Nuclear Bomb Effects Computer
Biological and other data

 

Type of Structure   Damage and Overpressures
    light   heavy
buried concrete arch   120 -160 psi   220 - 280 psi
buried steel arch   30 - 40 psi   45 - 60 psi
seismic structure   10.0 psi   35.0 psi
reinforced concrete   7.0 psi   25.0 psi
ordinary house   1.0 psi   5.0 psi
glass windows   0.2 psi   1.0 psi

 

P-Max,* psi   Probable Biological Effect
5 - 45   1 - 99% rupture eardrum
15 - 25 **   threshold lung hemorrhage
35 - 65 **   1 - 99% mortality
* side-on or reflected overpressure
** applies only to "fast"-rising pressures
of "long" duration

 

Glass-Missile Data for Penetration of 1-cm Soft Tissue
glass fragment
mass, gms
velocity, ft/sec,
for indicated probabilities, %
  1% 50% 99%
0.1 235 410 730
0.5 160 275 485
1.0 140 245 430
10.0 115 180 355

 

Impact with Hard Surface
impact velocity, ft/sec   probable biological effect
0 - 10   no serious injury
12 - 16   fracture feet and legs
13 - 23   1 - 99% skull fracture
15 - 35   1 - 99% mortalty

 

This page was last updated on 30 October 1999.
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