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H-12-4.0 / October 1987
Plans For A Home Shelter O f Masonry Block That
Provides Protection From Nuclear Fallout Radiation
%And Tornadoes
I
DESCRIPTION OF THE SHELTER reinforced concrete floor and roof slabs and
reinforced masonry block walls. An elevated
This protective shelter is designed to serve as planting area, with brick-faced garden walls, retains
a family fallout shelter and is suitable for other a 2-ft. deep soil cover over the roof of the shelter.
utilitarian purposes as well-including use as a Access to the shelter is by means of a hatchway
tornado shelter and everyday functions of the and wood stair. Provisions are made for ventilating
residence. The shelter is designed for placement in the shelter space by means of a hand-operated
the yard and primarily is for houses without centrifugal blower. Air intake and exhaust pipes
basements. extend above the ground level of the planter.
To function as a fallout shelter, it is designed to Dimensioned plans in this booklet provide
have a protection factor (PF) of at least 40, which is sufficient information for a professional contractor
the minimum standard of protection for family and to build the shelter. For the novice “do-it-yourself”
public shelters recommended by the Federal builder, a companion booklet, H-12-4.1, is available
Emergency Management Agency. The belowground from the Federal Emergency Management Agency
location of the shelter also will provide some that provides step-by-step instructions plus
protection against blast and fire effects of a nuclear additional details for construction of the shelter.
explosion. A list of construction materials is provided on
The facility also can serve as a storm shelter the back page of this booklet. It includes quantities
in regions of the nation where tornadoes are for all materials needed to complete the
common. The roof structure of the shelter is construction except miscellaneous items such as
suitably strong to resist the most severe tornadoes, stakes, nails, and other fasteners. The companion
and the belowground location provides protection booklet, H-12-4.1, provides more detailed information
for occupants from wind-blown debris and even on sizes and quantities of materials needed for
from possible collapse of nearby buildings. each phase of the construction.
The day-to-day use for the particular design
illustrated is for housing residential swimming pool BUILDING THE SHELTER
filtration equipment in a weather-protected location
out of sight in the yard. Other utilitarian uses for the Before commencing construction, the
facility are possible that may be more suited to a homeowner is advised to verify that the plans
particular homeowner’s needs-such as use for conform to requirements of the local building
yard equipment storage or use as a cellar for department. A site plan showing where the shelter
storage of perishable foods-or the facility may be would be located in the yard relative to property
/ --
’ used solely as a refuge from natural and man-made
lines and adjacent buildings may be required by the
ha2ards. building department before a building permit will be
An elevated brick planter placed atop the roof issued. More information on preparation of a site
of the shelter creates a landscape feature in the plan is furnished in booklet H-12-4.1.
yard and provides overhead protection against If the shelter is to be constructed by a local
radioactive fallout and tornado forces. Attractive contractor, the homeowner is advised to engage a
landscaping and enhanced protection are achieved reliable firm having a reputation for doing quality
with this arrangement without burying the shelter work and to enter into a written agreement with the
deeply into the ground. contractor. The written agreement should be
Other siting arrangements besides the raised specific as to the work to be done, the quality of
planter are possible for the basic shelter. For materials to be installed, the quality of
example, the brick planter walls can be eliminated workmanship, and the cost for the work. Cost terms
and the concrete roof slab can be paved as a can be a fixed-price type or actual-cost-plus-fee
terrace at the yard level. Elimination of the soil type. The homeowner also is advised to require that
cover atop the shelter will reduce, but not make the contractor furnish proof of insurance protection
ineffective, the overall fallout radiation protection of against any liability or other claims (such as from
the space. Whatever landscape treatment may be materials suppliers) that might arise in the course
preferred, the plans shown in this booklet are valid of construction.
for construction of the basic shelter. If the shelter is to be constructed by the home-
owner, then full compliance with safety regulations
PLANS FOR THE SHELTER that apply in the local area is advised. The home-
owner also is advised to consult with his home
Plans illustrated in this booklet are for a shelter insurer to assure that he is protected against any
to accommodate up to six adults. The shelter has
liability claims that might arise as a result of the
construction.
