Gossberg (Hunsrück)

The total construction costs approximately amount to US$90,000,000 (equivalent to about $187,683,187 in 2022) up to the end of construction in 1992.[9]

The bunker has two nested shield hulls, the inner and the outer, each produced out of reinforced concrete. The thickness of the inner shield hull is 0.80 m, while of the outer one is double of the former. Both shield hulls are separated by hollow space with a width of 2.00 m, which serves three major purposes:

• provide two escape routes to the corresponding emergency exits;
• ventilation of interior spaces;
• in case of an actual (nuclear) rocket strike, the outer shield hull would (potentially) collapse into that hollow space (potentially) damaging the inner shield hull but leaving the interior structure bed intact (the same principle as spaced armor).[10]

The thickness of the bottom plate is 1.00 m, while of the cover plate of the inner shield hull is between 1.00 m and 1.20 m. The cover plate of the outer shield hull consists of a so-called Zerschellschicht (a layer of lean concrete on top of the reinforced concrete construction to mitigate damage inflicted by explosions) with a thickness of 1.05 m and an overlying layer of fluid concrete with quartzite blocks with a thickness of 1.10 m. Finally, there is a soil layer of 0.40 m on top as a green roof.[10]

The entire building extends for about 13.30 m deep under the ground and for about 10.35 m above the ground, while the horizontal dimensions (length × width) of it are 50.30 m × 45.80 m respectively. Hence, the gross area is around 17,000 m² (including the outer plot area), the gross volume is roughly 28,000 m³, and the summit of Gossberg is 8.00 m higher than before the construction.[10]

Internally, the bunker is a three-story building, where the two upper stories are connected with two stairways and a heavy elevator (up to 10,000 kg), while the two lower stories are connected only with a steel ladder. Physical security and separation between rooms are achieved by a sluice system with an option to manage it via the central access control panel.[11]

The purpose of story 2 (ground floor) is to accommodate administration, security surveillance, computer equipment, and electrical engineering. By default, it contains nine rooms, but could be expeditiously reconfigured (by operating staff on their own, potentially during ongoing war) thanks to (re)movable walls, suspended ceiling, and raised floor (on stilts). In addition, there are two toilet rooms and a power supply room. To summarize, the net internal (usable) area is 1,185 m² and maximum floor load is 2,000 kg/m². Other features include:

• perforated floor with natural carpet;
• exit signs;
• fire alarm system;
• fire suppression system;
• uninterruptible power supply;
• dust collector;
• high-performance air conditioning cabinets;
• glare-free lighting with electromagnetic security;
• emergency lighting;
• configurable temperature and humidity on a per room basis.[12][13]

The purpose of story 1 (underground floor) is to technologically sustain the building and provide storage space (e.g. for food, equipment, weapons, etc.), where part of that space could be utilized as laboratory. Walls are not (re)movable, types of both ceiling and floor vary between rooms. In addition, there are two toilet rooms, a sanitary room, and a decontamination shower room. To summarize, the net internal (usable) area is 1,664 m² and maximum floor load is 5,000 kg/m². Other features include:

• exit signs;
• fire alarm system;
• fire suppression system;
• low voltage supply system;
• electrical filter system (against eavesdropping);
• compressor system;
• air conditioning system;
• ventilation system;
• decontamination system;
• water treatment system;
• emergency power controller;
• emergency power system (two generators of 1000 kW each);
• emergency heating system (160 kW);
• emergency cooling system (towers);
• emergency air supply system;
• uninterruptible power supply;
• heat pump;
• cooling machinery;
• hydraulic motors for elevator.[14][15]

The purpose of story 0 (underground floor) is to technologically sustain the building and provide storage tanks (e.g. for water and oil). The corresponding net internal (usable) area is only 450 m². Storage tanks include:

• tank for drinking water (50 m³);
• tank for tap water (750 m³);
• tank for used water (30 m³);
• tank for contaminated water (20 m³);
• tank for oil (100 m³).[16][17]

The outer plot is surrounded by a fence of about 2.00 m high and its gross area is 13,783 m². It contains road and parking paved with interlocking brick stones, which officially offers a helipad, a small transformer building, and a hill of about 10.35 m high with an entrance to the bunker. The entrance has area of roughly 500 m² and is protected by a massive armored sliding door weighing more than 28,000 kg.[18][19]

• directly connected to the public water supply and sewage;
• directly connected to the electric power distribution with three own transformers;
• lighting protection.[20]

• optical fiber cables;
• ISDN.[21]