COMPLETELY SELF-CONTAINED PROTECTION
FROM
·Structural Fiberglass Paraboloid ·Tornadoes
·Air Filtration System ·Nuclear Weapons
·Toilet, Shower and Septic System ·Chemical Weapons/Accidents
·Battery Operated ·Nuclear Power Plant Accidents
·Decontamination ·Nuclear/Chemical Terrorism
·Communications System ·Power Plant Failures
·Lighting ·Forest Fires and Famines
THE P6 DISASTER SHELTER
The P6 is a totally self-contained 20-150 psi ribbed
paraboloid (egg shape) underground disaster shelter designed to protect 6
adults for long periods or 10 people for short durations such as during
tornadoes. 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 or
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 the P6 shelter. Many geometrical shapes were
experimented with before finalizing the P6. The P6 includes the fiberglass
paraboloid structure, fiberglass entranceway, fiberglass/composite hatch, HEPA
filter, 45 gallon fiberglass septic tank, 500 gallon fiberglass water tank,
fiberglass center floor beam, fiberglass counter, fiberglass shower wall,
fiberglass battery housing, MCAS air filtration system, toilet, floor, sixteen
12- volt deep cycle batteries, air blower, fiberglass gray water tank, all
wiring, all plumbing, etc. The P6 requires approximately 3 man-hours hours to
connect the entranceway and water tank.
DESIGN
The P6 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,
which is the United State’s bible on shelter engineering. He is the chief
engineer of RADIUS ENGINEERING INC., with over 29 years experience designing
“high- tech” disaster shelters. The book is distributed by The American Civil
Defense Association (TACDA) in Draper, UT and is known in the industry as
P.O.P. The P6 was designed using CAD (computer aided drafting), CAE
(computer aided engineering), and FEAM (3-dimensional finite element analysis
and modeling). A shelterist in the P6 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 paraboloid shape of the P6
allows it to be a true pressure vessel for resistance to high external pressure.
The P6 shelter system is a third generation design and is based on 20 years
field experience with McCarthy’s successful TBC6, ES10 and larger sister, the P6
fiberglass underground shelters. The P6 is much easier to enter and exit with
its straight-in entranceway. The hatch at ground level of the P6 is available
in several different levels of threat resistance.
ENTRANCEWAY
The geometry of the P6 allows the much preferred off-set
entranceway. This has the advantage of extremely quick and easy entry plus it
provides the most efficient escape for moisture and heat. The entranceway also
contains the MCAS air filtration system where it can be accessed and serviced.
SHELTER CONSTRUCTION
The paraboloid 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 40 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 of 12-volt, deep-cycle
sealed batteries. The inside surface is easily cleaned with common detergents
and is easily repaired.
LEACHING SEPTIC TANK
Opposite the MCAS pocket in the entranceway is the 45-gallon fiberglass
leaching septic tank designed into the entranceway. The septic tank has a
duration of 3-6 months depending on the number of shelterists and diet. It is
easily pumped out with a manual septic pump from the ground surface by removing
the septic tank cover.
SHELTER FACILITIES
The P6 contains 800 cubic feet (6000 gal) with headroom from
6’-4” to 8’-4”. This allows for normal living and a very spacious feeling. There
is ample light for reading anywhere in the shelter supplied by LED white lights
located on the ceiling of the shower housing. Fresh filtered air is brought
into the shelter by a 12-volt 40,000-hour air blower inside the MCAS air filter
housing and is designed to operate 24 hours per day for approximately 30 days
and supplies many times the breathing volume of air required by adults. This
system has the advantage of maintaining constant shelter temperature, constant
shelter oxygen levels, constant shelter carbon dioxide levels, and constant
shelter moisture levels, plus it prevents overheating which is common with
manual air blowers in warm climates. Exhausting of hot, moist, spent air is
facilitated through the entranceway which is located on the end of the shelter
but very close to the highest point of the ceiling. The hot, moist, spent air
rises up through the entranceway to the vent at the top of the entranceway
where it exits the shelter. This is the most efficient geometry for exhausting,
spent air especially when power consumption is critical. Sixteen 12-volt
deep-cycle sealed batteries are stored in a fiberglass battery box under the
floor. The normal loss of battery power is approximately 1.5% per month. A
photovoltaic panel (solar panel) can be used to maintain the batteries if
desired. A 50-foot battery charging cable can also be connected from the
batteries in the shelter to the battery in a car to allow the car alternator to
charge the batteries.
MCAS Multi-Chamber Air Filtration System
1. Contaminated air enters the air intake
hole on the elliptical hatch dome. It then travels around under the hatch dome
where the air velocity slows allowing rain and heavy particles to fall out.
