benefits of mobile explosives magazines

Mobile explosion-resistant magazines are offering several important benefits over “classic” solutions of explosives stores or ammunition magazines:

Enhanced protection of surroundings

PYRO and AMMO magazines effectively protect surroundings against devastating effects of accidental explosions.

This is especially important in storage of commercial fireworks or small arms ammunition where improper storage conditions are very frequently used and related dangers underestimated. Typically applied steel ISO containers or confined brick/concrete buildings do not provide the necessary combination of strong walls and large venting areas for release of internal pressure after accidental explosion.

Absence of venting areas in steel ISO containers leads to powerful explosions of even “non-detonating” (1.3G) fireworks. Design of PYRO magazines combining high-strength walls with large venting areas opened by internal pressure effectively minimizes chances for DDT of stored pyrotechnic materials.

Similarly, the ferroconcrete structure (all six walls) of AMMO magazines stands intact after internal explosion, with fragments trapped and shock wave reduced by walls, with attenuated overpressure released through ventilating labyrinth and doors in customer-defined direction (doors position). All other directions from the AMMO magazine are effectively protected.

Minimization of safety distances and improvement of logistics

Use of storage modules protecting against transfer of explosion between modules minimizes safety distances. Despite total number of the modules in one place and total weight of the explosive materials stored inside, the maximum hazard event is limited to a single module only. Thus, despite storing e.g. tons of explosives in these modules in one magazine, safety distances shall always be calculated from the maximum unit content (e.g. 2.5 kg TNT).

Application of PYRO and AMMO magazines also minimizes necessary safety distances from surrounding buildings or traffic roads. Being experimentally tested to full capacity with materials of different hazard classes, the PYRO and AMMO magazines provide clearly defined safety areas in different directions from the magazines. Main endangered area lays in the door direction (release of the pressure), the remaining sides are well-protected.

Application of storage modules in AMMO-2 magazine allows to achieve storage of up to 150 kg of explosives (even in ammunition) while keeping the safety distances equivalent to 2.5 kg TNT in the door direction (e.g. about 4 – 10 m from inhabited buildings or main traffic roads).

Minimization of necessary safety distances improves logistics in storage or manufacturing operations and allows to seize less land for safety zones than would be normally required with “classic” magazines.

Common storage of normally incompatible items

Storage modules provide for possibility to store normally incompatible materials (such as high explosives, initiators, pyrotechnics, primary explosives and ammunition) together in a single storage room, which is otherwise forbidden by most of national explosives laws. This is because even if one module with a sensitive or unstable material explodes, contents of other modules are left unreacted. This feature of the storage modules is furthermore applied in AMMO-2 storage magazine.

Also PYRO-2 magazine gives a possibility to store explosive materials with different hazard classes (1.3G, 1.3C, 1.1D) in a single magazine conveniently storing together initiators, raw materials (black powder, gun powder, flash powders) and products (fireworks articles).

Protection against burglary and outside attacks

PYRO and AMMO magazines provide sufficient protection against burglary (concrete or ferroconcrete walls, steel doors, wall-incorporated steel bars in ceiling) and their designs comply with requirements for secure storage of weapons and ammunition in many countries of the world. Customer-defined security features can be applied to fulfill any specific national legislation.

PYRO and AMMO magazines are resistant to direct small arms fire providing good protection also for high-risk areas such as foreign military or peacekeeping missions.

Simplified permitting for installation and operation

Being mobile structures fully transportable between different sites, the PYRO and AMMO magazines do not need building permits for installation in many countries.

Features of the PYRO and AMMO magazines fulfill legal requirements for storage of pyrotechnics (fireworks), high explosives and ammunition of many countries. Design modifications are possible to comply with any local specifics.

Transportability and handling as commercial goods

Modular construction of the storage modules allows to create walls of the modules of different heights and lengths. Being only screwed together, the modules can easily be mounted, dismantled, moved to different location or reconfigured in case of need.

The PYRO and AMMO magazines can easily be transported between different sites and so they can be shared among different users. The magazines are equipped with parts assisting their frequent loading and offloading on/from trucks or trailers.

The storage magazines are treated as normal commercial goods, not as immovable properties, so they can be sold or rented if not further needed and moved to a different location. They are supplied with EC declaration of conformity and CE marking valid in European Union and accepted in other countries.

As products with long service life, the magazines can be shared/sold/rented without significant loss of their value in time.

Large variety of accessories and customer-defined design modifications

PYRO and AMMO magazines can be supplied with a variety of optional equipment and accessories (internal lights, floor heating, thermal insulation, outside jacketing, air conditioning, alarms, fire extinguishing systems etc.).

All the presented storage magazines were originally developed custom-made based on the specific customers’ requirements. We welcome any requests for modifications or development of other type-specific products fitting the customer´s needs best.