Firms say security projects on the rise since Sept. 11.

Though there have been no major terrorism attacks on U.S. soil in the two years since Sept. 11, business owners are not taking any chances. According to construction and engineering experts, financial services firms, major retailers, and landmark building owners are spending a great deal of money to ensure the safety of their properties.

Thornton-Tomasetti Engineers, for example, has done studies worth up to $100,000 to access the structural vulnerability of some of the city's buildings. "Firms that are located in landmark buildings and international organizations are definitely concerned about security," said John Abruzzo, vice president of Thornton-Tomasetti. "They want to know if somebody would park a bomb in the below-grade parking lot, how much damage would occur."

Andy Frankl, of IBEX Construction, and George Figliolia, of the Builders Group, have worked on more cosmetic upgrades, but they too have noticed a sharp increase in security projects.

"If the security portion of the job used to be 1%, it's now 2%, and if there wasn't any security to begin with, there is now," said Frankl, president of IBEX. "It has become an essential part of each project."

In fact, one of IBEX' clients, a major financial firm, has ordered ballards to be installed all around it's block-long building in the Wall Street area, for the fear a bomb-strapped truck will ride into the structure.

According to Frankl, "These companies are very sensitive about security. Some buildings had to have a 50% increase in security payroll after Sept. 11. There is a whole industry now that is blossoming because of it."

Though most of the experts agree that such measures as bullet-proof glass and building-wide surveillance systems won't prevent damage in the event of an attack, they feel they will serve as a deterrent. "These measures give potential terrorist a sense that the buildings are not as vulnerable," said Figliolia, president of the Builders Group, whose firm is currently working on upgrading the security at the Empire State Building.

"In a number of these projects, the point is to deter the perceived threat."

"For larger bombs, such as truck bombs, things like bullet-proof glass are ineffective," said Abruzzo. "But it's more of a safety issue for the people who work in the building. In case of an attack, these security measures might prevent a large number of casualties."