Titan ICBM Hardened Facilities

One of the most challenging design and construction problems facing industry in the space age involves underground missile facilities designed to withstand the effects of thermonuclear attack of multi-megaton magnitude. The era of “concurrency” required that facility design and construction begin before the Titan weapon system was fully developed and operational. The Titan I missile and its associated ground equipment are housed, primarily, in concrete silos and domed structures. Steel tunnels, with required blast locks, connect these structures so that in the hardened environment, personnel and equipment can move between elements without exposure. The make-up of each squadron and a description of the missile silo, propellant terminal, equipment terminal, tunnels, control center, powerhouse, portal silo, and antenna terminal and silo are presented. Methods of obtaining adequate supports for both structures and equipment to resist shock loads are shown. A chart showing the horizontal and vertical response spectra is also included. Because of the size of the construction contracts and the accelerated schedules required, many contractors chose to form joint ventures to pool their capabilities. It is interesting to note that different methods of construction were used for several of the structures depending not only on the sub-surface condition of the sites but also on the apparent economies of the methods chosen.