Making your Home Blast or Bullet resistant

[Blitzkrieg]

Keep in mind that any such exterior structures can be used as cover by an enemy.. plan accordingly

 

[Thebastidge]

Thus:

"Push the security perimeter out as far as you practically can. It's a balance between keeping the threat away and keeping your resources concentrated enough to be effective"

And

"Security is a dynamic goal, not a static one."

 

[knuckle Head]

Good Points as an ex-soldier, and having working security I agree with what is being said, and researching ways to make a place safer.

It is great getting different perspectives and ideas, and hearing about new products, methods and points of view

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Ricochets can be your friend and can be planned for by proper design. One way to make 'em dance and hop

 

[8ball]

Stick construction is quick and cheap, but not resistant to much, including bullets, water, storms or fire. Personally I'm a big fan of concrete construction. I'm not convinced that log construction is much better than stick, plus you have to put up with the look of a log home.

The article below has some studies done on the bullet resistance of an OSB and concrete combo.

http://modernsurvivalblog.com/security/bullet-resistant-wall-construction/

 

[Thebastidge]

For many, the look of a log home is a feature, not a bug. Log cabins are a good bit more resistant to fire than stick homes. The size of the log,if it's tightly fitted, isn't as prone to good air flow and spreading fire as dimensional lumber with space inside the wall. Concrete has issues too- heat conductivity becuase of poor design chief amongst them, water impermeability for vapour leading to condensation and mold. It's very difficult to modify or add to.

 

[Squidly]

As with any form of construction, good building practices must be used to get good results. Nothing stops bullets, resists blasts, survives storms, or maintains temperature better than steel reinforced concrete. The so-called issues with concrete are non-existent with proper construction technique. An ICF house can be built for a 10% premium over stick frame construction, and you get an 8" wall of concrete between 2 layers of insulation.

sq

 

[Burt Gummer]

Amazon.com: Razor Wire 18" Coils Galvanized Razor Ribbon: Patio, Lawn & Garden

 

[Blitzkrieg]

As with any form of construction, good building practices must be used to get good results. Nothing stops bullets, resists blasts, survives storms, or maintains temperature better than steel reinforced concrete. The so-called issues with concrete are non-existent with proper construction technique. An ICF house can be built for a 10% premium over stick frame construction, and you get an 8" wall of concrete between 2 layers of insulation.

sq

I'm planning on 12 inch cores for my ICF build. If you go with a log cabin you can later stone the exterior and if you build the roof heavy enough you can slate the roof with slabs if you know what you are doing. I'm a tile setter and stone mason so for me it would be easy

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Amazon.com: Razor Wire 18" Coils Galvanized Razor Ribbon: Patio, Lawn & Garden

I also like the 36 inch stuff for ground deployment

 

[Thebastidge]

Question I've had about slate/tile roofs for a while. With wood or asphalt shingles, you nail the top part and the next courses un-naile dlower part covers the holes.

How to you secure a slate or tile shingle?

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I'm not a roofer per se but I believe it would be with rubber buffered nails. usually. the clay shingles I have seen have built in holes

If I were to use slate slabs on a wood roof I would drill large holes for heavy fasteners, with a wet~cutting diamond impregnated drill bit, and probably glue them down, too. To clarify the holes would be somewhat near the top and the glue would attach it at the bottom. Probably epoxy cement mix, but not sure, would have to do a little research first. The main factor might be roof expansion/contraction and what would be required for a little flexibility

 

[Sabertooth]

Saw a cool way to build a house. Styafoam blocks. Look like giant lego blocks, fill hollow blocks with concreret, cover with stucko. R factor really high. Bullet resetant, bomb prof,? how big of a bomb?

 

[Thebastidge]

Stucco's not really good for the Pac NW. No matter how well-done it is initially, it tends to crack. In ou renvironment, that means moisture seeps in and makes it worse over time. On stucco-over-stick-built houses, ot causes mold and rot.

 

[Squidly]

Saw a cool way to build a house. Styafoam blocks. Look like giant lego blocks, fill hollow blocks with concreret, cover with stucko. R factor really high. Bullet resetant, bomb prof,? how big of a bomb?

It's called ICF. You would have to use standard siding for the area, T-111, Hardy plank, etc. Regarding blast resistance, the obvious rules apply. Thicker/stronger concrete, more/thicker rebar, HD elastomer coatings = more resistance.

If you want hard number(s), it will cost you big engineering bucks.

Insulated Concrete Forms, ICFs | Amvic Building System

ICF Homes - Insulating Concrete Forms

Spray Foam Etc - Commercial and Industrial Services (third page down)

 

[coop44]

"poured in place" steel reinforced prestressed concrete, can't beat it for building anything. I worked with it for many years, you are only limited by your imagination.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Saw a cool way to build a house. Styafoam blocks. Look like giant lego blocks, fill hollow blocks with concreret, cover with stucko. R factor really high. Bullet resetant, bomb prof,? how big of a bomb?

That is ICF.. they are recycled styrofoam mixed with cement. There are several types on the market

 

[Squidly]

I wouldn't use prestress or post-tension for blast resistance. Prestress and post-tension are great for bridge beams and clear span buildings, but they fail catastrophically when they fail.

Heavy rebar reinforced concrete with an elastomeric coating (line-x?) to hold the pieces together. But all this is academic. Nobody is actually going to do this.

Sq

 

[coop44]

I wouldn't use prestress or post-tension for blast resistance. Prestress and post-tension are great for bridge beams and clear span buildings, but they fail catastrophically when they fail.

Heavy rebar reinforced concrete with an elastomeric coating (line-x?) to hold the pieces together. But all this is academic. Nobody is actually going to do this.

Sq

Yes this is very academic. In defense of prestressed concrete, I would like to say the only failures I have seen are when the loads are underestimated (a fault of the engineer, not the material), or, when the material is improperly used (improper concrete mix or defective, rusted steel). Or at worse both!

For a good example of a concrete home look at Hearst castle. As a survivor of the San Francisco earthquake Hearst sought to build as strong a building as possible, with his funds he wound up with a masterpiece. On a smaller scale, with less funds, but better technology, the same results or better can be achieved now.

A strong durable building that will endure for generations.

The foam type forms are nothing more than a geeky curiosity, not a lot of real strength. The foam will break down with time. Also probably not much for blast or bullet resistance.

Give me 6 inches of reinforced concrete any day.

Look at post war photos of Kosovo, some concrete buildings that have serious artillery damage (concrete won't stop everything), still standing, and in my estimation many seem to be repairable. Good old cold war era construction.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

ICF are just forms to be filled with steel reinforced concrete that is pumped in with a concrete pumper after the walls are built. Concrete trucks come constantly all day in this endeavor. You can finish the outer walls with any design you like, including shotcrete shaped and glazed to look like castle stone, or painted like stucco, or any finish you prefer. I am going for the castle look