Rapport

FFI-RAPPORT 16/00707

very long time without showing notable changes in their mechanical properties.

This makes no

mention of the quality of the water, however, and we must assume that the filthy water the

piqlBoxes is exposed during the scenario regarding a flood, where the water is mixed with mud,

vegetation and rocks, debris and remnants of buildings, and also possibly human bodies, at the

very least necessitates their replacement, as their longevity can no longer be guaranteed.

Though the plastic in the piqlBox is water resistant, that does not make the piqlBox water-proof.

They are only splash-proof, which should protect the piqlFilms inside from exposure to much of

the water from a sprinkler system, but as the piqlBox is not air-tight, water may find its way into

the piqlBox and come in contact with the piqlFilm. If the piqlBoxes are submerged in water, this

will most certainly be the case. In situations like these, we can assume that the gelatine

emulsion, and not the PET base, of the piqlFilm is the weakest link. Shorter periods in colder

water should cause little damage to the information on the piqlFilm, especially if they are

immediately rewashed and dried properly.

If not, the integrity of the information may be

compromised and the availability of the information is lost. When the piqlFilms are exposed to

water that is acidic or basic (alkaline), or of a higher temperature, as may be the case during a

flood, the resulting effects are quite different. We can safely assume that neither the polyester

nor the gelatine emulsion of the piqlFilm will hold up long under these conditions. The gelatine

would likely dissolve, and the piqlFilms would be damaged beyond repair. It would no longer

be possible to verify the integrity of the information, and its availability would be lost.

We conclude this discussion of the effects of water on the Piql Preservation Services with one

final note, though it may be obvious: The water would have a very negative effect on the

piqlVault system. As an automated system, whose operations entirely consist of electronics,

water is very damaging. Exposure to water causes the electronics of the system to short-circuit

and the operations of the system to shut down. As mentioned previously, manual recovery of the

piqlBin would then be necessary, compromising the availability of the piqlFilms for quite some

time.

9.1.6

Physical Pressure from Overhead Weight

An additional risk faced by the Piql Preservation Services where there is need for testing before

we can say anything definitive on the subject is the issue of how the piqlBox and piqlFilm can

withstand different degrees of physical pressure from an overhead load before the piqlFilm is

damaged beyond repair. In our scenario descriptions of an earthquake and a terrorist act where a

bomb damages the building which houses the piqlVault, slabs of concrete either fall onto the

grid of the piqlVault system or are propelled against it. Naturally, the piqlBoxes and –Films hit

directly by bigger pieces of concrete are crushed. Yet the question remains how the piqlBoxes

and –Films trapped beneath smaller pieces of concrete fare. These pieces would not initially

The assertion that the piqlBox and piqlFilm can be subjected to water without causing much damage was part of an email

correspondence with Harry Øysæd, Senior Researcher at Norner AS, on 21.01.16, where he quoted ―Chemical Resistance, Volume

1 – Thermoplastics‖, PDL (Plastic Design Library) Handbook Series, second edition, 1996.

The assertion that the piqlBox and piqlFilm can be subjected to water without causing much damage was part of an email

correspondence with Harry Øysæd, Senior Researcher at Norner AS, on 21.01.16