Radius Engineering Inc. has a long history of developing various shelter systems to protect people from natural and man-made disasters.
1978 Underground shelters are made from concrete structures. Designs were used from the government agencies, which were very crude and very poorly engineered due to lack of government funding for civil defense.
1983 After experience with existing designs and technology, Walton McCarthy receives private funding to write The Nuclear Shelterist, Todd and Honeywell, NY. This book was aimed at helping people build their own shelters.
1984 After realizing the shortcomings of concrete in water tightness and construction time, underground shelters were made from steel tanks and retrofitted with life support systems.
1985 Underground shelters continued to be made from steel tanks and pipe culverts. Numerous anti-corrosion systems were experimented with using cathodic protection and fiberglass coatings.
1988 Underground shelters are designed and made from fiberglass in paraboloid shape. The Nuclear Shelterist is replaced with PRINCIPLES OF PROTECTION, The US Standard Handbook of NBC Weapon Fundamentals and Shelter Engineering Design Standards.
1989 The first TBC6 fiberglass paraboloid was manufactured. This design was aimed at creating a shelter that is watertight, does not fail catastrophically like cylinders, does not suffer from corrosion and consequently does not require de-rating its pressure rating each year due to corrosion. U.S. Patent No. 4,660,334
1989 The Underground shelter ES10 fiberglass elongated spheroid was manufactured. The Second Edition of PRINCIPLES OF PROTECTION, The US Standard Handbook of NBC Weapon Fundamentals and Shelter Engineering Design Standards is printed.
1991 Underground fiberglass shelter P10 Shelter manufactured using the conventional 90-degree angled entranceway. The Third Edition of PRINCIPLES OF PROTECTION, The US Standard Handbook of NBC Weapon Fundamentals and Shelter Engineering Design Standards is printed.
1992 Underground fiberglass shelters P10 and P6 were re-designed and manufactured with offset entranceways to create a better atmosphere. U.S. Patent No. 5,115,613
1993 The S16 shelter was developed and was the first 16 person shelter that was to be assembled on site. This design was later abandoned in view of the success of the P10 and P6 shelters. The Fourth Edition of PRINCIPLES OF PROTECTION, The US Standard Handbook of NBC Weapon Fundamentals and Shelter Engineering Design Standards is printed.
1994 Underground fiberglass shelters P10, P6, TR6 are manufactured with numerous improvements. The S.C.U.P.P. (Self Contained Underground Power Plant) is developed. Patent pending. Combat CompositeTM is developed and successfully tested to resist gunfire and fire. Patent Pending.
1996 Underground fiberglass shelters P10, P6, TR6, TR6S, and Earthcom 18 earth bermed arch is manufactured. The S16 shelter is dropped from the product line.
1998 The fiberglass NBC Lifecell (Multi-Chamber Air Sterilization) is developed for purifying air inside one room in a conventional house plus light and communications for a two-week period. This is the first attempt to provide low cost emergency protection for the homeowner against nuclear, chemical, and biological warfare. U.S. Patent No. 6,296.693 B1
2001 The VP6 first fiberglass vertical paraboloid is manufactured to meet market need for chemical and biological warfare agent protection. The VP6 is later redesigned to provide limited protection from nuclear warfare. Patent Pending.
2002 The Fifth Edition of PRINCIPLES OF PROTECTION, The US Standard Handbook of NBC Weapon Fundamentals and Shelter Engineering Design Standards is released and distributed by The American Civil Defense Association.
2003 The VP6 is dropped from the product line. The CAT 25 is introduced to address the needs of larger families and corporations.
2005 Tunnel "T" connectors and small atriums were developed to allow multiple CAT 25's to be connected together. The NBC Life Cell is dropped from the product line and the new MCAS (Multiple Chamber Air Sterilization) units are introduced.
2006 The Earthcom series of arches was developed to allow larger single shelters and later modified to accept tunnels to connect CAT 25's. The CAT 25 Gen pod is developed for very long-term power.
2007 The Earthcom Dome 60 is developed to meet the need for more CAT 25's and a longer term food storage volume for business continuity programs for the financial, government, and insurance industries for approximately 200 people. The new Meridian Hydraulic Hatch is introduced. Multiple US Patent Pendings.
2008 The Trogonia community consisting of multiple Earthcom 100's to protect up to 2000 people is developed to meet the needs of larger business continuity programs. The Earthcom Support module is developed to provide decon and long-term power for large communities in a "Mall Style" underground structure. Service and spiral stair entranceways are developed to support this size community. Multiple US Patent Pendings.
2009 After 18 years of service and over 600 installations, the P6 and P10 are replaced with the CAT 12 for longer term shelter durations.
2010 The 6th Edition of PRINCIPLES OF PROTECTION, The US Standard Handbook of NBC Weapon Fundamentals and Shelter Engineering Design Standards is due to be released and distributed by The American Civil Defense Association.
