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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Country: Great Britain

    Default Just another door.

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ID:	21043 Sorry if this has been on before. Greenbriar Bunker Weat Virginia built in 1959 at the time of the Cold War to house the US Congress if things messed up.

    Reminded me of an offer my company had through our advert in the Yellow Pages to estimate for the supply of Blast Proof doors for the UK Polaris arsenal at Coulport on the River Clyde about the same time. Our small safe company in Glasgow had to reject the offer as we only had two safe mechanics and a very small workshop.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    Country: United States

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    Another big not-a-bank-vault door, this one is at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Built by Mosler circa 1959 with a clear opening 11 feet wide and 15 feet tall.

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  3. #3
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    Dec 2009
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    Country: United States

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    Another big not-a-bank-vault door, this one is much more famous. Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado) is the home of NORAD and other tenants. There are several sets of 25-ton blast doors (notice in this image there are two). Who made these?

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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
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    30
    Country: United States

    Default More Cheyene Mountain Blast Door pictures

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ID:	21054 Did not realize bolts are operated hydraulically.

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  5. #5
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    Dec 2009
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    Minuteman launch control center blast doors are also impressive. I believe the pins are hydraulic but hand pumped. Notice the very stout doorstop.

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  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by wylk View Post
    Minuteman launch control center blast doors are also impressive. I believe the pins are hydraulic but hand pumped. Notice the very stout doorstop.

    Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	21056 Click image for larger version. 

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    Love the Domino's adapted sign on the front of the door.
    BBE.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
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    266
    Country: Germany

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    Why are the bolts on the outside of such a thick door? What is its purpose? Does it have to cope with a nuclear blast? Is in this case advantageous to have the bolts on the outside?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Devon UK
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    3,117
    Country: UK

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cepasaccus View Post
    Why are the bolts on the outside of such a thick door? What is its purpose? Does it have to cope with a nuclear blast? Is in this case advantageous to have the bolts on the outside?
    I am just guessing but as the frame would be wedge shaped to match the door, this would be very effective against a nuclear blast, while the bolt work being near the outside would facilitate post blast rescue should there be distortions of the door from the blast.

  9. #9
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    Dec 2009
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    Country: United States

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    Quote Originally Posted by BBE View Post
    Love the Domino's adapted sign on the front of the door.
    BBE.
    Door art is a phenomenon similar to airplane nose art. I read that as decommissioned sites are demolished, a photographer has been capturing each door for future reference. The Domino's door is part of the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in South Dakota.

    A Google Images search for Minuteman Door will show a few more examples of door art.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    I agree that it's strange to see the locking bolts on the outside. Here's a construction image showing the mechanism:

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    Notice also that the door is part of the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) shielding. There is a large braided-metal grounding strap on the outside that electrically bonds the door to the frame-side hinge, at the bottom. The inner face of the door also appears to include flexible braid that presses against a polished surface of the frame.

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    Clearly a heavy-duty door similar in some ways to bank vault doors but with a different set of requirements and threat model.

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