Feasibility of citizen construction of expedient fallout shelters. Final report. [Ability to follow one-page instructions prepared by Defense Civil Preparedness Agency]
Seventeen different families or groups of individuals untrained in building techniques constructed one of the following seven alternative expedient fallout shelters: Door-Covered Trench, Log-Covered Trench, Car-Over-Trench, Above-Ground Door-Covered, Crib-Walled, Ridge-Pole, and Tilt-up Doors and Earth. The builders of each shelter were guided only by one-page instructions prepared for that shelter by Defense Civil Preparedness Agency. Nine of these same families or groups also built an expedient shelter-ventilating pump, following brief instructions of Defense Civil Preparedness Agency. To simulate crisis conditions, the groups were offered a base pay rate for constructing each respective shelter within a specified time frame. If the shelter were completed in half the specified time, an additional bonus was given. With the exception of only one group, all participants received the bonus. Generally speaking, the participants demonstrated that construction of the respective shelters in accordance with the shelter designs was feasible. The builders were less successful in following the brief instructions for making an expedient air pump. Of the nine pumps built, only four would pump air effectively. Numerous suggestions were made by the participants and observers regarding the improvement of the instructions. Among the more general suggestions were: (1) instructions should not be condensed to only one page; (2) brief explanations should be given regarding why certain steps are taken; (3) selection criteria for locating a shelter site should be suggested; and (4) more illustrations which are less complex should be included in each set of plans.
- Research Organization:
- Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT (USA); Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6916758
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL-5368
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Blast tests of expedient shelters
Blast tests of expedient shelters in the DICE THROW event