Firstly, these are possible shrapnel and small arms bullets. To protect against these threats, it may be sufficient to remember the two-wall rule, i.e., when hiding, we should choose a room that is separated from the outside by two walls. In many cases, this is enough to prevent shrapnel from reaching people inside. Suitable rooms for this purpose could be a vestibule, a bathroom, etc. Examples from Ukraine have shown that one of the proven solutions, especially for children, is to hide in the bathroom because it not only provides additional walls but also has a metal bathtub. However, all of these are just temporary and minor measures that cannot guarantee complete safety.
The second threat that residents may face is the destructive power of the blast wave, which can shake building structures and cause the collapse of a house. Powerful explosives, found in ballistic and winged missiles or even worse – in freely falling aviation bombs, are capable of destroying buildings solely with the force of the blast wave, even without a direct hit. The strongest and blast-resistant structures are monolithic reinforced concrete structures, but sometimes they are not enough, especially when a lot of injuries might be caused by bursting window glass shards. Therefore, it is important to have a shelter located below ground level. Suitable options for this purpose could be basements, shafts, underground garages. However, it is important to consider that a shelter located under the building should have at least one additional exit because in the event of a building collapse, people may be trapped under the rubble, and in the case of intense urban bombing it may take a long time for the rescuers to get to you.
The third threat is direct kinetic impact from a missile or rocket hitting a building. In such a situation, it is particularly difficult to protect oneself. Therefore, the shelter should not only be made of solid reinforced concrete structures but, preferably, be buried in the ground so that the layer of soil covering the structure is at least half a meter thick. This may be enough to protect against direct kinetic impact from artillery shells.
To protect against ballistic missiles and aviation bombs, the shelter would have to be built even deeper underground or the overall reinforced concrete structure would have to be thickened. In this case, completely safe shelters would be considered underground metro lines and bunkers built in mountains.
The fourth threat is chemical and radiological hazards. In this case, an underground shelter should also be equipped with an air filtration system, sufficient water reserves, and other survival essentials that would allow a person to survive in such a room for at least two weeks.
How should the shelter be designed?
How should an old cellar be converted into a shelter? Are there such architectural projects in Lithuania?
I would give priority to functional and comfortable furniture so that people could not only sit but also lie down, and there has to be access in case medical assistance is required. Shelving for storing items and tools is also important.
From the engineering systems, room ventilation, heating, sanitation facilities, a sufficient number of electrical outlets are important, especially if a larger group of people will use the shelter. The technical requirements for the installation of new shelters are already provided for in the construction regulations STR 2.07.02:2024.
Are shelters more of a concern since the start of the war in Ukraine?
The article was prepared by Milda Mockunaite-Vitkiene, Head of internal communication projects at VILNIUS TECH Public communications directorate.
Photo by Simas Bernotas
