From ancient times, such structures and structures were erected that would protect the city, the fortress from enemy attacks. Scientifically, this type of structure is called a fortification structure. From the lessons of history, we remember that ancient settlements were specially built in hard-to-reach places, for example, on hills or at the confluence of rivers. Already later it became popular to erect artificially created barriers around fortresses and settlements in the form of ramparts, ditches, walls of unprocessed stones.
Wartime requirements
As the armies formed, military art began to develop powerfully and actively. Since that time, military fortifications became known when whole field fortifications were erected. Thanks to such engineering constructions, weapons and military equipment have become more effective, control of troops has become easier, and protection against enemy attacks has become more reliable. Modern fortifications can be of the following types:
- trenches, trenches that are built for firing;
- observation and command posts are necessary in order to monitor their and enemy positions and control the army;
- cracks, shelters, dugouts, shelters are designed to protect both personnel and military equipment;
- communication passages are lost - these are galleries that are created underground or inside some structure with the aim of sheltering the message.
The fortification structure, therefore, is a reliable way to protect your army, people and equipment from enemy attacks. Moreover, earlier their number was supplemented by various artificial obstacles in the form of ditches, scarp, counter-escarp, gouge, which were considered important components of castles, fortresses and forts. But during the Second World War, artificially erected buildings began to be considered independent fortified positions called non-explosive barriers. All this can be combined with the concept of "simple fortifications", because they are built simply and quickly enough.
Open or closed designs?
From the point of view of design features, such structures can be open and closed. For example, openings include cracks, trenches, trenches, their peculiarity is that protective structures are installed in separate places, while the entrance to them remains unprotected. In such a protective place you can hide from bullets, fragments of shells and mines. An enclosed fortification structure is created around the entire perimeter, and better protection is provided from conventional weapons and from larger ones, for example, nuclear weapons.
From the point of view of construction conditions and operational features, protective structures can be long-term and field. The former are most often done in peacetime and for a long time: durable materials are used to create them, water and electricity are supplied here, since the army is sometimes located in such a place for a long time. In wartime, most often a field fortification is erected, which is carried out from materials at hand (stones, brushwood, woods).
Today, more and more advanced designs are appearing, for the manufacture of which reinforced concrete, corrugated steel, synthetic materials, which have unique protective properties, are used. Moreover, such structures can be easily transported together with the army.