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EARTH COVERED-MAGAZINES STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY
ASSESSMENTS (ECMSIA)
Author/Presenter: Jeff Coulston, PE, US Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville (CEHNC); ATTN:
CEHNC-EDC-S (Coulston); PO Box 1600; Huntsville, AL 35807-4301; phone 256-895-1651;
E-mail: Jeff. Coulston@usace.army.mil
Keywords: earth-covered magazine, structural health, assessment, aging infrastructure, risk
Abstract
An important element of the Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board’s (DDESB) Explosives Safety
Program is munitions related infrastructure. One of the actions within this element is to determine if aging Earth-
Covered Magazines (ECM) have structurally degraded to a point they do not meet current structural designations
(e.g. 7-bar, 3-bar, Undefined) criteria which could jeopardize significant quantities of U.S. munitions stockpile if an
accidental explosion were to occur. The Army is supporting an assessment of Department of Defense (DoD)
military munitions earth covered magazines (ECM) initiated and funded by the DDESB. The purpose of the
structural integrity assessment is to determine the ECM type, establish the structural health, assign a structural health
rating, recommend needed repairs or replacement and estimate the remaining service life of ECMs at select
installations. The output of the assessment will be utilized for development of a Munitions-Related Infrastructure
Recapitalization Plan the Army can use to plan and budget for the maintenance and replacement of aging
infrastructure.
The structural health rating is an indication of the ECM’s capability to adequately perform its intended purpose,
considering its structural designation and explosives safety siting environment both as an Exposed Site (ES) and
Potential Explosion Site (PES).
Introduction/Background
This paper will present the ECM assessment overall approach and description of the three phases with emphasis on
Phase 1 ‘Earth Covered-Magazine Structural Integrity Assessment’.
There are approximately 25,000 Earth-Covered Magazines (ECMs) in the Department of Defense’s inventory, with
most built during the World War II era and approaching 75 years of service. The arch shape and flat roof type
magazines are two of the most common ECMs in use today. Figure 1 shows a picture of each shape. There are
many variations of these two shapes utilized within DoD.
Figure 1 Earth Covered Magazines Pictures
Photo credit:
http://www.mcaap.army.mil/_docs/info/Brochure_4_Internet.pdf
