Planning and Building Tips for Survival Shelter Doors and Access Points
An emergency shelter can be a life-saving addition to any home and property that can be used during myriad of different catastrophic disasters or events. However, the effectiveness of such structures are often determined by the amount of proper planning and the consideration of many factors that can have an influence on how good a particular shelter will be for a particular emergency. One extremely important part of such a project is the survival shelter doors and access points. Ensuring the doors are of high quality and are rated to take the abuse it is expected to be exposed to and more can be the key to creating a truly safe and reliable shelter for use in the future.
Kinds of Doors to Use
Doors are simple devices that can be made from a variety of materials in a number of configurations. But, doors that will be used for survival shelters need to be particularly equipped to survive the rigors of use and exposure to harmful elements that may be present during disasters. Most doors designed for shelters are rated to be able to survive exposure up to a certain level of pressure or force. Blast resistant doors can also be rated on how well they are able to protect an area from NBC or nuclear, biological, and chemical agents and residue that may appear outside the shelter's protective area. These heavy duty doors can often be designed to incorporate additional latches, viewers, and other similar features.
Number of Doors and Risks Involved
The number of access points into and out of a particular shelter is also extremely important in the design stage. Implementing a number of emergency escape hatches can provide alternatives in cases that the main doors are blocked or if some kind of situation happens to require the immediate egress of the occupants the shelter. However, the number of access points should be regulated so that no unnecessary additional risk is taken as doors and hatches can be weaker than walls and are more prone to damage and weakening. As with any other part of a shelter, the placement of these doors as well as building adequate protective angles so that all access points is defensible, and easily accessible for the shelter occupants is extremely important in improving the overall safety of the facility.
Shelter Construction and Doors
With the location and type of doors planned out and clear, actual construction can now commence. Doors, especially of this type can be extremely heavy and bulky. As such it is important to put them in position before any other breakable parts of the shelter is placed. This ensures easier construction in the long run. The supports for the survival shelter doors should also be extremely strong and should be sealed to the wall sufficiently enough for the installation to retain its NBC characteristics.
Kinds of Doors to Use
Doors are simple devices that can be made from a variety of materials in a number of configurations. But, doors that will be used for survival shelters need to be particularly equipped to survive the rigors of use and exposure to harmful elements that may be present during disasters. Most doors designed for shelters are rated to be able to survive exposure up to a certain level of pressure or force. Blast resistant doors can also be rated on how well they are able to protect an area from NBC or nuclear, biological, and chemical agents and residue that may appear outside the shelter's protective area. These heavy duty doors can often be designed to incorporate additional latches, viewers, and other similar features.
Number of Doors and Risks Involved
The number of access points into and out of a particular shelter is also extremely important in the design stage. Implementing a number of emergency escape hatches can provide alternatives in cases that the main doors are blocked or if some kind of situation happens to require the immediate egress of the occupants the shelter. However, the number of access points should be regulated so that no unnecessary additional risk is taken as doors and hatches can be weaker than walls and are more prone to damage and weakening. As with any other part of a shelter, the placement of these doors as well as building adequate protective angles so that all access points is defensible, and easily accessible for the shelter occupants is extremely important in improving the overall safety of the facility.
Shelter Construction and Doors
With the location and type of doors planned out and clear, actual construction can now commence. Doors, especially of this type can be extremely heavy and bulky. As such it is important to put them in position before any other breakable parts of the shelter is placed. This ensures easier construction in the long run. The supports for the survival shelter doors should also be extremely strong and should be sealed to the wall sufficiently enough for the installation to retain its NBC characteristics.