Type 1 (a)
Surface Garden/Yard Bunker (built on a 'DIY' basis with common readily available items)!
This nuclear bunker uk designed, can be used where the construction of a sub-surface Bunker would cost too much money for the owner to afford! This can be down to the fact the ground soil has a high water table content, requiring a water pump. It is built with common everyday constituent parts, and is erected very quickly. Since excavating underground nuclear bunkers is so expensive this design is the logical choice for those on a budget! It can be built in 2 days (48 hours) by two people, or 4 days (96 hours) by one person. These Bunkers are an alternative to paying a small fortune for a sub-surface Type 4 Bunker, and are a design originating within the United Kingdom.
Obviously, they will not be as effective against Blast Pressure Waves, Initial Nuclear Radiation or Gamma Radiation fallout, however their quick construction means you can protect yourself against Alpha and Beta radiation so that you will survive (as long as you are at least 10 - 20 miles away from the detonation point). Normally, british nuclear bunkers are all ex-government decommissioned facilities. We are giving you the opportunity to have your very own home nuclear bunker. Therefore, don't worry if you can't afford to build a underground shelter because these designs will serve you in good stead (whats more they are free for you to utilize as you see fit)!
This Bunker requires a trench of medium depth hollowed out in the Yard, you then finish the roof with everyday objects (like old doors or flat wood paneling) and this roof is balanced upon a mound of Soil packed high on all sides! You cover all of it with 2 - 3 Feet of Soil. Do this, and you should survive the subsequent fallout on the condition that you avoid the access opening. You can improve the efficacy of the access opening by blocking it with Earth (compressed in bags), built to at least 3 Feet, and surrounding any opening.
Assembly
1. Choose a location in your Garden/Yard that is flat (so as to avoid flooding).
2. Items required:
(a) Tools: A spade, pickaxe, large pales, large saw, screwdriver, knives, measuring tape, writing implement and sketchpad, gardeners gloves.
(b) Segments of insulating fabric material: (IE, large rugs, duvets, thick polythene, sackcloth, etc) you then roll this in Soil (see Figure 7 below).
(c) Homemade sand bags: Carrier bags and pillowcases (to fill with sand).
(d) Wood Lumber: 2 x 4. The length of the 2 x 4 must be at least 4 Ft long, however, as long as its durable this is negotiable. This is used in the cross section braces (see Figure 6 below). Planks of wood 5 Ft long to be used for access opening (see Figure 13 below).
(e) Nails: One hundred x 2 Inch (Must be Steel), and thirty x 4 Inch (must be Steel).
(f) Roof paneling: One piece of paneling per individual in the Bunker is needed! Paneling must be at least 1 Ft wide. You also require 2 hatches (one for access opening and one for exit opening). Thin boards of wood can be used if you don't have enough paneling (stacked thick on top of each other).
(g) Waterproof skins for the entrance/exit hatches (IE, thick polythene, cut up rain coat, thin rubber, kitchen linoleum, etc) .
(h) Hooks (or clothes pegs) and balls of string (or rope) for laying out dimensions and bundling modified sand bags!
3. Assemble the Bunker per instructions (see Figures 4-14 below).
4. You can then add whatever items you wish to make the Bunker livable and 'bearable'.
Forty Inch x two Inch short term placement of wood lumber 2 x 4's amid paneling.
Wood paneling in place - Assemble short term placement of wood paneling wood lumber 2 x 4's to act as a barrier to support your effort to create rolls of Soil (this placement of wood paneling and 2 x 4's are then taken away and placed on the roof).
Figure 8 - Assembly of rolls of Soil
Type 1 (b)
Surface Garden/Yard Bunker (built on a 'DIY' basis with common readily available items)!
The Figures below demonstrates the assembly of a Bunker using scaffolding poles & items that you can procure from construction firms, wood lumbar depots and DIY retailers.
The Bunker can be assembled at very short notice using constituent parts that you can buy in advance and store. It can be built in 2 days (48 hours) by two people -you can vary the dimensions described here!
These size examples can Shelter up to 4 persons for a relatively short stay, or 2 persons (plus stores of food) for a relatively long stay.
The Bunker utilizes stainless steel or a composite alloy metal construct of normal builders scaffolding poles. As you can see below, they are then set in a succession of supports in the shape of an 'A' over the trench. It is obligatory to secure the supports with 2 - 4 poles at a diagonal alignment (crossing both sides of the supports length) and also at the end of the 'A' supports in a horizontal fashion to make the structure secure. Proprietary clamps should be used for tying the poles together tight.
Make ready a trench of medium depth (about 10 Ft x 10 Ft) and and 2 Ft deep! Put down thick polythene. Then put down 2 boards of wood paneling an Inch thick, (5 ft x 10 Ft).
Assemble the 'A' shaped support with scaffolding poles (use 2 x 4 wood lumbar if you don't have access to scaffold). This support needs to be extra durable and stable. The stability of the structure can be enhanced with diagonally placed poles criss crossing both sides of the frame.
