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U.S. Department of Energy
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Demonstration test of the keyworker blast shelter. MINOR SCALE. Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6646741

A 100-man keyworker blast shelter was constructed and tested at the predicted 75-psi peak overpressure level in the MINOR SCALE Event in June 1985 at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The MINOR SCALE Event was a high-explosive test simulating the air-blast effects of an 8-KT nuclear weapon. The reinforced concrete shelter was designed by the US Army Engineer Division, Huntsville and the US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station under the sponsorship of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The experiment was conducted to verify the structural design of the shelter. The full-scale structure was complete with air-handling equipment, bunks, and instrumented anthropomorphic mannequins. The survivability of mechanical air-moving equipment inside the shelter and occupant survivability were investigated. The structure experienced minor damage during the test. Permanent roof deflections were 1/8 inch or less. The mechanical equipment incurred no damage, and in-structure shock in the shelter was within acceptable limits for occupants. The test indicated that the shelter will safely protect personnel when subjected to the design peak overpressure of 50 psi from a 1-MT nuclear weapon. Recommendations resulting from the experiment included the retesting of the structure using a High-Explosive Simulation Technique (HEST) test to introduce significant damage to the shelter.

Research Organization:
Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS (USA). Structures Lab.
OSTI ID:
6646741
Report Number(s):
AD-A-176749/0/XAB; WES/TR/SL-86-40
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English