Universal Warning Sign: Yucca Mountain
concept
and design by Yulia Hanansen
*This
design won an Honorable Mention at the Universal Warning Sign design competition.
Competition
challenge:
To create
a universal warning sign/permanent marker for the high-level nuclear waste
repository at Yucca Mountain, NV. The purpose of the warning sign is "to
deter intentional or inadvertent human intrusion or interference at the site
and to effectively communicate over the course of the next 10,000 years that
the integrity of the site must not be compromised in any way in order to prevent
the release of the radiation contained within."
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Concept:
The
"Radioactive Danger" sign as we know it today may not be known as
such in thousands of years to come. However, it should be known as a sign
used in the 20th-21st centuries to communicate the message of radioactive
danger. Therefore, we incorporated into our design elements that bear some
of the features of conventional 2D "Radioactive Danger" sign, so
that the future archaeologists could identify it as a warning dated back to
2000A.D.
We stylized the conventional sign, arriving at the conjoined triangle design
shown below. The sign has sharp edges, representing an acuteness and seriousness
appropriate for the warning it must convey. It is a pyramidal structure which
can be perceived as a message containing another message. The monument itself
becomes a symbolic mountain where one will be able to enter it and learn about
what lies within.
Since there
are 6 known entrances into the mountain, there will be one sign placed by
each entrance blocking further passage into the mountain. The
size of each sign, 37 feet in diameter and 12 feet tall at the peak, allows
them to be easily observed from the air.
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Design
Description:
The
traditional nuclear waste sign is used as a starting point for this design.
The hexagonal shape at the base is dissected into equilateral triangles. Every
other triangle is cut out and the freed spaces become passageways towards
the center. The remaining three triangles form a stylized nuclear waste sign.
The central vertices of those triangles are raised to form a mountain-like
structure. The base of each pyramidal section is equilateral, but the raised
triangles are not. However, when viewed directly from the top (aerial view),
all the triangles appear to be equal sided, perfecting the sign. Furthermore,
the three pyramidal sections are slightly moved away from the center to create
an enclosed space for the Uranium atom sphere. To emphasize that the sphere
is enclosed inside a mountain, semi-arches are cut out on the raised vertices
of the triangles.
The pyramidal
structure of the sign and its open passageways serve a purpose of an imaginary
tour inside of the mountain, revealing the main message in the center :
"Danger, radiation below the surface". In
order to get to the center, one will have to pass between the walls. The
walls have 3 aspects to them:
-
as
one enters the sign, the walls start growing in height, signifying that
one is going inside of the mountain.
-
the
passageway between the walls is getting narrower, indicating that the
center is approaching.
-
The
colors of the walls change from earth browns to alarming reds to yellows
to high-energy bright yellow-whites, indicating the increasing proximity
to the radioactive repository inside of the mountain.
When at
the center, one will notice that the triangle walls don't end at the sharp
angles. Instead, the inner edges of those triangles are cut into concave
semi-arches forming an alcove. In this alcove lies a sphere. The sphere
is a model of a Uranium atom, signifying one of the many radioactive compounds
that might be found within the repository. To reinforce that idea, black
walls of semi arches bear 92 red or 143 blue dots inlayed in them. Those
dots signify 92 protons, 92 electrons, and 143 neutrons that make up the
Uranium atom. The model of Uranium atom is 3 ft in diameter. It is elevated
off the ground by 1ft podium. The podium bears a written message:
"DANGER. HARMFUL RADIATION below. Do not dig. Do not drill till 12,000
AD." The sphere is made out of concrete with blue and red smalti
glass inlayed to represent the subatomic particles that form an atom. When
hit by the rays of sun, glass is illuminated, creating a glow from within.
Color is
important in conveying a message. For the message to be understood correctly
in 10,000 years, yellow is used to signify radiation. Pyramidal walls are
made of stone with stainless steel mesh attached (to support smalti), and
inlayed with smalti glass, a very durable mosaics material that is proven
to last for lengthy periods of time. The top sections of the sign are inlayed
with bright yellow smalti. The sides of the project are inlayed in browns,
reds, oranges, yellows, and bright yellow-whites. All the colors transition
into each other.
The structure
will be sitting on a 3ft high black basalt platform with the steps leading
to the top of the platform. Elevating the structure off the ground we ensure
that the it won't be covered by the wind blown sand and the flood waters.
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Materials
and Forms:
Granite:
Granite is a naturally occurring stone known to withstand variety of weather
conditions including temperature and humidity changes. Granite is also chosen
for its weight that makes the structure practically impossible to remove from
the site. It is more expensive then concrete, however it is also more durable.
The structure of the pyramid was chosen for its shape. Pyramids have been
known to withstand weather damage for thousands of years. Although ancient
pyramids in Egypt were damaged during their existence, they are still recognizable
as unmistakably man-made shapes. Those shapes are impossible not to notice,
especially from the air.
Basalt:
Basalt is a naturally occurring stone that forms under high temperatures during
volcanic activities. It is one of the hardest stones known. It is capable
of resisting weight, temperature and weather stress. Therefore, we are using
it to create a platform that will support the structure.
Stainless
Steel and Concrete: In order to attach glass to the structure, a stainless
steel mesh is used with concrete mortar poured on top of it. Together, the
steel and the mortar make a sturdy base for the glass to be embed into. Both
man made materials, they are one of the sturdiest and least expensive known
to us.
High Durability
Smalti Glass: smalti is the best quality glass one can use to create mosaics.
They were originally produced in Venice, Italy to create Byzantine style mosaics.
Smalti was chosen for this project for the following reasons:
