EVALUATION OF BURIED CONDUITS AS PERSONNEL SHELTERS. Preliminary Report

Technical Report · Fri Nov 15 04:00:00 EST 1957

OSTI ID:4203154

Albright, G H

Twelve large-diameter buried conduit sections of various shapes were tested in the 56-to-153-psi overpressure region to make empirical determination of the degree of personnel protection afforded by commercially available steel and concrete conduits at depths of burial of 5, 7.5, and 10 feet below grade. Instrumentation of the test structures consisted of a total of four electronic channels measuring accelerations, twelve scratch gages measuring deflections, and twenty-four self-recording gages measuring peak accelerations and peak internal pressures. Gamma and early-neutron radiation-shielding measurements were made. All buried conduit sections tested provided adequate Class I protection for the conditions under which the conduits were tested. Standard 8-foot concrete sewer pipe withstood 136-psi overpressure without significant damage, standard 10-gage corrugated-steel 8-fcot circular conduit sections withstood 136-psi overpressure without significant damage, and standard 10-gage cormgated-steel cattle-pass conduits withstood 153-psi overpressure without significant damage. All conduits provided adequate total protection against the initial gamma and neutron radiation from a 39.0-kt, relatively high-neutron-flux nuclear device. All types of conduit sections tested provided Class 1 protection (100-psi overpressure and comparable radiation effects); furthermore, six of the twelve sections provided considerably higher protection. Therefore, if conduits of similar type and of approximate dimensions to those tested, 8-foot circular concrete, 8-foot circular corrugated steel, and 7-foot-8-inch high cattle-pass-type corrugated steel, are to be used as portions of personnel shelters for Class I protection against weapons of approximately similar yield to the test device, it is recommended that such sections be utilized in configurations having approximately 5 feet of earth cover. (auth)

• Research Organization: Bureau of Yards and Docks. Office of the Chief of Civil Engineers, Washington, D.C.
• NSA Number: NSA-14-006542
• OSTI ID: 4203154
• Report Number(s): ITR-1421
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CONCRETES
CONFIGURATION
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
GAGES
GAMMA RADIATION
HEALTH AND SAFETY INCLUDING DOSIMETRY
MEASURED VALUES
NEUTRONS
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
PRESSURE
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
RADIATION PROTECTION
SAFETY
SHELTERS
SHIELDING
SHOCK WAVES
STEELS
TESTING
TUBES
VELOCITY