COMPLETELY SELF-CONTAINED PROTECTION FROM

 

·Structural Fiberglass Double Elliptical Arch ·Tornadoes

·Air Filtration System ·Nuclear Weapons

·Toilet, Shower and Septic System ·Chemical Weapons/Accidents

·Diesel Generator/Tank ·Nuclear Power Plant Accidents

·Decontamination ·Nuclear/Chemical Terrorism

·Communications System ·Power Plant Failures

·Lighting ·Forest Fires and Famines

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE EC 70-128 DISASTER SHELTER

The EC 70-128 is a totally self-contained 15 psi elliptical arch condominium disaster shelter designed to protect up to 200 adults for long periods or 400 people for short durations such as during tornadoes. The arches must be assembled on site by local contractors. The product was specifically designed and developed to protect people during and after disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, storms, forest fires, power failures, nuclear power plant accidents, nuclear/chemical terrorism, and full-scale protracted nuclear, chemical and biological war. A tremendous effort has been made to think of every conceivable incident that shelterists could face in all types of disasters. Many geometrical shapes were experimented with before finalizing the EC 70-128. The EC 70-128 includes the fiberglass arches, entranceway, emergency escape, life support system, HEPA filters, carbon filters, eight 2500 gallon fiberglass leaching septic tanks, two 2300 gallon stainless diesel fuel tanks, two 55 KW prime power slow speed diesel generators, water filtration system, plans, etc.

 

DESIGN

The EC 70-128 is a third generation disaster shelter designed and developed by Walton W. McCarthy, M.E., author of PRINCIPLES of PROTECTION, U.S. Handbook of NBC Weapon Fundamentals and Shelter Engineering Standards, Fifth Edition, 2002, 489 pp. The American Civil Defense Association, Starke, FL which is the United State’s bible on shelter engineering. He is the principle engineer of RADIUS ENGINEERING INC., with over 28 years experience design­ing “high- tech” disaster shelters. The book is dis­tributed by The American Civil Defense Associa­tion (TACDA) in Starke , Florida, and is known in the industry as P.O.P. The EC 70-128 was designed using CAD (computer aided drafting), CAE (computer aided engineer­ing), and FEAM (3-dimensional finite element analysis and modeling). A shelterist in the EC 70-128 under heavy, direct effects from two 1-MT nuclear weapons, has at least the same probability of survival (99.7%) as a person living and working in peace­time. The shape of the EC 70-128 allows it to be a true pressure vessel for resistance to high external pressure. The EC 70-128 shelter system is based on 15 years field experience with McCarthy’s successful P6, and P10 fiberglass underground shelters.

 

POWER SUPPLY

The EC 70-128 is equipped with two 55 kW slow speed prime power diesel generator connected to two 2300 gallon fuel tanks. This size tank will allow the each generator to operate at 50% capacity continuously for approximately 1000 hrs (42 days). Electrical usage (320 kw per day) is based on the breathing air blower operating 24 hrs/day, generator blower operating when the generator is on, and ample amounts of time for lights, TV, water pump, sump pump, dishwasher, washer and dryer, refrigerator, water heater, stove dehumidifier, etc. The generator will consume 204 cfm of room air at 100% power for combustion. The generator room is cooled by a 2000 cfm blower that forces fresh filtered air from the room across the generator and up to the top of the shelter where the heat exits the shelter through the air outlet manifolds in the ceiling. The generator room blower will keep the generator room temperature at not more than 10 deg. F. above ambient room air temperature. The exhaust of the generator has a dedicated high temperature exhaust manifold in the shelter ceiling. The batteries used to start the generator create small amounts of hydrogen gas when they are being charged when the generator is one. Hydrogen gas is the lightest gas known and rises to the top of the shelter where it exits the shelter through the air outlet manifolds along with the heat. During peace time, each generator automatically starts up and runs for 30 minutes every 30 days.