2. Contaminated air then travels into the
vertical pipe under the hatch dome and past the ball valve.
3. The contaminated air then travels into the
stainless steel micronic washable screen/pre-filter removing more of the heavier particles.
4.
The air then travels
into the Gas Agent Test Housing where the air can be tested using the M256A
chemical agent test kit. A 4 inch white pipe plug is removed to insert the
test kit.
HEPA/Filter
Sleeve
5.
The
contaminated air then travels into the core of the HEPA/Carbon filter designed
to remove 99.99% of particles that are 0.3 u (microns) and larger. This is
where the carriers of biological warfare agents are removed. The photo at left
shows the HEPA/Carbon sleeve.
6.
The air then travels
into the activated carbon layer to remove the radioactive iodine gas.
7.
The next layer is made
of Whetlerite/TEDA carbon to remove any chemical warfare agents.
Ultraviolet Bulb Over View Port
8.
The air then passes
through a filter fabric to remove any carbon fines.
9.
The last stage of
filtration after the filter sleeve is the ultraviolet light chamber were
viruses and bacteria are exposed to more than 11,000 microwatts seconds/cm2
killing all airborne viruses and bacteria.
10.
The filtered air then
enters the air blower centrifugal reverse curve motorized impellar and into the
shelter.
11.
As the air blower
pumps filtered air into the shelter, the shelter is slightly pressurized. This
positive pressure plus the heat generated in the shelter from body heat,
cooking, and showering, forces the spent air to the highest point in shelter
near the top of the entranceway.
12.
At the top of the
entranceway is the air outlet screen where the spent air passes through and up
the air pipe and out of the elliptical hatch dome air outlet hole. Some air
will pass through and around the hatch cover base because the hatch cover is
not intended to be air-tight.
13.
As the air passes
around the underside of the hatch dome is equilibrates with the outside air.
This results in little or no thermal signature because there is little
difference between the spent air and ambient air.
Air Outlet
The spent air containing carbon dioxide, heat, moisture,
and odors exits the shelter at the highest point just under the hatch dome.
The air outlet housing contains a stainless steel micronic screen to prevent
bees and even tiny ants from entering the shelter. The air outlet housing can
be closed by inserting a 4 inch diameter plastic pipe plug.
The P6 Owner’s Manual details specific safe procedures
for replacing contaminated HEPA filters. Both air inlet and air outlet have
shut-off valves and washable stainless micronic screens accessible from inside
the shelter.
HATCH
DOME
The S.T.A.R.D. (Stealth Terrestrial Attack Resistant
Design) 60-inch diameter hatch dome at ground level is aerodynamically smooth.
The 24-inch diameter manhole allows very large people with a 75-inch waist to
enter the shelter quickly. 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 20 degrees to 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 30 to
350 mph depending on the hatch class. Some debris, depending on the size,
shape, angle of incidence, and mass, may damage the hatch dome. This can be
easily repaired with fiberglass repair kits available at marine and automotive
supply stores.
|
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” 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 1700oF for one hour while
maintaining its structural integrity in compliance to ASTM E119. This design
and material makes the P6 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 in the ground, 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
350-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.
The hatch dome and hatch cover are manufactured
according to The National Institute of Justice NIJ standards from Class 0
(standard on P6) 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
|
Hatch Cover interior and
Exterior Lock
The P6 hatch slides open and closed hydraulically powered by a 12 volt hydraulic power unit located on the moon shelf in the
shelter. The hatch slides and locks wherever it stops. The remote radio
controlled transmitter has a button to slide the hatch closed and open. When
inside the shelter, the hatch can be closed by standing on the floor and
activating the transmitter. This allows submarine type entry without human
power to move the 250 lb hatch cover. The hatch cover is recessed in the hatch
dome and protected from flying debris for 320 degrees. The hatch cover is
designed to resist 5300 lbs. of uplifting force caused by the negative pressure
of a tornado or explosion and 42,080 lbs of overpressure. The average time it
takes for untrained or inexperienced people to enter the shelter is
approximately 8-10 seconds per person.
SHELTER DEFENSE
The
P6 is not impenetrable but is difficult to break into while shelterists are
inside.
|
INTRUDER
ASSAULT
|
P6
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 into the air inlet/out.
|
The
air inlet on the hatch dome are baffled to prevent this type of assault.
|
|
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.
|
- 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.
|
Storing survival supplies in a house may be a false sense of
security during wartime or major natural disasters. Under the 1978 War Powers
Act, the President of the U.S. can order local government officials to use
limited force to commandeer necessary supplies such as generators, fuel, food,
supplies, etc., from houses recorded on tax records. Even if the location of
the shelter were known, it would require much more than limited force to defeat
the P6.