2
Layout and Excavation for the shelter. The roof slab is supported on the
maso nry block wa I Is.
Initial layout of the shelter entails the measuring Shoring and formwork for the roof slab are
and marking necessary to correctly locate the facility described in the companion booklet, H - 12 - 4.1.
in the yard. Care should be exercised in this phase Sizes and locations of reinforcement steel for the
of the work to assure that the shelter will be built roof slab are indicated in the plans shown in this booklet.
where it is intended and at the depth intended in Reinforcement consists of No. 4 bars spaced 8" O.C.
relationship with yard elevations. running in the direction of the short dimension of the
Side walls of the excavation should be sloped shelter (structural reinforcement) and No. 4 bars spaced
sufficiently so that soil will not slough off into the a t 16" in the long dimension (temperature reinforcement).
work area. Alternatively, the side walls can be shored Reinforcement around the hatchway opening, also No. 4
if the soil is especially loose. bars, is indicated in the plans.
During the excavation phase, do not excavate
deeper than the bottom level of the slab or drainage Dampproofing / Waterproofing
fill ( i f any) to assure that the bearing soil is not
d ist urbed. Protection of the underground facility from water
and moisture penetration is recommended. If soil
Footings and Floor Slab conditions are relatively dry and if there is good surface
water drainage, then dampproofing should be sufficient.
A combined footing and floor slab is designed for I f ground water is observed in the excavation and if the
the shelter. By thickening the slab a t its edges, support excavation is likely to become a collector basin for
is provided for the block walls. water, then waterproofing probably will be necessary
Underground utilities should be placed before the to achieve a dry shelter space. Dampproofing and
floor slab is poured-such as floor drain or sump, and waterproofing concepts and techniques are described
water piping. A sump is provided for floor drainage in the companion booklet, H-12-4.1.
of the shelter illustrated, but other drainage methods
can be used provided that the drainage water has Planter Walls
someplace to flow.
All concrete should have a minimum compressive Walls of the surrounding planter are constructed
strength of 2,500 Ibs. per sq. inch (psi). Locations after the basic shelter is completed and after backfill is
and sizes of reinforcement steel are indicated in the placed up to a level of the footings for the planter walls.
plans. All reinforcement indicated in the plans should Concrete footings for the planter walls should be set
be installed even though it might seem possible t o below the frost line depth for the region where the
omit some. shelter is built.
Planter walls consist of 4" standard face brick and
Masonry Block Walls 8" backup block. The planter walls are capped with
brick. Type S mortar also is specified for this work.
The walls of the shelter are constructed of standard These walls do not require grouting or vertical
8" thick masonry block. The block walls are reinforced reinforcement bars unless the height of the walls above
both horizontally and vertically. Prefabricated trussed the surface of the yard is greater than about 3 feet.
wire reinforcement is used in horizontal joints, placed Horizontal joint reinforcement for a 12" wall should
continuously a t every second bed course. Vertical be used in alternate bed courses of the block.
reinforcement is No. 4 steel bars spaced a t 8" on centers Brick steps leading to the hatchway are indicated
(one bar in each block cell). Every other vertical bar in the plans for the shelter.
(one each block unit) is secured to dowels formed in
the floor slab. Ventilation
Cells of the block units are grouted to provide
a bond between vertical reinforcement steel and block The ventilation system for the shelter consists of
units. Grout lifts should not be greater than 4 feet for a hand-operated centrifugal blower, air intake pipe with
any one pour. Type S mortar is specified for block filter hood, and air discharge pipe with hood. Air intake
masonry joints and for grout. and discharge pipes are placed on opposite or adjacent
walls of the shelter space to provide optimum movement
Roof Slab of ventilation air. Piping should be placed with outlets
more or less a t the heights above the floor level of the
A reinforced concrete roof slab 8" thick is designed shelter as shown in the plans. Piping and fittings may
be either galvanized steel or ABS (plastic). by a local sheet-metal shop in the homeowner’s area in
The air intake pipe is fitted with a hood and screen accordance with details included in the plans.
filter so that radioactive particles will not be pulled into
the shelter space by the blower. The air exhaust pipe MODIFICATION OF PLANS
1
is hooded, but no filter is needed.