 

 

 

THE CONDO SHELTER CONCEPT

 

The “Condo Shelter” concept has some strong advantages over personal shelters. 1) Shelterists can live in a normal housing environment that they are accustomed to. 2) Shelterists can enter the shelter by walking down a stairwell so they don’t have to enter the shelter like a submarine and climb down a ladder. 3) Shelterists are not alone during a disaster. 4) Having a shelter large enough for multiple families under one safe roof allows services such as medical help, mechanical help, technical help, group emotional support etc. 5) There is enough “extra room” to deal with uninvited friends and relatives during a disaster. The condo shelter, however, needs a legal or business structure to operate well.

 

 

The group of people that decides to protect themselves is commonly called survival condo owners (SCO’s) or shelterists. The SCO’s using the EC 70-128 would first need to form an LLC (Limited Liability Company), non-profit corporation, or some type of association.

 

Condo Shelter LLC Basic RespoNsibilities Outline

 

1. SCO’s need to establish a company or association name.
2. Elect officers- secretary, treasurer, construction coordinator to communicate with Radius and the general contractor. The contractor usually answers to Radius.
3. The secretary is normally given the authority to open a bank account for the LLC, deposit money from members and sign checks. LLC Checks can have a double signature from the secretary and construction coordinator if SCO’s require.
4. Establish a list of names, addresses and phone numbers of all shelterists and also who to notify in case of emergency. This is useful during a disaster. Everybody should buddy with each other to communicate any possible emergencies and the best way to notify each other when a disaster occurs. This includes normal and alternative routes of movement to get to the shelter, and alternative methods of communication such as ham radios.
5. Files and Photos. All shelterists should have duplicate legal files and photos in their condo.
6. Establish a budget for the construction project.
7. Determine how local property taxes apply to an emergency structure owned by an non-profit LLC or corporation. Decide when money needs to be deposited into the LLC bank account to contractors, taxes and maintenance.
8. Decide on how many apartments and floor plan for all apartments.
9. Determine who owns what percentage of the condo based on percentage of floor plan used, excluding common areas such as center isle, generator room, filter room, exercise room.
10. Decide on what type of people would be useful as condo owners. Ideally, one owner should be a medical person, one should have mechanical skills, one should have legal or police experience, one should have local government experience, one should be a teacher of various subjects, and one should know the effects of NBC weapons. Each condo owner is responsible for bringing to the condo appropriate books and resources of their profession.
11. Decide how to use the second level: storage, extra room for uninvited guests etc.
12. Decide who will be responsible for maintaining the generator room, video surveillance, radio room, cleaning, exercise room etc. All shelterists must share in daily operations.
13. Decide on rules for all shelterists. Is smoking allowed? Are pets allowed and what kind and size?
14. What type of level of defense should the shelter have?
15. Decide who enters the shelter prior to a disaster and during a disaster. How many friends should be allowed in during a disaster? Rules for children.
16. Find and purchase a piece of land.
17. Decide if a general contractor will be hired (recommended).
18. Decide if guns are allowed, what type and how and where they are stored and secured. What solvents, cleaners, paints, etc. should be stored and where.

 

 

 

ENTRANCEWAY and EMERGENCY ESCAPE

The EC 70-128 has an 8 ft diameter fiberglass entranceway with a seismic joint at the connection to the end wall. On the opposite end wall is the emergency escape tunnel. The 8 ft. diameter tunnel has a blind end 3 feet below the ground surface. In an emergency, a fiberglass cover is removed from inside allowing the earth cover to fall inside so shelterists can make their way 3 feet to the surface if debris falls on top of the hatch. If the shelter is located in ground subject to frost, the area around this tunnel end should be backfilled with crushed stone.

