Abstract
Two publications recently issued by the British Steelwork Association, Steel House, Tothill Street, London, S.W.I, are of permanent value, although happily the international crisis is over. The first of these, entitled “Steel for A.R.P.”, suggests ways in Which standardized steel products can be used for air-raid protection. One of these standard products is corrugated steel sheets and it can be used for overhead cover. Similarly the steel arches used to support the roadways of collieries are applicable to construct shelters in basements, railway embankments and cuttings. The booklet dwells on the advantages of steel frame construction from the point of view of its ability to resist explosive shock. These frames withstand stresses in any direction. A frame is not dependent for its strength upon the walls, and it can easily be repaired. Various types of Wall and floor construction are described and so also are the customary brick panels. The latter are considered to be able to deal with blast and splinters when well tied up to the supporting structure. The use of pressed-steel window sub-frames can increase their strength. In existing buildings the most appropriate site for a shelter is the basement, and some useful hints are given of the best way of using existing steel products to strengthen it. The second book deals with the “Everyman” trench shelter, and will be of interest to many. It describes with the help of drawings how a householder can build a shelter capable of holding four persons and sufficient to afford protection against blast and splinters. For the roof curved sheets five feet long are used and standard flat corrugated iron sheets six feet long for lining the Walls. A bill of the quantities required is given. It has been suggested that now that time is not important, there will be many who will consider it worth while to build such a shelter in their leisure hours. As the roof will be covered with the excavated soil, it might be sown or planted in such a way that the amenities of the garden would not greatly suffer.
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Air-Raid Precautions. Nature 142, 746–747 (1938). https://doi.org/10.1038/142746d0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/142746d0