SEISMIC JOINT
This seismic joint allows the entranceway free and
independent movement from the main shelter. 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 breath in a sealed shelter atmosphere. The safe duration time is
based on a 3% carbon dioxide 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 shelterists, and the volume of the shelter
above the floor. This duration is shown below for adults performing mild work.
OVERPRESSURE CHOKING
The P6 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. 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 a 3-inch diameter air inlet
and outlet within the overpressure duration.
PLUMBING SYSTEM
The water supply system is based
on a 12-volt high pressure automatically regulated water pump and stainless
steel pressure tank to maintain system pressure. The pump produces enough
pressure to force the water through the 0.3 micron absolute ceramic water
filter and supplies approximately 0.5 gallons per minute at the sink faucet and
shower head in the bathroom. Two batteries will supply enough power to pump
1000 gallons of filtered water to the shelter. The fiberglass counter contains
a stainless steel sink where dishes and clothes are washed. The sink drains
into a 2-gallon gray water tank to supply flushing water to the toilet.
Fittings-
The shelter entranceway contains ¾ inch NPTF thru-hull couplings five feet
below ground level, for connection to the water tank and ¾ inch NPTF threaded
outlets one foot below ground level for bringing in antenna lines, a phone
line, a power supply, and a 12-volt power cable from a solar panel to recharge
the batteries. With the optional communications package there are two
additional NPTF fittings located in the hatch dome so HAM and Scanner antennas
can be erected from inside. Plugs are provided to be in place when antennas
are not in place.
12 V Water Pressure System
Toilet- The
flush-up toilet is powered by a manual hand pump and uses water from the gray
water tank. The sewage is pumped up to the leaching septic tank through an
internal hose.
Shower- The
fiberglass bathroom floor allows all water from the shower head to drain into
the shower gray water tank which is transferred to the primary gray water tank
under the counter using a manual foot pump. The gray water is used to flush
the toilet. NBC decontamination is performed in this shower using the
supplied decontamination solution and spray bottle.
STORAGE
There are 100 cubic feet of storage (748 gal.) under the floor. In
addition there are 42 cubic feet of storage (314 gal.) that allow twenty –
5-gallon food tanks fit under the upper deck. A 20-gallon fiberglass tank is
built under the kitchen counter with a radio rack above the counter. The 5
gallon food tanks are used to store grain, powdered milk, salt, sugar, beans,
TVP, honey, etc. and hold approximately 1000 lbs. of food, forming a 6 month
food supply for four people. The food supply can be extended with the purchase
of more food tanks. 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.
ALCOHOL TANK
The 20-gallon methanol tank was sized to boil all the water in the
500-gallon water tank plus all the food in thirty 5-gallon food tanks. Storage
is more easily managed with the optional “Moon Shelf” which runs around the
perimeter of the shelter to store spare MCAS filters, decontaminating agents,
M256A chemical agent test kit, etc.
RADIATION SHIELDING
Radiation shielding from overhead in the
P6 is provided by 7 feet of earth at the crown of the shelter ceiling. With a
TRS (Total Rems in Shelter at the bed area) of 7 rems at 20 psi, a person would
receive a maximum acute radiation dose from overhead and through the
entranceway for neutron and gamma radiation equivalent to 7 mammography
x-rays. 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.
NBC PACKAGE
The P6 can provide life support in severe nuclear, biological and
chemical warfare environments with the optional NBC Package. This package
contains the MCAS air filtration system to remove, dust, radioactive iodine
gas, chemical warfare agents, and ultraviolet light to kill biological agents. A
chemical warfare detection kit and a radiation survey meter are part of this
package.
MULTIPLE CONNECTIONS
Multiple P6’s can be connected together using “T connectors” and
seismic joints. This is usually limited to 10 shelters.
SHIPPING AND INSTALLATION
U.S. citizens
have a legal right to install a shelter. Under the second amendment of the
United States Constitution, U.S. citizens are guaranteed the right to bear arms
to provide protection in life threatening situations. Tornadoes, earthquakes,
nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare fall under this amendment as life
threatening forces. A disaster shelter falls under this classification as a
defensive arm. Shipping is arranged by Radius Engineering and confirmed by the
customer. The shelter is shipped F.O.B. Radius Factory.
