Design Concepts for Hardened Communications Structures

Abstract

An important component of any hardened command and control structure is the antenna system that provides communication with the outside world. Two types of antennae were considered; i.e., the whip type and the directional. The whip type for short-range communication and the directional for use primarily with satellites. In the super high-frequency range, the use of directional antennae having parabolic dishes greater than 8 feet in diameter are common. In the very extra high-frequency range, dishes that are 2 to 3 feet in diameter are used. The whip-type antenna should extend up to, say, 60 feet in the air. Based on this background, a family of structures was designed that can protect whip and directional antennae from the blast and shock effects from a 1-MT device for ground surface overpressure ranging from 15,000 to 500 psi. As the antennae, transmitters, receivers, power supplies, and lifting mechanisms will be located within such structures, appropriate shock spectra plots were developed to determine if the fragility level of pertinent equipment will be exceeded and for use in designing shock isolation systems. Button up periods of 1 week and 4 weeks were considered. Keywords: Hardened antenna structures; Buried structures; Cost and hardness tradeoffs; Blast loads; Ground shock; Weapons effects; Hardened structures; Trade off analysis; Shock spectra; Domes/closure; Slabs/ silos.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1990
Accession Number
ADA221233

Entities

People

  • William G. Smith
  • William J. Flathau

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Blast
  • Blast Loads
  • Communication Equipment
  • Communication Systems
  • Construction
  • Diameters
  • Frequency
  • Geometry
  • Hardened Structures
  • Mechanical Working
  • Overpressure
  • Plastic Explosives
  • Power Supplies
  • Shock Response Spectra
  • Spectra
  • Stress Waves
  • Wave Propagation

Readers

  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Metallurgy
  • Phased Array Antenna Design.

Technology Areas

  • Fully Networked C3
  • Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
  • Space