Fallout Shelter Components
You can build a professional engineer certified underground bomb shelter for an in the ground cost that is thousands of pounds less than a prefabricated steel bunker.
No need to bring in a crew with a crane to hoist it up for your neighbours to see.
We supply all of the critical components like the engineered trusses, the blast hatch, and the NBC air filtration system. The heavy (and expensive to ship) blocks and concrete are purchased locally.
Shelter elements
All of the shelter components we offer are tested and approved in accordance with the standards and regulations of the Swiss Federal Office for Civil Protection (BABS).
Civil protection in the UK is primarily governed by the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. There are no legal requirements or approvals for the construction of shelters in UK.
Blast doors (BD) and Pressure doors (PD)
Blast doors and hatch covers protect the entrances as well as emergency exits of bunkers and shelters, providing protection against:
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Air blast pressure waves from atomic and conventional explosions
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Radioactive primary radiation in the event of nuclear power plant accidents and atomic bombings
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Heat waves and fragments from atomic and conventional bombs
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Poison gas contamination from industrial accidents and military chemical warfare agents
Blast doors, pressure doors, and hatch covers are made of a steel reinforcement frame that must be concreted on-site.
Ideally, these components are embedded during the construction of new residential/commercial properties in the basement, as retrofitting is hardly possible due to the high weight in the un-concreted state.
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Blast doors (BD) seal the entrances of shelters/atomic bunkers/air-raid shelters in a gas- and pressure-tight manner. They are installed and concreted on the outside of the shelter. In the event of a pressure surge, the blast door is pressed onto the shelter envelope, providing protection for the occupants.
Pressure doors (PD) separate different shelter compartments.
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The blast door is locked from the inside with two robust lever locks and is additionally secured with a locking mechanism to prevent forced entry from the outside.
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Specification of standard (BS) door:
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External closure for protective structures up to 3 bar
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Door with outward swing
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Can be left or right handed
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Steel angle profiles with anchor plates
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Door leaf with groove and sealing rubber
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Welded reinforcement
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Lever locks with locking mechanism
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Tube for self-release device
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Width: 80 cm
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Height: 185 cm
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Thickness: 20 cm (BD) and 10cm (PD)
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Weight without concrete filling: 200 kg (BD) and 115 kg (PD)
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Blast hatches (BH)
Blast hatch seal the emergency exits of bunkers and shelters in a gas- and pressure-tight manner. They are installed and concreted on the inside of the shelter envelope. In the event of a buried or blocked blast door, the hatch can be opened inward to allow for an exit from the shelter.
Similar to the blast door, the hatch is locked from the inside with two robust lever locks and is additionally secured with a locking mechanism to prevent unauthorized entry.
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Blast hatch (BG) - standard size
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External closure for protective structures up to 3 bar
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Hatch with inward swing
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Can be left or right handed
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Frame made of angle steel profiles with anchor plates
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Door leaf with groove and sealing rubber
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Welded reinforcement
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Lever locks with locking mechanism
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Tube for self-release device
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Width: 60 cm
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Height: 80 cm
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Thickness: 20 cm
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Weight without concrete filling: 140 kg
Sliding walls (SW)
Armoured sliding walls (SW) are installed in larger civil defence facilities, which are usually used as underground car parks during times of non-threat. In contrast to blast doors, which are embedded into the walls of the shelter, armoured sliding walls are situated in a floor and ceiling channel.
The production of armoured sliding walls is carried out on an individual basis in Switzerland, allowing for custom dimensions and customer preferences.
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Armoured sliding walls
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Can be hinged inside or outside
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Maximum Height: 2.40 m
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Maximum Width: 7.00 m
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Custom-made
Floor hatches
Floor hatch is used to close the emergency exit.
The cover options include single, double, or multi-leaf configurations, capable of withstanding loads up to FACTA class E standards and provide flexibility in material selection to meet diverse requirements. They are offered in aluminium, steel, or stainless steel, and can be customized with various infill materials like earth, granite, or vinyl. Additionally, these covers can be installed flush with the surface or on the upstand walls.
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The covers are designed to withstand heavy loads, surpassing the recommendations specified in manual handling regulations. They are equipped with grade 316 stainless steel gas spring assistance.
Compliance with manual handling regulations is essential, particularly under European directive 90/269/EEC, where covers exceeding recommended weights require gas spring assistance for safe handling.