 

SHELTER CONSTRUCTION

The shelter and entranceway are made of structural fiber­glass manufactured to underground storage tank standards of Underwriters Laboratory, American Society of Testing and Materials, and shelter engineering standards of PRINCIPLES of PRO­TECTION. Fiberglass was chosen as the optimum material because of its extremely high resiliency and corrosion resistance plus its ability to be shaped into a compoundly curved structure. The 15 psi (pounds per square inch) external pressure resistance, with no earth arching, is constant over 100 years and does not have to be de-rated like steel each passing year due to corrosion. Fiberglass also forms a complete vapor barrier which provides a dry atmosphere when placed below ground, and it has proven to be sound in the underground storage tank industries. In addition, one of the greatest characteristics of fiberglass is its ability to “remain intact” if overstressed. The inside of the shelter is smooth, curved, and white to create maximum brightness with minimal light. All of these facilities function without outside electricity through the use two 55 kW slow speed prime power diesel generators. The inside surface of the fiberglass arches are easily cleaned with common detergents and is easily repaired.

 

 

LEACHING SEPTIC TANK

The EC 70-128 is equipped with a high pressure 2500 gallon ellipsoid underground structural fiberglass leaching septic tank. The septic tank, with 1500 useful gallons below the leach holes all around the tank, has a duration of more than one year per family. It is easily pumped out with a manual septic pump from the ground surface by removing the septic tank access plug. Conventional concrete box septic tanks have flat walls and are therefore not able to withstand the external pressure that the EC 70-128 is designed for. The fiberglass ellipsoid septic tank has all compound curved surfaces to withstand external pressure. It can be installed below the water table with its gravity domes. The earth over the gravity domes creates more gravity force than the hydrostatic force (buoyancy) of the empty septic tank.

 

SHELTER FACILITIES

The EC 70-128 contains 13,440 square feet and 171,392+ cubic feet. Ceiling height ranges from10 feet high in the apartments to 21’-8” in the common hall and generator room. This allows for normal living and a very spacious feeling. Fresh air enters the shelter by reverse curved centrifugal blowers designed to operate 24 hours per day and supplies many times the breathing volume of air required by adults and results in a complete air change every 1.4 hours. This system has the advantage of maintaining negative pressure in the filtration system, positive pressure inside the shelter, constant shelter temperature, constant shelter oxygen levels, constant shelter carbon dioxide levels, and constant shelter mois­ture levels, plus it prevents overheating in warm cli­mates. Exhausting of hot, moist, spent air is facilitated through the 16 air outlet manifolds in the shelter ceiling. This is the most efficient geometry for exhausting spent air and resisting intruder assaults.

 

AIR FILTRATION

Each half of the shelter has its own independent air system and each one can support the whole shelter. The air is purified through a three-stage filtra­tion system. The first filter is the HEPA filter located in the air duct close to the ground level. This filter intakes air from the circular air manifold in the hatch dome entrance at ground level and physically removes dust and airborne contaminates including radioac­tive fallout and biological warfare agents carriers. The HEPA filter system is specifically designed to operate in severe weapon effects. Replacement HEPA filters can be installed in a few minutes. The spent air filter is placed in a plastic bag and thrown out of the shelter hatch. The second and third stage of air filtration takes place in the carbon filter housing located after the HEPA filter. In this carbon filter housing, two layers of carbon are used. Activated carbon is used to remove radioactive iodine gas and Whetlerite carbon is used to remove chemical agents. Backup carbon filters and centrifugal air blowers are supplied. The EC 70-128 Owner’s Manual details specific safe procedures for replacing contaminated HEPA and carbon filters. Both air inlet and air outlet manifolds have aluminum screens accessible from inside the shelter.

 

EXERCISE ROOM

 

The mechanical room opposite the generator room houses the second air filtration system, well, water filtration system, and still leaves room for optional gym equipment.

