Vault

The Vault™ series of survival shelters is a type of hardened subterranean installation designed by Vault-Tec Corporation on contract with the U.S. government to supposedly protect a selected fragment of the United States population from nuclear holocaust so that America could be repopulated.Vault-Tec University terminal entries; Young Dweller Development Terminal, Introduction 3 However, outside a minority of control Vaults, the main purpose of the Vaults were to experiment on the American population in order to conduct scientific research.
Although the term vault has many meanings, including a bank vault, it was trademarked by Vault-Tec to refer to their particular brand of shelter and thus capitalized.Vault-Tec University terminal entries; Vault-Tec Mission Statement Terminal, Introduction 3: "Thanks to our innovative Vault(tm) system, we've developed a way for man to persevere in this cruel and unforgiving atomic world. Vault-Tec University is confident that all graduates from this institution will be one hundred percent ready to Prepare For The Future(tm)! "
Vaults are not to be confused with the Series 1000 shelter or the shelters seen in Fallout 76 which are similar in function, but different in goal: Short vs. long term survival.
==Background==
===Project Safehouse===
The origins of the Vault network date back to the early 2050s, when the Euro-Middle Eastern War, the New Plague, and the collapse of the United Nations resulted in a nation-wide scare. In response, the government set Project Safehouse in motion in 2054. This massive national defense endeavor was intended to create shelters that would protect the population in the event of a nuclear war or plague. Breakthroughs in construction techniques allow for these gargantuan bunkers to be constructed at a rapid pace.Fallout Bible 0: "2054 In light of the Euro-Middle-Eastern conflict and the plague scare, the United States sets Project Safehouse in motion. The project, financed by junk bonds, is designed to create shelters, called Vaults, for the populace in the event of a nuclear war or deadly plague. Construction begins late in 2054 and proceeds rapidly due to advances in construction technology."Fallout history marketing picture
The impoverished government was forced to finance the project with junk bonds and even then, only 122 Vaults were ever commissioned, allowing less than 0.1% of the population to save their life in the event of the holocaust. The sheer costs of a single Vault are staggering. For example, the intended budget for Vault 13 was $400 billion dollars, and by the end of its construction the total costs reached $645 billion, well over 150% of the initial figure.
As a crucial element of national defense, much of the project was classified and protected under the New Amended Espionage Act, encouraging embezzlement and corruption.Vault Dweller's Survival Guide title page: "NOTICE.––This document contains information affecting the national defense of the United States within the meaning of the New Amended Espionage Act, 50 U.S.C., 31 and 32. Its transmission or the revelation of its contents in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by the law." Installations built as part of the Vault-Tec Societal Preservation Program commonly claimed to have a chance to fail equal to 1,763,497 to 1; however, the reality was a far cry from this bold claim.Vault 101 PA System: "Did you know - the odds of a Vault-Tec shelter failing are 1,763,497… to 1?"
Following the success of Vault-Tec Corporation's demonstration Vault built near their headquarters in Los Angeles at the time,Chris Taylor interview for Vault13.net:Saint Proverbius (SP): "Which Vault number was the Master's base?"Chris Taylor (CT): "The Master was in the Vault-Tec private Vault. This was the demonstration model built for the federal government, it was also very close to the Vault-Tec headquarters." the company won the bid for constructing the shelters. The building of the shelters proceeded rapidly and most were completed by 2063. The construction of several Vaults was delayed, particularly Vault 13 (which only started construction in August 2063) and the network surrounding Washington, D.C.Fallout Bible 0: "2063	August		The construction of most Vaults completed, except for Vault 13, whose construction finally gets off the ground... heralding a development cycle that seems plagued with problems. Drills begin in the other cities with completed Vaults, but the increasing frequency of the drills has a "cry wolf" effect, and the turnouts for drills trickle off as the years go on." Some were delayed due to work stoppage. Ongoing drills in completed shelters slowly created a "cry wolf" effect. Turnouts for the drills fell as the years went on, further limiting the Vaults' role in ensuring the survival of humanity.Fallout Bible 0: "2063	August		The construction of most Vaults completed, except for Vault 13, whose construction finally gets off the ground... heralding a development cycle that seems plagued with problems. Drills begin in the other cities with completed Vaults, but the increasing frequency of the drills has a "cry wolf" effect, and the turnouts for drills trickle off as the years go on."