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Cover designs offer the choice between watertight sealing and self-draining mechanisms, providing options to suit specific environmental conditions.
Featuring integral drainage channels, any water breaching the seals is efficiently dispersed, with the option to fit internal or external 3/4 inch flexible hose adaptors for enhanced drainage management.
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The air flow is ensured with a separate ventilation duct.​
Ventilation system
Shelter ventilation systems essentially consist of a fan, a pre-filter, and a gas filter (NBC filter), ensuring fresh air supply in the shelter.
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The ventilation system operates electrically, with the sucked-in air being processed through two filter stages. In case of a power outage, the ventilation system can also be operated manually using a hand crank.
Initially, the contaminated air is passed through the particulate filter, which filters out all suspended and contaminated particles from the sucked-in outside air. Subsequently, the contaminated air is drawn through the gas filter, where the activated charcoal absorbs dangerous toxic gas molecules.
The purified outside air is then directed into the shelter by the fan. The positive air pressure created by the suction in the shelter also ensures that the used breathing air is expelled to the outside through a pressure relief explosion-proof valve.
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Furthermore, maintaining a slight positive pressure in the shelter (at least 50 Pa and no more than 250 Pa) ensures that even in the presence of potential leaks in the shelter, no toxic gases from outside can enter.
Depending on the concentration of toxins in the outside air, the gas filter (NBC filter) can be safely used for several days and weeks.
If you plan to build a shelter or a room that is to provide shelter for the time of danger, you should take into account how many people this room is supposed to accommodate. Each person staying in such a room, by breathing, accelerates the consumption of clean air produced by the device for filtering the outside air. Therefore, it is very important to choose a properly efficient device for our needs.​
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Bunker ventilation diagram:​
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Ventilation units (VA-40 |VA-75 | VA-150 | VA-300):
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Gas filters (GF-40 | GF-75 | GF-150 | GF-300): ​
The combined NBC protection filter prevents the penetration of radioactive dust, biological germs and chemical pollutants into the shelter. The contaminated outside air passes through the HEPA filter and then through the gas absorption filter (made of activated carbon).
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Explosion protection valves with pre-filter:​
​​​Valves with explosion protection protect supply and exhaust air openings in protected spaces against sudden air blasts of up to 1 bar. Explosion protection valves with pre-filter (ESV-VF) of the appropriate size (depending on the air volume used) must be used in the air intake.
ESV-VF 40: For air volumes of 40m3/h*
ESV-VF 75-150: For air volumes of 75-150m3/h*
*Filter operation (the air volume is doubled for fresh air operation).
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Overpressure explosion protection valves:​
The exhaust air is routed out of the protected space via overpressure explosion protection valves. As there is an overpressure in the shelter, these valves open from an overpressure of 60Pa and close automatically as soon as the ventilation is switched off. This prevents contaminated outside air from contaminating the shelter.
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UeV-ESV 40: For air volumes up to 40m3/h*
UeV-ESV 75 : For air volumes up to 75m3/h*
UeV-ESV 150: For air volumes up to 150m3/h*
*Filter operation (the air volume is doubled for fresh air operation).
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Explosion protection valves and pre-filters:​
Explosion protection valves ESV 3 and ESV 4 with pre-filter are used in air inlets to prevent the destructive effects of all types of explosions. The valve and the pre-filter have been tested by the Spiez Laboratory and designed in accordance with the guidelines of the Federal Office for Civil Protection.
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Pressure relief valves:​
Pure pressure relief valves have no explosion protection. They are used in combination with explosion protection valves or for air routing within the protected space.
Waterless toilets
The toilet recommended by our company is an all-electric incinerating toilet from Separett. It is a waterless toilet that produces only ash as a by-product. The electronics monitor the internal temperatures of the toilet to ensure safety and correct incinerating/evaporating cycles to deal with the daily use for up to six people. The built-in catalytic convertor ensures odours are removed.
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The Basic burns solid waste to ashes at around 550 degrees Celsius (1200 Fahrenheit). Like an oven, it uses an electric element to heat up the chamber. All moisture and liquids evaporate and all solid waste, together with the paper bag, is incinerated to a small amount of ash. The time needed to reach 550 degrees depends on the amount of waste and liquids present in the chamber (and the ambient temperature) but is typically between 30 and 40 minutes. Once at the correct temperature, the incineration cycle starts, which can take up to 40 minutes. Once the incineration has been completed, the toilet goes into a cooling phase.
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