FEMA 453 Design Guidance for Shelters and Safe Rooms

m It is partially shielded by the surrounding building and may
not experience the full force of the blast. (Note that any
protection provided by the surrounding building should not
be considered in the shelter design.)
m It is designed to be within a new building and may be located
in an area of the building that the building occupants can
reach quickly, easily, and without having to go outside, such as
a data center, conference room, gymnasium, or cafeteria.
m It may reduce the shelter cost because it is typically part of a
planned renovation or building project.
1.4.3 shelter categories
A standalone or internal shelter may serve as a shelter only, or it
may have multiple uses (e.g., a multi-use shelter at a school could
also function as a classroom, lunchroom, or laboratory; a multiuse
shelter intended to serve a manufactured housing community
or single-family-home subdivision could also function as a community
center). The decision to design and construct a single-use
or a multi-use shelter will likely be made by the prospective client
or the owner of the shelter. To help the designer respond to nonengineering
and non-architectural needs of shelter owners, this
section discusses different shelter categories and usages. Table 1-5
provides a summary of the commercial shelter categories.
1-20 design considerations