 

FOOD STORAGE

There are three methods of food storage. 1) The conventional method of storing food in common cans can be used but the nutritional value is only good for about year. This requires changing all the canned food each year. 2) Dehydrated or freeze dried food can be used which has a life span of about 5 years. This also has the disadvantage of not being familiar food. 3) 5 gallon plastic food tanks can be used to store grain, powdered milk, salt, sugar, beans, TVP (textured vegetable protein), honey, etc. Each food storage tank holds approximately 20-50 lbs. of food. The material and thickness of these food tanks allows the much preferred carbon dioxide packing of food as opposed to the nitrogen packing of food. Food packed with carbon dioxide can be stored for over 20 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HATCH DOME

The S.T.A.R.D. (Stealth Terrestrial Attack Resistant Design) 8 ft. diameter hatch dome at ground level is aerodynamically smooth. The 42 x 84 inch elliptical opening accepts large people and furniture to enter the shelter quickly and easily. The hatch dome contains the recessed hatch cover and is designed for severe impact of high speed flying debris. The angle of incidence of the hatch dome is only 10 degrees to match the berm angle and allow flying debris to glance off. The hatch dome and hatch cover are designed to resist a non-shattering 3-inch diameter hail ball falling straight down at terminal velocity (87 mph) and impacting directly at a full 90-degree angle of incidence. The hatch dome is also designed to resist a non-shattering 3-inch diameter hail ball traveling horizontally at 150 mph. In addition, the hatch dome can resist a solid 2 x 4 wooden stud impacting the hatch dome like a battering ram or javelin at 350 mph. Some debris, depending on the size, shape, angle of incidence, and mass, may cosmetically damage the hatch dome. This can be easily repaired with fiberglass repair kits available at marine and automotive supply stores. The hatch dome and cover can be camouflaged in many ways including simple 2 x 8 weathered boards.

 

Hurricane Scale Simpson		Cat 1	Cat 2	Cat 3	Cat 4	Cat 5
Wind speed (mph)		74-95	96-110	111-130	131-155	155+
Storm Surge- Ft above normal		4-5	6-8	9-12	13-18	18+

 

Tornado F-Scale	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5
Windspeed (mph)	40-72	73-112	113-157	158-206	207-260	261-318

 

The hatch dome is made of a material called “Combat Composite^TM” which is a structural fire-and bullet-resistant laminate developed by Radius Engineering Inc. The hatch dome is also designed to protect the shelter from a fire reaching 1700^oF for one hour while maintaining its structural integrity in compliance to ASTM E119. This design and material makes the EC 70-128 very stealthy. It produces little or no thermal signature, little or no metallic signature, and little or no radar signature. When the shelter is installed, all that can be seen is the dark army-green hatch dome at ground level. This makes it almost impossible to be detected by modern target acquisition equipment. It is designed to resist 300-mph winds and more than 8.5 on the Richter Scale. Although the hatch dome is not impenetrable, it is specifically de­signed to resist seven basic assaults from people trying to break into the shelter in compliance to P.O.P.

Hatch Cover Exterior Lock

The EC 70-128 hatch can be locked from outside when it is not being used. The pad lock and locking bar can be removed from the hatch cover and dome and taken into the shelter to prevent a person outside the shelter from locking shelterists inside.

Hatch Cover And Interior Lock

The hatch cover is connected to the hatch dome by an external recessed hinge. This allows fast and easy entry. The hatch cover is recessed in the hatch dome which has drain gullies to allow water to drain away from the hatch cover. A stainless steel rope hoist with an automatic brake is used to secure the hatch cover. This system is designed to resist 16,000 lbs. of uplifting force caused by the negative pressure of a tornado or explosion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The hatch dome and hatch cover are manufactured according to The National Institute of Justice NIJ standards from Class 0 (standard on EC 70-128) up to Class IV to resist penetration by various threats. The material and thickness vary as the threat level increases. The classes listed below are based on resisting 90% of all of the bullet types at various velocities listed known as (V-90). The barrel length, feet per second (fps) or meters per second (mps) for the test are noted.

