EFFECTS OF AN ATOMIC EXPLOSION ON TWO TYPICAL TWO-STORY-AND-BASEMENT WOOD- FRAME HOUSES

Technical Report · Tue Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1953

OSTI ID:4647726

Byrnes, J B

The effects of an atomic explosion on typical two-story wood-frame houses and occupants thereof were demonstrated. Two houses with basements were located 3500 ft and 7500 ft from ground zero of a 16.4-kt atomic bomb exploded at 300 ft above the ground during operation UpshotKnothole. Both houses were furnished and mannequins were placed in the dining and living rooms. Visual inspection and photography were utilized to study thermal radiation and blast effects. and film badges were placed throughout the houses to measure gamma radiation. Mannequins in both houses were thrown about and severely damaged by flying glass and debris, and those in the house located at 3500 ft were broken and trapped in debris. The exterior wood on the front of the house at 3500 ft was charred from thermal radiation, the first story disintegrated, the roof and chimney broke, and other sections of the house were moved off the basement walls. The house at 7500 ft was slightly scorched, windows and doors were broken, and the house was badly damaged inside. Heavy fallout delayed the recovery of the film badges and initial gamma radiation was not determined. Results indicated that a conventional woodframe house will be severely damaged at an overpressure of 2 psi and will be destroyed at 5 psi. Damage to mannequins indicated that human beings without shelter would have been killed or seriously injured in the house 3500 ft from the blast and would have been injured in the house 7500 ft from the blast. (C.H.)

• Research Organization: Federal Civil Defense Administration, Washington, D.C.
• NSA Number: NSA-17-037016
• OSTI ID: 4647726
• Report Number(s): WT-792
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BUILDINGS
EXPLOSIONS
FAILURES
FALLOUT
GAMMA RADIATION
GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
GLASS
LEVELS
MAN
MOCKUP
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM DETECTORS
PHOTOGRAPHY
SHELTERS
SHOCK WAVES
THERMAL RADIATION
TRAPS
WINDOWS
WOOD