Additional problems were caused by consistent mismanagement, corruption, and embezzlement that seemed to define Project Safehouse before the war. Yet for all these problems, Vault-Tec was able to create a number of miracle technologies and develop shelters that really protected the inhabitants, as long as they worked properly.Fallout Bible 6:
"1b. What may be suitable for planting in the present may not be suitable in 20 yrs. This is esp true I would think in the FO universe with its rather unstable ecosystem. I mean if one really wanted to be certain that what one was panting would grow the best thing to do would be to collect the seeds, spores etc from already growing food sources - these have a guaranteed fertilization rate. After all those corn seeds that were put in the GECK 50 yrs ago now have not sufficiently mutated to endure the new Wasteland (even in a "normal" ecosystem, the only strains of plant that survive are those that mutate)."
"You're absolutely right. The GECK builders had no idea what the post-nuclear world would be like, and they had no real way to anticipate it, despite their "thorough tests" (it's doubtful they gave it much thought, to be honest, considering how badly organized the Safehouse project alone was, not to mention the experimental nature of the Vaults) - still, it seems as if the seeds present in the GECK were viable for Vault 8." Vault-Tec even advertised Vaults in newly annexed Canada, though these were in the early stages of completion.Rejected letter from Vault-Tec: "For a full list of Vault-Tec facilities with available accommodations, in exciting locales such as Oklahoma and newly-annexed Canada, contact your local Vault-Tec representative!" It was also a tremendous success for the company, allowing it to expand its headquarters to Washington, D.C.Chris Taylor interview for Vault13.net:Saint Proverbius (SP): "Which Vault number was the Master's base?"Chris Taylor (CT): "The Master was in the Vault-Tec private Vault. This was the demonstration model built for the federal government, it was also very close to the Vault-Tec headquarters." and even sponsor a large exposition at the Museum of Technology in the capital, designed to promote their shelters and explain their functionality.Museum of Technology Vault tour Promotional tours and awarding of prizes like the Pressed Vault Suit Award were also used to promote a positive image of the company, regardless of the numerous problems associated with it.Vault locations v34.129
Vault construction timetable	Vault construction timetable	Vault construction timetable
Number 	Construction begins 	Construction ends
Vault 13 	August 2063 	March 2069
Vault 76 	2065 	2069 (planned)2076 (actual)
Vault 87 	May 2066 	May 2071
Vault 92 	May 2062 	May 2068
Vault 106 	May 2064 	December 2069
Vault 108 	March 2061 	December 2069
Vault 112 	November 2068 	June 2074
===True purpose===
Contrary to what its demonstration Vaults would claim, the Vaults were not meant to save humanity in general. The entire program was hijacked by a national conspiracy involving human experimentation overseen by what would become the Enclave.One Man, and a Crate of Puppets, panel 1: "The Vault Experiments were never designed to rescue the people that lived inside them. They were a vast social experiment designed to study pre-selected segments of the population." Project Safehouse was subverted for its own ends. Rather than act to save humanity directly, Vaults were built to test their population as part of the Societal Preservation Program.Reactor Maintenance and Repair Robot control terminal: "{360}{}{Active PoseidoNet Stations: Atomic Powerplant #5, Navarro Refinery, Control Station ENCLAVE, ENCLAVE Vault-Research Control…AccessDenied}" The Program was basically a vast data gathering exercise, to provide the Enclave with the information necessary to construct a multi-generational starship that would take a select group of people ("the best and brightest") off world to colonize new worlds, rather than try to restore the Earth: Enclave projections assumed the worst possible outcome: Global thermonuclear war renders Earth completely uninhabitable.Cain on Games, The True Purpose of Vaults in Fallout Outside of the Enclave, this information was privy to only select Vault-Tec personnel (mostly overseers) and high ranking members of the military-industrial complex, such as the leadership of Big MT.The Courier: "Test cities?"Borous: "-YES. In the past... individuals would come to us. Pay for technology. And if their town, community, or city was jusssst right...- -We could USE that city as a controlled experiment. Vault-Tec was MUCH better at it, of course, we had to make do. Get permission. Sometimes.- -- -So we had a group of Chinese prisoners to experiment on... those were the days... but the true test was SCIENCE on unsuspecting AMERICANS.- -Whether it was holograms, NEW Auto-Docs, toxins, vending machines... we wound them up, let them go into TINY ISOLATED TOWNS. Then... we OBSERVED!-"(Borous' dialogue)
