Evidence-based residential protection
Shelter better.
Understand why.
Independent engineering guidance for protection against radiological contamination, fallout and airborne radioactive material β from ordinary shelter-in-place to validated filtered positive-pressure sheltering.
Protection model
Different hazards require different controls.
Filtration + controlled airflow + pressure differential
Mass + geometry + location within the building
Air + power + water + sanitation + communications
Conceptual framework β not a certification standard. Actual performance depends on the building, system design and scenario.
The ShelterFactor difference
Same house. A controlled protective environment.
ShelterFactor does not start with a bunker. It starts with an ordinary home and systematically improves the functions that determine protection.
Standard home
Protection is incidental
With ShelterFactor
Protection is engineered
Filtration and controlled airflow target airborne contamination.
Room selection, geometry and shielding are assessed separately.
Critical functions can remain powered from resilient battery supply.
Activate remotely, verify status, retain local manual control.
Four protection pillars
Protection is a system, not a product.
A filter alone does not make a shelter. Effective protection comes from matching controls to exposure pathways.
Shelter
Choose the protected volume, understand leakage and control movement between clean and contaminated zones.
Air
Reduce airborne intake with appropriate filtration and maintain controlled inward/outward airflow.
Shielding
Reduce external gamma exposure through mass, distance, geometry and intelligent room selection.
Preparedness
Maintain the protected environment with monitoring, power, water, communications and procedures.
Filtered positive pressure
Control the airflow. Donβt chase every crack.
The engineering question is whether filtered supply airflow can exceed total envelope leakage under real conditions β including wind and filter pressure drop β while maintaining the required pressure differential.
Positive pressure primarily addresses airborne contamination. It does not replace shielding against external gamma radiation, nor does it solve long-duration needs such as COβ control, energy, water or sanitation.
Engineering chain
- 01Characterise
Protected volume, leakage, occupancy and hazard scenario.
- 02Design
Airflow, filtration stages, pressure loss and backup power.
- 03Validate
Measure flow, differential pressure and system behaviour.
- 04Operate
Monitoring, filter management, procedures and maintenance.
ShelterFactor framework
A practical maturity scale for residential protection.
SF-0 to SF-5 is a ShelterFactor concept for describing increasing engineering capability. It is not an official standard, regulatory classification or certification scheme.
Normal dwelling
No specific radiological protection measures.
Shelter-in-place
Doors, windows and ventilation managed according to official instructions.
Selected protected room
Room choice and envelope understood; practical contamination controls prepared.
Filtered supply
Engineered filtered mechanical air supply for the protected volume.
Validated positive pressure
Measured pressure differential, defined filtration and resilient operation.
Integrated resilience
Air, monitoring, remote/local control, backup power, shielding and autonomy engineered as one system.
Residential assessment
Start with the house you already have.
ShelterFactor is being developed as an independent assessment and engineering framework for existing homes: exposure pathways, room selection, air handling, shielding opportunities and resilience upgrades.
Scientific basis
Traceable assumptions. Explicit limitations.
The platform distinguishes official public guidance from ShelterFactor engineering extensions, and documents the physical basis, assumptions and limitations behind recommendations. Primary reference families include Dutch authorities and international nuclear and radiological guidance.
ShelterFactor is independent and is not a government authority, emergency service or certification body.
Questions or collaboration
Need more information?
Ask about the technical framework, a future residential assessment or engineering collaboration.