Fallout shelters might be mandated in appropriate new construction outside risk areas at little cost to the government.

Government, with more » its present civil defense budget, remain: (1) maintain the inventory on fallout shelter and identify space with some blast protection potential (2) plan for crisis upgrading to improve existing space in a crisis, and (3) plan for construction of expedient shelter in a crisis. The very-low-cost options open to the U.S. The risk area population requiring blast protection is approximately 160 million. Single-purpose blast shelters cost in the high hundreds to low thousands of dollars per space, depending on size, hardness, location, and whether the shelter is part of new construction or retrofit. The principal technical barrier to construction of permanent shelters is cost. It was found that nuclear weapon effects and shelter design are well understood. The literature on the design, construction, testing, and cost of blast and fallout shelters was reviewed, and a bibliography of over 1000 documents was assembled. Existing FEMA research provides a solid foundation for successful crisis relocation planning, but the program can be refined by making suitable modifications in its locational, engineering, and institutionally specific = , In terms of upgrading existing buildings to fallout shelter status, great benefits are possible by turning away from a standard national approach and adopting a more site-specific approach. Exceptions are noted and remedies proposed. The FEMA concept of upgrading existing buildings to act as fallout shelters can, in principle, provide adequate shelter throughout most of the US.

Options are evaluated for construction of fallout shelters allowing 10 ft/sup 2/ per person - such shelters are designed to provide 100% survival at projected levels of radioactive fallout.

The availability of livable shelter space at 40 ft/sup 2/ per person (congregate-care space) by state is evaluated. This report presents a preliminary, detailed evaluation of various shelter options for use if the President orders crisis relocation of the US urban population because of strong expectation of a nuclear war.

Sandbag fallout shelter plan