Over this trench place the 'A' shaped support (the end of which serves as the access opening), it also allows you to suspend an air pipe from the top (see Figure 17 below). Encase the 'A' support (with the exception of the access opening) with wood paneling. Any exposed openings in the structure should have segments of insulating fabric material placed on them. This is also true for any protrusions of sharp edges.
Cape the Bunker with an overlay of thick polythene. Also take care to ensure that the edge of the trench is covered up also.
You are now ready to encase the whole structure in 2 - 3 Ft of packed Soil. The soil you removed from the ground when you dug up the trench will not be sufficient for this task. One way round this is to dig a deeper trench than you need then just adjust your Bunker interior design to accommodate the changes (IE - make small wooden ladders, place 2 x 4 wood lumber piling as support for the floor or use it as extra storage space).
This Bunker design will offer better Blast Pressure Wave resistance by placing further 'shock absorbent' substances between the thick polythene and outer packed Soil covering! Things like: Bedding, hay, memory foam, etc would be ideal.
The access opening can also be blocked internally with sand bags filled with some of the extra soil left over from the trench. Store these in the extra cavity you have created (underneath the flooring).
Air Supply
This particular design of Bunker WILL need an air supply. Figure 20 (shown below) demonstrate how hollow tubes with a 90 degree angle at the end. This part of the pipe MUST face toward the ground. This end must then be packed with Steel Wool (acts as a filter - crucial!). It goes without saying that this air pipe remain free of internal blockage, and should have uninterrupted access to the exterior of the Bunker.
Type 2
Interior Basement Bunker (needs professional builder's input)
The Bunker in this 'type category' (which is a steel box encased in a wall of bricks) - is only appropriate for residences that already have basements installed.
This type of Bunker will will withstand the load of rubble that will occur as a result of the structural failure and fall of the building. The bricks are there to ensure that this Bunker will also withstand radiation fallout. Both the outside and inside of this brick wall will also be surrounded by bags filled with soil, sand, concrete, etc.
This Bunker can accommodate 4 persons, however, it can be modified to house more (plus supplies) if necessary. There is nothing to say that if your basement is big enough, you can't have 3 or 4 of these Bunker types to ensure that you can live there comfortably for a month by spreading a large family over the 4 Bunkers!
If you already had the necessary materials in place you could possibly have a contractor build the box cage in a few hours (if there were 2 of them). It would then take them a further day (24 hours) to complete the structure with the brick wall and sand bags!
Type 3
Sub-surface Garden/Yard Bunker (assembled from a prefabricated module)
Type 3 Bunkers are generally pre-fabricated structures which are manufactured by a supplier as a module kit which you then have shipped to your residence. You really need a Garden/Yard and is accessible either from the Garden/Yard, or from a tunnel leading from your house. The module is generally half-buried in the Garden/Yard, then the Soil unearthed from the digging is placed on top of the structure. If you want an even greater Protection Factor (PF) then completely bury the module and the even greater amount of Soil unearthed will give you more mass between you and the surface when it is placed over the top!
How you go about building this structure (the techniques involved), and the density of metals used will depend upon your budget. The construction of the module will take 2 people roughly 24 hours. The hole required to half-bury the module will take 2 people 172 hours, or to fully bury the module, the hole required for that purpose would take 2 people 344 hours (if using manual labour using a spade). This is why you are probably better off employing the services of a qualified contractor (like Bunker Shield).
The prefabricated module (and its components) would have to be ordered from Bunker Shield in advance as this Bunker would not go up at the 'last minute' in a crisis. You have to plan for, and make allowances for, the time it takes to excavate a suitably sized hole and have the module placed underground. This all takes time!
Type 4 (these can only be built professionally, Bunker Shield specialises in this type)
Indefinite Bunker (Professionally constructed Bunker able to withstand Initial Nuclear Radiation [INR], Blast Pressure Waves, Hurricane Winds, Thermal Fire Storm and Gamma Radiation from Fallout)
Our specialty is the Type 4 Bunker. It is hollowed out of the ground, and is composed of thick concrete. We then add other dense materials to ensure gamma radiation (from fallout) doesn't penetrate the sanctuary. This type of Bunker can only be built by professionals, using a Structural Engineer who will oversee the project. DO NOT attempt to build this yourself. Not only do you run the risk of a structural collapse, but there is no guarantee that your effort will result in a secure Bunker that can withstand the Earth movements, blast over pressure and radiation permeation that will result in a nuclear attack!
As stated above, this type of Bunker is the ONLY TYPE that will more or less guarantee (to a high degree of probability) to withstand Initial Nuclear Radiation [INR], blast pressure waves, hurricane winds, thermal fire storms and gamma radiation from fallout! The example below will shelter 6 people, however more people can be added simply by increasing the dimensions. This will invariably cost more. You will also have to make provisions for supplies to last a year!
Please note, this is the only design of Bunker which will survive if the blast takes place within 2 miles. Millions of people in Britain will be within this crucial 2 miles radius!
Copyright: © Lee Holden, Director, Bunker Shield, 2013 AD. All rights reserved.
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