MSR / MSCB Description: Interior

Part II. Architectural Information

C. Description of Interior

Each room, corridor, and separate enclosure was individually lined to avoid compromising the structural integrity of junctions between interior floors, walls, and columns and the exterior walls, roof, and floor slabs. Concrete columns were covered with steel liner-plate welded at the seams and at floor and ceiling junctions. Only interior non-load-bearing partitions separating rooms in the same shielding zones were exceptions. Here the liner-plate shielding was permitted to penetrate partition junctions at the floor, ceiling, and walls.

Areas within the MSCB with differing shielding requirements were separated into "zones." There were 10 separate EMP/RFI zones required for Weapon System Equipment (WSE), and the remainder of the building was an EMP-only shielding zone for protection of tactical support equipment (TSE). The 10 EMP/RFI zones were designated as zones RA through RN; the remainder of the building was designated as the E-1 zone.

Typically, the MSCB liner plate was supplied in 4 ft by 10 ft sheets butted together and held in place against the concrete walls and ceilings by embedded weld studs attached to the liner plate on 2-ft centers. An embedded backup bar was provided behind each liner plate seam and all seams were continuously welded and inspected by the magnetic particle process to ensure no flaws or gaps would compromise the shielding continuity.

1. Floor Plans:

The MSCB had approximately 127,384 ft² of usable floor area (out of 162,522 ft² of total area). There are two subterranean main floors, and two above-ground turret floors which housed weapon and tactical support equipment associated with the four phased arrays. The floor system in the MSCB consisted of three elements: a structural floor, air plenum, and cable routing space. The structural floor, or main load supporting element, was reinforced concrete slab supporting all the loads between the vertical support members, walls, and columns. Above this, the air plenum was formed by a 6-inch reinforced concrete slab called the raised floor, supported by steel frames and supporting all tributary loads above itself, transmitting them to the structural floor. A removable floor, composed of 2 ft by 2 ft panels supported by steel posts, formed the cable routing space above the raised floor and air plenum.

The floors were designed as either flat slabs, one-way, or two-way slabs to carry vertical loads. In addition, they were designed as diaphragms to transfer lateral loads to the shear walls.

Liner-plate room shielding for each floor of the MSCB was bonded to the adjacent floor shielding by 0.125-by-2-inch steel jumpers located on 2-foot centers around the building perimeter walls.

Floor space within the building is allotted on the concept that the radar has priority over other equipment. Consequently, to minimize RF and power losses and to optimize radar performance, all RF and electronic links between the antenna arrays and associated radar equipment were designed to be equal and of minimal length. To meet these requirements, the radar equipment, except for the transmitter elements, occupied the floor areas immediately below the turret.

a. Basement:

Beneath the oil pumping room and transmitter area on the first floor was the basement oil storage area. This area contained oil storage tanks and industrial, sanitary, and oil waste sumps. The underside of certain first-floor rooms can also be seen.

b. First Floor:

The first floor contained the life support storage and area; a corridor; transmitter cooling and control rooms; an oil pumping room; High Voltage Power Source (HVPS) rooms (nos. 1 and 2) with control rooms (nos. 1 and 2); a klystron room; tube treatment room; elevator machine room; and miscellaneous repair shops, vestibules, storage areas, and air locks.

c. Mezzanine:

A mezzanine contained digital rack power supply rooms; a technical supply management center; parts storage; miscellaneous shafts and restrooms; and the upper level of some first floor rooms.

d. Second Floor:

The second floor contained electronics area (including Missile Site Data Processing (MSDP)); Equipment Readiness Center (ERC) and System Readiness Verification (SRV) rooms; Ballistic Missile Defense Operation Center (BMDOC); Army Air Defense Operation Center (AADOC); offices; computer rooms; mechanical and electrical equipment rooms; a crypto room; data terminal room; tape handler room; calibration rooms; administration and storage rooms; microwave room; corridors; and miscellaneous repair, vestibule, and service rooms.

The command and control areas and tape handler room had removable floors, permitting changes to cabling and equipment without affecting the concrete floors. Ducts constructed for air conditioning and cabling allowed them to be routed though the floor.

The interior areas of both the first and second floors were shielded from any exterior EMP influence by liner plate on walls, floors, and ceilings; by RFI-gasketed, blast-hardened exterior doors; by the peripheral welding to the liner plate of all penetrations for conduits, ducts, and piping; and by waveguides in airducts. Openings between rooms within the same shielding zone were lined for shielding continuity but were not equipped with shielded doors, waveguides, or electrical filters.

e. Third Floor and Duplexer Platform

The third floor occupies the lower portion of the turret. This floor contained mechanical and electrical equipment rooms, a telephone closet, drive amplifier racks, cable fallout equipment, control/monitor equipment, and associated cooling equipment. The third floor was removable.

In the center of the third floor was an RF-shielded paramp (parameter amplifier) room, with an RF duplexer area located directly above which held microwave devices associated with the radar receivers. Access to the third floor was by stairs and the equipment elevator; personnel access above the third floor was by ladder; equipment access was by hoists.

