OCR Text |
Show Air Force Engineers Plan Geoloff y Tests in County An advance team of five fficers engineers and geol-gists geol-gists - from the Civil Engin-Ting Engin-Ting Branch of the Air Force eapons Laboratory at Klrt-and Klrt-and AFB, in Albuquerque, New Mexico were in Cedar City last week. The team met wiLh civic leaders and local officials outlining out-lining their research test experiments ex-periments to begin here later next month. These unique scientistair men are specialists in developing devel-oping research techniques to simulate the tremendous ground shock effects of a nuclear nu-clear detonation. And they do it using conventional high explosives. ex-plosives. But - on the small scale of what they do and how they do it - probably no one would ever know they are around by ( the noise they make. Purpose of their research experiments is to provide con- tinually better data for assuring assur-ing that our defensive protective protec-tive structures are invulnerable invulner-able to nuclear shocks. The Air Force tests here are parallel to, but separate from, the announced Department of Defense sponsored research program called Operation Mine Shaft. It is being conducted con-ducted by tho Army Corps of Engineers' Waterways Experiment Exper-iment Station from Vicksbuig, Miss. Both test activities are being conducted in the hard rock (granite) areas of Three Peaks, about ten miles northwest north-west of Cedar City. They each seek research data in the seismic propagation of shock. The Army tests are crater-ing crater-ing events with conventional high explosives detonated on or near the surface. Present Air Force tests consists of smaller charges (less than 500 lbs.) placed in well tamped drill holes. Initial Air Force tests may not be seen or felt except by the scientific data gathering instruments, also located in drill holes surrounding the site. Last week, the advance Air Force team, under the direction direc-tion of Civil Engineer (MS) Capt. Charles Lemont of Lincoln, Lin-coln, Mich., prepared a detailed detail-ed field engineering and geophysical geo-physical investigation of three sites selected for their tests. Other members of this team were Capt. John Ge0 of Fresno, Fres-no, Calif., geologist (BS) and project officer for site investigation inves-tigation and operations; Lt. Howard Pratt of Hanover, Penn., geologist (PhD) and project officer for soil and rock mechanics and ground motions; mo-tions; Lt. Scott Blouln of Gardner, Mass., civil engineer (MS) for rock mechanic properties; pro-perties; and Lt. Tom Wich of Hollan, Mich., mechanical engineer en-gineer (BS) for test operations. Not more than 15 Air Force personnel (both civilian and military professionals) are expected to participate, on site, in these tests starting late in June and perhaps continuing through fall. Since the data resulting from each test series must bo processed and studied back at Kirtland Air Force Base, there will be extended periods when no Air Force people will be in the area. Provisions will be made throughout these tests to insure in-sure that all persons and live-stock live-stock are well clear of blast areas. The Air Force tests are on public lands and will be safely secured by fencing. A Field Office of the Air Force Weapons Laboratory's Civil Engineering Branch has been established in Room 5, Cedar City Post Office Bldg. (P. O. Box 765). This office will be manned only when Air Force people are in the area and not at the test site. |