EXCAVATION
The customer hires a contractor to dig a hole
(approximately 200 yards) with a base dimension of 20 feet x 12 feet at a
depth of 16 feet. The top of the hole should be larger to allow for sloped
walls. The excavation usually requires less than one day. A 32,000 pound
excavator or larger should be used to dig the hole and lift the P6 off of the
Radius truck and into the hole. If the shelter is installed in a flood zone,
the shelter should be installed by berming so the hatch is one foot above the
100-year flood plain. Berming can also be used if the shelter is installed in a
location which has ledge.
SHELTER INSTALLATION (summary)
1) The shelter is lifted off of the truck
and into the hole by the excavator where it is leveled at the proper height at
the bottom of the hole. 2) The entranceway is lifted on to the shelter and connected
using 24- ½ in bolts. 3) The shelter is then backfilled with 80 yards of ¾
minus crushed stone or pea stone. After this stage, the surrounding soil can
be used for backfill and must be compacted evenly around the shelter. 4) The
water tank is lifted into the hole next to the entranceway and three 3/4- inch
diameter hoses are connected to the shelter. 5) When the backfill height
reaches the shelter septic tank, 1 cubic yard of crushed stone or pea stone for
the leaching field should be placed around the septic tank and emergency escape
manway. 6) When the backfilling reaches 12 inches below ground level, all the
antenna cables, telephone lines, 12 volt lines etc. are connected. 7) Backfilling
continues to the original ground level. Backfilling usually requires
approximately 8 hours.
BUILDING VS. BUYING
Advantages of purchasing a commercial underground shelter:
1) With
shelters built on site, cost overruns are the rule, not the exception. Many
well-intended handymen and contractors have constructed shelters which ended up
running well over budget and still did not produce an operable shelter. When a
shelter is built on site, you really don’t know what you will end up with. The
P6 shelter allows people to deal with known costs and a proven shelter system. 2)
Shelters built on site require extensive, time consuming, and expensive
research to develop a “shelter system” capable of providing dependable life
support—fresh filtered air, blast protection, clean water, light, corrosion
resistance, toilet facilities, air filtration for radioactive fallout, chemical
and biological agents, etc., all of which should meet - PRINCIPLES of
PROTECTION, U.S. Handbook of NBC Weapon Fundamentals and Shelter Design Standards,
by Walton McCarthy, is available for $65.00 from The American Civil Defense
Association, (TACDA). Even good architects or mechanical and civil engineers,
do not have the expertise to develop a good dependable shelter system
especially when it must function without local electricity. The P6 shelter
system is based on the ES10 and P6 shelter, which has over 20 years proven
field experience and complies with all P.O.P. standards. 3) Concrete
shelters built on site are not able to be excavated and re-installed at another
location and they are very hard to make waterproof, especially under the
floor. The shortcomings of steel underground storage tanks are: a) They may
require registration because its intended use is for storage of petroleum
and/or chemical products. b) A horizontal cylinder is a poor structural
shape because it behaves as flexible conduit. c) It must also be cathodically
protected or fiberglass coated. d) Steel underground structures suffer from
condensation on the inside walls. The P6 is designed strictly as a shelter and
can be excavated and re-installed at some other location if desired. 4)
Shelters built on site require a building permit and confirmation by a local
professional engineer because it involves actual construction, including a
septic design. The P6 is a commercially available, professionally engineered
disaster shelter with a formal Owner’s Manual reviewing all operations. If
require, it is much easier to secure a building permit for installing the P6
shelter than it is for constructing a shelter on site. 5) Shelters built
on site often require many days or weeks to complete construction. During this
time, children are exposed to the danger of falling in the hole and curiosity
seekers are afforded ample time to see what is being constructed. The P6 can be
installed in one day. 6) Shelters built on site have no established
market value. The P6 has a known commercial value which allows financing by
banking institutions. 7) Large shelters built on site to protect many
people present the following problems: a) A separate piece of land must be
agreed on by the shelterists and purchased. This piece of land may have to be
commercially zoned. Local land may not be available; also, a caretaker may
have to be appointed. b) A professional engineer and architect must be
consulted for the design. c) A commercial building and septic permit must be
issued. Even a single-family shelter is difficult to construct unnoticed.
This is rather difficult to obtain because the building code requirements do
not apply to underground structures designed for disaster environments. The
technology for modern shelters is very different than that of standard building
structures. d) Underground and above-ground storage tanks designed to contain
fuel and water must be registered and approved by local and federal
environmental protection agencies (EPA). e) Notification to the local fire
department of the exact location of all fuel tanks must be made. f) Financing
such a structure by a local bank is impossible because it has no resale value
due to its custom nature. g) To make matters more complicated, the
applications for all the above permits are a matter of public record. The only
solution in the United States is to install a commercially available single or
dual family shelter.
