At the site, all factors were examined which could even remotely
bear upon engineering design, upon construction, or upon operation of
facilities during test activities. An inventory was made of existing
buildings, piers, airstrips, equipment, etc. Each island that could
possibly be used during a test period was studied, both from the air
and on the ground. Residual radioactivity levels resulting from Operation Sandstone detonations were recorded.
Samples of beach sand and
coral which might prove useful as sources of aggregates were obtained
from various locations throughout the Atoll. Other samples were taken
from several locations to provide material for preliminary soil studies.
In all, some 30 different samples were shipped to the Engineering Division at the Home Office for analysis and test for the purposes of determining design mixes and cement requirements for the Project and establishing preliminary soil data.

Even the scrap dumps at the Atoll were

examined with a view toward determining the effects of climate and environment on all types of materials.
(It might be noted here that this
study yielded the significant data which ultimately led to the selection
of particular types of aluminum for extensive semi-permanent buildings

on Eniwetok, Parry, and Japtan Islands.)

Meetings were held with the commanding officer of the garrison to
learn of logistic, communications, environmental, and morale problems
and meetings were held with other staff personnel to cover details of
housing and messing availability, inter-island transportation by small
boat and aircraft, maintenance requirements in standby period, and the
like.
The discussions held at the site and at the other installations
mentioned in this section were directed towards the collection of all
possible information which would have a bearing on design, construction,
and operational activities at the Proving Ground. From the engineering
standpoint, for example, the problem of logistics was a necessary con-

sideration in the choice of materials, the choice of packaging, the
choice of design, and other determinations. For example, one of the
cogent reasons for the choice of the design of the prefabricated aluminum buildings was that it was realized that shipping space would always
be at a premium throughout the course of the Project and that a building
design which lent itself to the most efficient use of shipping space
would afford an important advantage.
In view of the proximity of Kwajalein to Eniwetok, the experience
of service and Trust Territories personnel there on many aspects of
island life was deemed to be important in the proper study of the Proving Ground. Water and power usage factors, availability of construction
materials, shipping and airlift schedules, mail delivery and communications, corrosion, refrigerated storage capacities, POL problems, and
many other items which affected the engineering and design aspects of
the survey were discussed.
Likewise, at CINCPAC Headquarters at Pearl Harbor, discussions were
all extremely useful in establishing basic planning principles on all
phases of the proposed development. These meetings involved discussions

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