the prototyping process, officials may identify new designs or influences for new designs that will expand the current border barrier toolkit that CBP could use to construct a border wall system.