NIJ Threat Level	Hatch Material (V-90)	Threat/Bullet Type	Barrel Length (inches)	fps	mps
Class 0	Structural Fiberglass-self-extinguishing (standard)	Light Hammer and hatchet assaults, 3 in. dia. Hail @ 87-mph vertical, 150-mph horizontal 2 x 4 stud @ 30-mph	NA	NA	NA
Class I	Combat Composite self-extinguishing	.22 Cal. 40 Gr. LR .25 Cal Auto 71 Gr. FMJ .32 Cal. Auto 71 Gr. FMJ .380 Cal. Auto 88 Gr. JHP .38 Cal Special Lead 158 Gr. RN .38 Cal Special 158 Gr. SWC 2 x 4 stud @ 70-mph	6 2 4 4 6 6 --	1050 810 905 990 850 850	320 247 276 302 259 259
Class II	Combat Composite self-extinguishing	.41 Mag. 210 Gr. JSP .44 Mag. 240 Gr. JSP .44 Mag. 240 Gr. Lead SWC .357 Mag. 125 Gr. JHP .357 Mag. 110 Gr. JHP .357 Mag. 158 Gr. JSP .357 Mag. 158 Gr. Hornady 19mm 175 Gr. Silvertip 9mm 124 Gr. FMJ 9mm 115 Gr. Silvertip 2 x4 stud @ 100-mph	4 4 4 4 4 6 6 5 5 5 --	1300 1180 1200 1450 1550 1395 1445 1225 1175 1170	397 360 366 442 473 425 441 372 358 355
Class III	Combat Composite self-extinguishing	7.62 NATO Ball 150 Gr. M-80 steel Jack 7.62 NATO Ball 150 Gr. m-80 FMJ 30.06 PSP 180 Gr. .30 Carbine 110 Gr. FMJ 12-Gauge Rifled Slug .223 (5.56mm) 55 Gr. FMC 7.62 x 39 Ball 2 x4 stud @ 200-mph	28 28 24 18 18 20 22 22 22 --	2750 2750 2750 1950 1550 3075 2400	838 838 824 595 473 938 732
Class IV	Combat Composite self-extinguishing	30.06 A.P. M-2 7.62 mm NATO A.P. 308 Win SS 109 FN NATO .223 (5.56mm) 7.62 x 39 Russian/Chinese A.P.I. 2 x4 stud @ 350-mph	26 24 20 22 --	2850 2750 3090 2550	868 838 942 778

 

 

 

SHELTER DEFENSE

The EC 70-128 is not impenetrable but is difficult to break into while shelterists are inside.

INTRUDER ASSAULT	EC 70-128 RESISTANCE
1.       Intruder trying to break into hatch using sledgehammer, hatchets, and guns.	Class 0 Hatch resists light hammer and hatchet assaults Class I -IV Hatch resists all assaults
2.       Intruder trying to clog the air intake/outlet to suffocate the shelterists thus forcing them outside.	Shelterists can open up hatch and reach over to unclog air intake or wait in safety in the shelter for many hours in sealed shelter atmosphere while the intruder is exposed to the outside danger.
3.       Intruder trying to suffocate shelterists by creating fire on top of the hatch thus forcing the shelterists outside.	All classes of the hatch are resistant to fire and the shelterists can breath normally inside the shelter based on sealed shelter atmosphere.
4.       An intruder trying to run over the shelter or hatch with an automobile or truck.	If this vehicle becomes a threat, the Emergency Escape Manway can be used.
5.       An intruder trying to drown shelterists by forcing water or gasoline into the air inlet/outlet manifolds.	The air inlet and outlet manifolds are baffled to prevent this type of assault. The fluid simply drains into the ground.
6.       An intruder trying to attach rope onto the hatch or air manifolds to damage or pull out of ground.	The hatch dome is a smooth design with no projections to easily attach to.
7.      An intruder using a cutting torch to cut the hatch open.	The hatch is impervious to a cutting torch.
All attacks above	Release of tear gas through hatch. Details are available only to actual customers.