The interior areas of the third floor (and the duplexer area) were shielded from any exterior EMP influence by liner plate on walls, floors, and ceilings; by RFI-gasketed, blast-hardened exterior doors; by the peripheral welding to the liner plate of all penetrations for conduits, ducts, and piping; and by waveguides in airducts. Openings between rooms within the same shielding zone were lined for shielding continuity but were not equipped with shielded doors, waveguides, or electrical filters.

f. Fourth Floor:

The fourth floor housed and supported the four phased-array antennae, four Quality ("Q") antennae, RF chambers, feed-horn comparators, and cooling equipment. A shock-isolated platform situated above the fourth floor contained the antenna support equipment; the antennae were oriented at 90 degrees from one another, with each array line-of-sight displaced 56 degrees from vertical.

The interior areas of the fourth floor (and the equipment and access platforms) were shielded from any exterior EMP influence by liner plate on walls, floors, and ceilings; by RFI-gasketed, blast-hardened exterior doors; by the peripheral welding to the liner plate of all penetrations for conduits, ducts, and piping; and by waveguides in airducts. Openings between rooms within the same shielding zone were lined for shielding continuity but were not equipped with shielded doors, waveguides, or electrical filters.

2. Stairways:

There were a total of 16 sets of stairs in the MSCB, all removed during the salvaging process. The first level stairs had a VAT finish.

An elevator and stairway No. 1 extended from the first floor (Room 118 and 119) to the Duplexer Area.
Room 126 was Stairway No. 2 and provided passage between the first floor, mezzanine, and second floor.
Stairway No. 3 originated in room 108 and accessed the second floor.
Stairway No. 4 originated near room 102 and accessed the mezzanine.
Stairway No. 5 (from room 125) provided passage to the mezzanine (near room M2).
Stairway No. 6 originated in the mezzanine and accessed room 229, the MSR electronics area.
Stairway No. 7 originated in room 239 and accessed a small mezzanine above.
Stairway No. 8 originated near room 257.
Stairway No. 9 exited from room 252.
Stairway No. 10 exited from room 250, leading to the 3rd floor.
Stairway No. 11 exited near Mechanical Equipment Area 305, allowing access to the removable third floor area.
Stairway No. 12 exited from the third floor.
Stairways No. 13 and 14 exited from near Mechanical Equipment Areas 306 and 304, respectively, to the removable third floor.
Stairways No. 15 and 16 originated near the Duplexer Area and accessed the Cable Support Area.

3. Flooring:

About 60 percent of the MSCB floor area was shielded for RFI/EMP protection of sensitive WSE. The original floor finishes in the MSCB were as follows:

All basement floors were of liner plate.
The first level had heavy-duty epoxy over concrete (27 rooms); vinyl asbestos tile (VAT) (vestibules and Maintenance Data System rooms 121 and 122); standard epoxy (custodian's and men's rooms); steel plate ground plane (6 rooms); and liner plate with epoxy paint (9 rooms).
The mezzanine had heavy-duty epoxy (7 rooms); VAT (2 rooms); removable VAT panels (2 rooms); and standard epoxy (2 rooms).
The second level had heavy-duty epoxy (30 rooms); VAT (12 rooms); removable VAT panels (15 rooms); and standard epoxy (7 rooms); liner plate with epoxy paint (crypto and cable entry rooms).
The third level had heavy-duty epoxy (5 rooms); removable VAT panels (2 rooms); standard epoxy (telephone closet).
The duplexer area/corridor was predominately heavy-duty epoxy flooring; metal grating (cable support area).
The fourth level had all liner plate with epoxy paint.

4. Wall and Ceiling Finish:

The original wall finish in the MSCB was as follows:

The basement finish was liner plate, and HVPS rooms were exposed concrete underneath.
The first level was liner plate (all rooms); gypboard (5 rooms); and wire partitions (4 rooms).
The mezzanine had liner plate (all rooms), and gypboard (5 rooms).
The second level had liner plate (58 rooms); gypboard (30 of the 58 rooms); gypboard without liner plate (7 rooms); acoustical treatment (14 rooms); exposed concrete (2 rooms); wire partitions (2 rooms); and exposed metal studs (equipment room 213).
The third level had liner plate (all rooms) and exposed concrete (equipment areas).
The duplexer area had all liner plate.
The fourth level had all liner plate.

The 1.5-foot thick interior walls were vertical load-bearing walls, one-way slabs for dynamic lateral loads normal to the wall, and shear walls to resist dynamic lateral loads parallel to the walls. All interior walls and ceilings were lined with an 11-gauge steel liner plate continuously welded at all seams.

The original ceiling finish in the MSCB was as follows

The basement was of exposed concrete.
The first level was liner plate (4 rooms), gypboard (3 rooms), and acoustical treatment (HVPS No. 2 control room).
The mezzanine was liner plate (12 rooms) and gypboard (men's room and vestibule).
The second level was liner plate (34 rooms); gypboard (11 rooms); acoustical treatment (10 rooms); luminous ceiling (6 rooms); and metal decking (4 rooms).
The third level was liner plate (telephone closet & paramp room) and structural grid (mechanical equipment areas & antenna electronics room).
The duplexer area was all liner plate.
The fourth level was also entirely liner plate.

