Blast Testing of Expedient Shelters in Model Scale
Abstract
A research program was conducted to evaluate the blast resistance of expedient fallout shelters designed for the civilian population in the event of a nuclear attack. As part of this research, model size shelters of six different designs were tested in a shock tunnel at average overpressure levels of 2.8, 4. 6, and 8.8 psi. Measurements of the external blast pressures and internal pressure leakage into the model shelters were made. The expedient shelters tested utilize, in general, shallow soil excavation, load-bearing members of timber or doors, and soil-covered roofs. Replica model sizes were selected so that the shock tunnel load durations were long enough to test in the quasi- static load realm. Some of the shelter designs survived at every overpressure level very well, while other tests items suffered structural failures in almost every case. This paper presents a brief description of the experiments, including some details of the shelters, of the model fabrication and pressure measurement system, and a summary of the results.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADP005368
Entities
People
- Edward D. Esparza
Organizations
- Southwest Research Institute