Centrifugal blowers can be purchased commercially. The shelter plans shown on subsequent pages may be
One such supplier is: modified within certain limitations as may be necessary
to meet particular needs of the homeowner. To accom-
Spec Air, Inc. modate more than six occupants, increase the length of
13999 Goldmark Drive, Suite 401 the shelter 2’ - 8” for each two additional occupants.
Dallas, Texas 75240 The width of the shelter should not be increased unless
Telephone --214 / 644 - 6806 the roof structure is redesigned. The roof structure of
the shelter illustrated is designed to span in the short
Electrical service for lighting and power equipment dimension, and new engineering analysis is needed for
also may be added. Electrical service should be from longer spans.
a separate circuit and with a branch circuit breaker Other designs for an elevated planter and for access
inside the shelter that has ground fault protection. into the shelter are possible without changing the basic
An electrically powered centrifugal blower may be shelter. Each homeowner’s preference for landscape
substituted for the hand-operated blower. I t should be character can be met in this phase of the work.
recognized that electrical power to the shelter may be Piping for water may be added during construction-
disrupted by a tornado or nuclear explosion. such as for the swimming pool filter equipment that is
Air intake filter and exhaust hood can be fabricated i I Iustrated.
PLAN OF PLANTER AND HATCHWAY AT YARD LEVEL
4
F- AIR EXHAUST VENT
!I /HATCHWAY COVER
0 BLOCK AT HATCHWAY
K BLOCK BACKUP
-
P U N T E R WALLS
v FACE BRICK wiin
L 2 NO 4 FOOTING BARS
CROSS SECTION A - A
FLOOR PLAN OF THE SHELTER
, I
RETURN WALLS -
\-{ V BLOCK AT HATCHWAY
(ABOVE ROOF SLAB1 WITH
4 FACE BRICK WITH
4 ' BLOCK BACK UP
~ j GROUTED CELLS
HATCHWAY COVER
BRICK STEPS
I 1 / T O HATCHWAY
. 3" 1.D. PIPE
'c
AIR INTAKE HOOD DETAIL
CROSS SECTION B - B
PLAN SHOWING PLANTER WALLS AND HATCHWAY WALLS
6
'\ 1 HINGES -z EACA
BRICK RETURN WALL
[CONCRETE BASE BRICK CAP
2 N O 4 BARS CONT
AROUND HATCHWAY
VERTICAL REINFORCEMENT - 1 112 HANORAIL-
RIZONTAL JOINT REINFORCEMENT -
R 8 WALL EVERY OTHER BLOCK
OTHER BLOCK COURSE
VERTICAL REINFORCEMEN BLOCK WITH GROUTED CELLS
NO 4 B A R S @ 8 O C
EXTEND ALTERNATE BARS
INTO BLOCK AROUND
HATCHWAY
NO 4 SLAB T O WALL
W W E L S Q 16 O C -- ~
SECTION C - C AT HATCHWAY SECTION D - D AT HATCHWAY
P L A N OF HATCHWAY COVER
M E T A L CAP FOR 26 G I . G A L V A N I Z E D
WATER SEAL 1 / LIP IN M E T A L C O V E R
DETAIL 1 DETAIL 2 DETAIL 3
314" WOOD E O G E
. . . . -
\
INSIDE FACE OF
BLOCU W A L L
H I N G E STRAP - EMBED
IN M A S O N R Y
EOOF SLAB REINFORCEMENT P L A N DETAIL 4 a DETAIL 5
*U.S. GOVERNMEW PRINTINGOFFICE: 1988-519-357163051 HATCHWAY COVER DETAILS
7
E
t I c - __
LIST OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
D ISTR IBUT10 N
F E M A Regions
.
Emergency Management Institute
State and Local CD Directors