The building perimeter wall shielding on each floor was interconnected with adjacent floor shielding by strap conductors through the concrete slabs separating the floors. Additional shielding was provided by the reinforcing steel embedded in structural concrete, the ground system, and the earth cover.

5. Openings:

a. Doors:

Thirty shielded doors were present within the MSCB. Doors between rooms within the same EMP/RFI shielding zones were conventional, whereas those separating or bounding the zones had a sheet steel jacket and either conductive gaskets or metal finger stock encompassing the perimeter to ensure an electrical continuity with the door's enclosing frame or casing; the casing was seal-welded to the liner plate.

The MSCB had four ventilation system fire doors which were capable of containing fire within specific areas. Two were located between the transmitter cooling room (No. 310) and the oil pumping room (No. 131); one was located between the microwave room (No. 248) and corridor (No. 247). The doors operated as guillotines, closing off ventilation system air flow at these critical ducting points.

6. Mechanical Equipment:

To survive the shock environment within the structure, equipment was either ruggedized (for example, waterlines included surge arresters to prevent equipment damage) or "shock isolated," wherein flexible connections were required between hard-mounted lines and the equipment in question to provide for the possibility of substantial blast-induced relative motion.

In other words, components and subassemblies were not directly attached to the floors and walls of the MSCB. Rather, they were mounted to structures which attached to the building. For example, relays, circuit boards, and pumps were mounted typically in open frame racks, which were mounted to the building floor. Special mountings were provided for equipment considered vibration-sensitive and junctions (with flexible joints) to and between structures to allow shock-induced differential displacements without structural rupture. Many items of electronic equipment and the majority of electrical and mechanical support equipment were mounted in this way. Also, partitions, suspended ceilings, raised floors, pipe runs, ducting, electrical conduits, and cable trays were designed to withstand the computed internal shock environment.

Via galvanized rigid-steel conduits to the substation transformer primaries, the main source of electrical power was distributed from shielded and grounded switchgear in the MSRPP to all electrical loads within the MSCB. All conduits and ducts entering the RFI shielded areas were equipped with filters designed to attenuate RFI. All anchorage for equipment cable trays, duct work, and cabinets was attached directly to steel bearing plates which were embedded in the concrete and continuously welded to the steel liner plate to maintain shielding integrity.

a. Communications:

Public address and television systems serviced the MSCB; also available were black, red, and maintenance telephone systems. The black telephone system was used for normal intra- and inter-building communications, as well as linking to off-site telephones. The red telephone system was employed in high-level tactical communications.

Red and maintenance telephone conduits originated in the liner plate shielded area of the MSRPP, whereas television and black telephone conduits entered from a rebar shielded area. Each of these steel conduits had conductive and permeable joints and were peripherally welded to the metal barrier in the PEUT and to the liner-plate shielding at each penetration. At the penetrations for RFI containment/exclusion rooms, spaces were provided for the RFI filters.

b. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation:

The MSCB was provided with electrical energy, antenna cooling water, high purity water, hot water, nitrogen, ventilating air, and compressed air by the MSRPP.

The MSCB had 14 air-handling units, 13 cooling coils (ranging in capacity from 13,300 to 66,350 cubic feet per minute (CFM)), and 12 heating coils (ranging in capacity from 750 to 32,800 CFM).

Thirteen supply fans (ranging in capacity from 4,400 to 27,700 CFM) serviced the heating coils and two exhaust fans (located in the mechanical equipment room) served the toilet room (7,800 CFM) and as general exhaust (2,200 CFM).

All air ducts routed between adjacent shielding zones were equipped with waveguide-below-cutoff type filters at penetrations of EMP/RFI shielding zones. These waveguides were seal-welded to the air ducts and to lined openings provided in structural wall shielding. Air ducts routed between rooms in the same shielding zone were welded to the framed openings for structural support only. The number of air ducts penetrating shielding zones was minimized by ensuring mechanical and electrical rooms were included within the same zones as the WSE they served.

c. Lighting:

Console rooms in the MSCB contained a dual lighting system, consisting of a general (50 foot-candles) system, with wall mounted dimming controls; the latter system could override the former. Illumination was generally fluorescent, with fixtures equipped with safety locks, diffusers, and louvers to preclude accidental dislodging of fluorescent contents. In both the electronic and transmitter control rooms, the lighting design and location allowed control over illumination levels wherein observation of oscilloscopes was necessary.

d. Plumbing:

Water for the SRMSC was provided from 10 wells through a 58 mile waterline from the Fordville Aquifer to the PAR and MSR sites. The water supply system had the capability of delivering 1,000 gallons of water per minute.

All MSCB water systems originated in the MSRPP, entering via flexible pipe sections at the MSRPP-PEUT interface, were seal-welded in the PEUT at the shielding barrier, and included flexible sections at the PEUT-MSCB interface. Waterlines included surge arresters to prevent equipment damage.

All piping penetrations (liquid and compressed air) between shielding zones included the use of steel pipe equipped with a flange circumferentially welded to the liner plate at the point of shielding penetration. A straight section of steel pipe at each penetration was designed to function as a waveguide-below-cutoff.