Bunker types compared
bunker24.lt offers four types of protective structures – block, underground, metal and Extra bunkers. Each has its own strengths: we have compared their construction, capacity, lead times and what each type is best suited to.
Shelter requirements in Lithuania: STR 2.07.02:2024
STR 2.07.02:2024: what an institution installing a shelter needs to know
STR 2.07.02:2024 “Slėptuvės, kolektyvinės apsaugos statinio ir priedangos projektavimo ir įrengimo reikalavimai” (Requirements for the design and installation of blast shelters, collective protection structures and shelters)
A Lithuanian construction technical regulation setting out the design requirements for shelters (priedangos), blast shelters (slėptuvės) and collective protection structures (kolektyvinės apsaugos statiniai). It was approved by Order No. D1-63 of the Minister of the Environment of 28 February 2024 and has been in force since 29 February 2024.
The key requirements for a shelter are set out below. This is a summary: the solutions for a specific site are chosen by the designer, who is also responsible for their compliance (STR, para. 2).
Who must have a shelter
The regulation is mandatory for newly designed buildings:
- buildings used for public purposes (except religious buildings) that can hold more than 100 people at a time;
- high-rise (more than 5 storeys) blocks of flats.
From 1 January 2027, the obligation will also apply to blocks of flats that can accommodate more than 100 people at a time.
If no shelter room is planned inside the building, the shelter is designed as a separate structure belonging to the building – and this is exactly where free-standing precast solutions fit. When existing buildings are reconstructed or adapted, applying the regulation is recommended (para. 3); in other cases it may be applied voluntarily.
Capacity and floor area
≥ 60%The shelter is designed for at least 60% of the maximum number of people who can be in the building at one time (para. 152). There is no upper limit on floor area (para. 153).
1.5 m²When assessing shelter capacity, municipalities count 1.5 m² of total floor area per person. This figure is set by a procedure approved by the Government of Lithuania, not by the STR itself.
Structure
- A shelter is designed using massive elements: cast-in-situ or precast reinforced concrete, or masonry (para. 164).
- The structure must withstand a blast wave load of 0.035 MPa and the same dynamic load from the collapse of surrounding buildings; at the emergency exit – 0.025 MPa (paras 167–168).
- Windows in a shelter are prohibited (para. 169).
- Design working life category – 4 (50 years) (para. 162).
- The shelter is built as a separate fire compartment of fire resistance degree I; wall and ceiling finishes must be at least class B-s1, d0 (paras 160, 165).
Entrances and doors
- At least one entrance/exit and one emergency exit, on different sides if possible and no closer than 10 m to each other (para. 158.3).
- Door leaf width – at least 0.8 m (para. 158.2).
- External doors – fire resistance of at least EI2 60-C3 and resistance to kinetic impact no lower than that of the wall in which they are installed (para. 158.4).
- If there is no external door, the entrance has a 90-degree turn to deflect the blast wave (para. 158.5).
- There must be no lifts or platform lifts on the evacuation route (para. 159).
- The entrance and circulation routes are made accessible to people with reduced mobility, or it is ensured that they can be brought in with the help of others (para. 158.1).
Building services
| System | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Mains electricity and lighting | Mandatory (paras 180, 183) |
| Backup power supply | The system must be designed; a generator may be brought in during preparation (para. 181) |
| Fire detection and alarm (audible and visual) or a fixed fire suppression system | Mandatory (para. 184) |
| Space for first aid and firefighting equipment | Mandatory (paras 157, 161) |
| Heating | Recommended (para. 173) |
| Ventilation | At the client’s request If installed, it must be possible to switch it off and seal the openings (paras 175–177) |
| Frost-proof water supply with a tap and floor drain | Recommended (para. 178) |
| Toilets | At the client’s request If installed – at least one accessible to people with disabilities (para. 179) |
| Protection against chemicals and ionising radiation | At the client’s request (paras 155–156) |
For comparison: requirements for a blast shelter are far stricter
The walls and roof slab of a blast shelter must be reinforced concrete at least 300 mm thick (para. 33), the structure is calculated for a 0.2 MPa load (paras 37–38), and filtered ventilation, heating, water supply and sanitary facilities are mandatory, with at least 2 m² per person in the protection rooms (para. 19.3.1).
How a shelter gets onto the official list and map
The law provides for no separate “certification” procedure for shelters. The process works as follows:
- A building with a shelter is designed and built according to a building design; data confirming that the room is adapted as a shelter are entered in the Real Property Register (STR, para. 154).
- Institutions, companies and other managers submit data on their shelters to the director of the municipal administration and make them available for use free of charge.
- Each year by 30 April, the mayor of the municipality determines the need for shelters and approves the list of selected shelters.
- Within 30 days, the municipal administration marks the shelters with a sign, and the Fire and Rescue Department (PAGD) publishes their locations on lt72.lt.
- Once a year, the manager assesses the shelter’s signage, condition and compliance with requirements, and if necessary must make it ready for use within 12 hours.
Our engineers design in line with STR 2.07.02:2024 and prepare the solutions so that the shelter can be included in the municipal list. We provide the manufacturers’ declarations of conformity and door certificates, hand over the as-built documentation and operating instructions, and help prepare the building permit documents and the data for the municipality so that the shelter is included in the list.
Need help planning a shelter?
Our design engineers will assess your site, calculate the required floor area, recommend the most suitable bunker type and prepare the design solutions in line with STR 2.07.02:2024 (Lithuanian construction technical regulation on the design and installation of shelters). Price on request.
- Consultations on working daysMon–Fri 8:00–20:00
The information on this page is for general guidance only and does not replace legislation or the designer’s decisions. Always check the requirements applicable to a specific site against the current versions of the legislation.
Information updated on 22 September 2026.
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