 

 

SEISMIC JOINT

The seismic joint connecting the entranceway to the shelter is subject to ground shock and frost heave and responds to these forces differently than the shelter. A triple axis seismic joint is therefore employed to allow the entranceways free and independent movement from the main shelter in three directions plus translation. The entranceway is located within the frost line, while the shelter is well below the frost line. This creates tremendous stresses during winter months when the entranceway is forced up 0.5 - 1.25 inches due to frozen ground. The seismic joint removes these stresses by allowing vertical movement of the entranceway and also allows the top of the entranceway to move laterally to maintain structural integrity during rolling ground motion from severe ground shock.

 

 

SEALED SHELTER ATMOSPHERE

 

When ground fires are present around the hatch, the air blower should not be turned on to bring in fresh air. During this time, the shelterists must breathe in a sealed shelter atmosphere. The safe duration time is based on a 3% carbon dioxide (CO₂) limit. The time it takes for the shelter atmosphere to reach this limit is a function of the number of shelterists, degree of physical activity of the number of shelterists, and the volume of the shelter above the floor. This duration is shown above for adults performing mild work.

 

 

OVERPRESSURE CHOKING

The EC 70-128 does not use blast valves. Instead, it uses the “overpressure choking” which has no moving parts. The inlet air valve and outlet air valve are sized to prevent excessive pressure from developing inside the shelter during a nuclear blast. This is a combination of what is known as the Ideal Gas Law combined with Bernoulli's Law. These two theories combined, state that two volumes of air (outside air volume and shelter air volume) with differing pressure will reach equilibrium or "equilibrate" over a period of time. This period of time depends on the level of overpressure, volume of the shelter, diameter and length of the air inlet and outlet pipe, resistance of air filter, and duration of the overpressure which is very short and constantly decreasing. Simply stated; the air inlet and outlet are sized so that there is not enough time for the two volumes of air to equilibrate. The outside pressure at maximum duration is simply not able to equilibrate through sixteen 6-inch diameter air outlet manifolds, two air inlet manifolds, and two generator exhaust manifolds within the overpressure duration time.

 

 

 

 

PLUMBING SYSTEM

 

The EC 70-128 uses a conventional plumbing system with toilets, sinks, shower, and septic system. The sewage and all gray water is pumped up to the leaching septic tanks by electrical high pressure pumps.

 

Fittings- Two 1-inch diameter NPTF fittings are located in the hatch dome so CB and Scanner antennas can be installed from inside the shelter. Plugs are provided to be in place when antennas are not in place.

 

Gas Agent Tester Housing (GATH) -This aluminum unit is installed on the air inlet pipe. It allows visual confirmation of chemical warfare agents without exiting the shelter. The GATH is also designed to collect and drain condensation prior to air entering the HEPA and carbon filter housing.

 

RADIATION SHIELDING

Radiation shielding from overhead in the EC 70-128 is provided by a minimum of 6 feet of earth at the crown of the shelter ceil­ing. With a TRS (Total Rems in Shelter) of 1-15,(1 rem @ 15 psi) a person would receive a maximum acute radiation dose from overhead and through the entranceway for neutron and gamma radiation equivalent to a mammography x-ray. This dose is based on a 500 KT air burst nuclear weapon, which produces a higher neutron radiation dose than the larger MT weapons, plus fallout doses from a 1 MT surface burst nuclear weapon to maximize the fallout gamma radiation dose.

 

Based on the worst cancer cases (leukemia) from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki victims, a 10-rem dose may increase the cancer rates from the cur­rent rate of 352/100,000 up to 355/100,000. It should be kept in mind that the Hiroshima victims were totally unprepared and uneducated. They were malnourished and already suffering from many diseases during a critical wartime period where food, medical supplies, and other necessi­ties were in short supply. In addition, they were not only exposed to heavy, acute external radia­tion

doses but also internal radiation doses from eating contaminated food and inhaling radioactive fallout. Educated shelterists can avoid such damaging effects and can determine the radiation levels with a simple radiation survey meter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INSTALLATION AND SHIPPING