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27-07-2021, 12:59 #31
- Join Date
- Nov 2012
- Location
- Stellies
- Posts
- 2,088
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27-07-2021, 13:19 #32
- Join Date
- Sep 2009
- Location
- Vaal Triangle
- Age
- 56
- Posts
- 3,117
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27-07-2021, 15:09 #33
- Join Date
- Feb 2011
- Location
- Western Cape
- Posts
- 3,403
Re: Safety concerns about De Aar ammunition depot - 23 000 Tons of "old" Ammo.
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27-07-2021, 17:34 #34
- Join Date
- Feb 2016
- Age
- 58
- Posts
- 247
Re: Safety concerns about De Aar ammunition depot - 23 000 Tons of "old" Ammo.
My apologies that I only posted the link. This was an explosion of ammunition that was confiscated a few years prior to detonation.
It was placed in an open field next to a naval army base, temporarily untill further instruction was received for the destructionor removal. Apparently the base command on numerous occasions requested from the government to have it removed, but it was forgotten there. The explosion, resulted in loos of life, as well as the destruction of the country's main electricity production station, sinking the island in the darkness for long time.
I thought it would be relevant to this thread.
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27-07-2021, 21:28 #35
- Join Date
- Apr 2010
- Location
- Kroonstad
- Age
- 44
- Posts
- 5,653
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27-07-2021, 21:30 #36
- Join Date
- Apr 2010
- Location
- Kroonstad
- Age
- 44
- Posts
- 5,653
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27-07-2021, 23:37 #37
- Join Date
- Jan 2019
- Location
- JHB and BFN
- Age
- 47
- Posts
- 1,521
The question I have: was 93 in Vaalhaarts in place before the encroaching town OR is it possible that some town planner was too intelligent and built that side of town closer to 93...?
Me thinks (more like knows) the latter is to blame and that the former has definitely been there for many more years before.
A lack of quality (qualified or experienced and knowledgeable) town and spacial planners in positions of authority is where the issue lies.
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28-07-2021, 00:07 #38
- Join Date
- Jan 2019
- Location
- JHB and BFN
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- 47
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- 1,521
The ammunition and explosives storage bunkers were designed by knowledge engineers of their time and based on tried and tested designs.
The design I know of is as follows: (it was an older unit and decommissioned around 10 years or more back due to the the urban location it is in.
The blast walls are enormously thick, around 2 metres at the base, built tapered as thick at the base and thinner at the top.
The tapered design is to deflect a blast upwards.
Interestingly, the walls were not solid concrete but merely cinderblock material to allow for the walls to absorb any blast and rather fragment in smaller pieces as opposed to larger chunks of wall pieces.
They had a plastered finish over the surface.
This thick wall goes right round of the main structure with only 2 doors for access leading to the delivery passageway. The doors were heavy steel plated doors.
There is a secondary protection wall where delivery vehicles drive in and out on the delivery passageway.
The roof is a steel lattice beam configuration to make it lightweight and easily fall apart should a blast occur.
Standard roof sheeting.
Inside was a ceiling with insulation above to keep temperatures lower.
No windows on the walls, only ventilation fans at either ends for extra airflow as needed.
The interior is dark and cool.
Coincidentally, the dark cool interior of the bunkers has its benefits for other uses and industry too.
Two of the decommissioned units I saw were being used for an indoor worm farm as the dark cool interior was a perfect growing environment even in the hotter summer months.
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28-07-2021, 05:45 #39
- Join Date
- Apr 2010
- Location
- Kroonstad
- Age
- 44
- Posts
- 5,653
Re: Safety concerns about De Aar ammunition depot - 23 000 Tons of "old" Ammo.
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28-07-2021, 06:54 #40
- Join Date
- Jan 2019
- Location
- JHB and BFN
- Age
- 47
- Posts
- 1,521
That isn't good at all.
I wasn't aware that it was built so close from early days and it's inception, initial planning should have put a further distance.
A stupid oversight was made.
I honestly thought the distance from town was further and the bunkers more remote at a time and that the encroachment is more recent.
My common sense would have it further and slightly more remote and isolated.
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