cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold) (02/15/91)
From: cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold) It is likely that many (if not most) of the concrete bunkers built by Iraq in Kuwait are made of prefabricated, prestressed concrete modules - panels, beams, supports, columns, floors, etc. These go in quickly (dig hole, insert modules, fill hole). They are, however, not a strong as poured structures, but consider the difficulties of making poured concrete bunkers. The level of skill needed is far less for prefab; you can use almost any heavy truck to transport; can be stockpiled in advance. Sort of like military legos.
john%ghostwheel.unm.edu@ariel.unm.edu (John Prentice) (02/18/91)
From: john%ghostwheel.unm.edu@ariel.unm.edu (John Prentice) In article <1991Feb15.065157.8744@cbnews.att.com> cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold) writes: >It is likely that many (if not most) of the concrete bunkers built by >Iraq in Kuwait are made of prefabricated, prestressed concrete modules - >panels, beams, supports, columns, floors, etc. These go in quickly (dig hole, >insert modules, fill hole). They are, however, not a strong as poured >structures, but consider the difficulties of making poured concrete >bunkers. Are these bunkers reinforced concrete? In penetration tests done on runways, it has been found that the bulk of the resistance to penetration is the rebar. You keep hitting the steel as you penetrate the concrete. In DNA nuclear weapons superhardened silos, the same was true for air and ground shocks (for different reasons), the rebar was where all the strength was. That being the case, is the question of how long the concrete has cured, etc... that important? Also, put a little sand around these things and you are pretty insulated from all but a direct hit by a earth penetrating weapon. Sand is a damn effective shock absorber. John -- John K. Prentice john@unmfys.unm.edu (Internet) Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA Computational Physics Group, Amparo Corporation, Albuquerque, NM, USA
cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold) (02/19/91)
From: cga66@ihlpy.att.com (Patrick V Kauffold)
> Are these bunkers reinforced concrete?
Yes, pre-stressed and reinforced. Plenty of re-bar and mesh.
BrigGen Neal referred to them as "pill boxes" rather than bunkers.