As such, all Vaults were designed to feed data to the Enclave. Of the 122 known public Vaults, 17 were designed to work more or less properly, as control Vaults. The 105 other Vaults were presented with a variety of scenarios, ranging from annoying to downright lethal, to gauge how humans would react and how they would survive them (if at all):Fallout Bible 0:"I read the start thing of the bible thats on the net. One thing I don't agree with in the fallout universe is that the Vaults were just a bunch of "social experiments". I mean why. Even though the enclave were a bunch of assholes, why would they want to purposely see their own country men die when the Vaults were societies last chance at a good survival. I like to think that lots of people died because the Vaults just didn't work. Like in FOT there is a terminal that says that money had been diverted from much needed common sense things to an underground game hunting facility or whatever it was. experiments was a bit over the top, but corruption is far more believable. that's what i think anyhow. and Fallout 3, is it a possibility or not?""Michael""Answer: The Vault experiments were an idea created by Tim Cain, and I don't really know the reason behind them, but I can offer some speculation.""First off, thematically, it's pretty creepy, and we all know that developers will pull all sorts of crazy shit to try and mess with players' heads. It's possible that Tim had just finished watching an X-Files episode and had conspiracy theories swimming around in his subconscious. As to your comment about the experiments being a bit over the top, well, yeah. We're guilty as charged.""Secondly, as proven time and again in Fallout 2, the Enclave isn't a particularly rational bunch of fellows. Thematically, they embrace a paranoid view of the world and a heightened sense of superiority over everyone else in Fallout.""Third, the federal government (or whatever branch of federal government was responsible - it was not necessarily the Enclave) may not have ever considered the Vaults as society's best chance for survival - the government may have considered themselves the best candidates for rebuilding the world and already had their asses covered in the event of a nuclear or biological war by relocating to other remote installations across the nation (and elsewhere) that weren't necessarily Vaults. The Enclave certainly didn't seem to be devoting much effort to digging up any other Vaults and trying to use the human stock there to rebuild civilization.""Fourth, a lot of people did die because the Vaults didn't work. Some suffered worse fates.""Nonetheless, even members of the Enclave probably could not answer the question of who created the Vault experiments and their reasons, as many of the people responsible for the creation of the Vaults died long ago, and many records were lost in the great static of 2077. President Richardson was familiar with the purpose of the Vaults, but he never saw them as more than little test tubes of preserved humans he could mess with." Some were not provided with enough food synthesizers for their population, others had only men in them, or were designed to open prematurely. Each of these unique circumstances would provide vital data for the spaceship construction,Dick Richardson: "{220}{prs34}{Well, no. No... not quite. You see, we had planned ahead. We were ready. }"The Chosen One: "{221}{}{What do you mean?}"Dick Richardson: "{222}{prs35}{We had a number of sanctuaries that would enable the glorious American civilization to endure. These facilities - the Vaults - were part of the great plan.}"The Chosen One: "{223}{}{Those damn Vaults didn't work the way they were supposed to. A lot of people in them died.}"Dick Richardson: "{224}{prs36}{Actually, they worked almost exactly the way they were supposed to. You might call it a social experiment on a grand scale. }"The Chosen One: "{225}{}{An experiment?}"Dick Richardson: "{226}{prs36a}{The Vaults were set up to test humanity. Some had not enough food synthesizers, others had only men in them, yet others were designed to open after only 6 months. They each had a unique set of circumstances designed to test the occupants.}"The Chosen One: "{227}{}{What about Vault 13? What was it's purpose?}"Dick Richardson: "{228}{prs37}{Ahh. Vault 13 was a special case. It was supposed to remain closed until the subjects were needed. Vault 13 was, in scientific parlance, a control group.}"The Chosen One: "{229}{}{But they would all have died if my ancestor didn't get them a replacement water chip. That doesn't seem to fit in with your plan.}"Dick Richardson: "{230}{prs38}{An unfortunate, and unforeseen, accident. However, as it turns out, a rather fortuitous one.}"The Chosen One: "{231}{}{What do you mean?}"Dick Richardson: "{232}{prs39}{As it turns out we needed test subjects from untainted, pre-war, human stock - your ancestors in Vault 13 - and some freshly mutated stock - the villagers from Arroyo.}"The Chosen One: "{233}{}{Why?}"Dick Richardson: "{234}{prs39a}{For the Project. It's almost ready. Humanity's salvation is almost at hand and the United States of America will be the progenitor of that rebirth.}"The Chosen One: "{235}{}{Rebirth? What do you mean?}"(Dick Richardson's dialogue) helping the Enclave to figure out how to sustain people for hundreds of years in cryonic suspension and generations of the crew necessary to maintain the ship, how to create sustainable, closed ecosystems to grow food, purify water, and maintain breathable air, and in the case of control Vaults like Vault 8, to test how recolonization of the surface using a Vault as base could work. Even Vault 13, ostensibly a control group, was intended to find out the theoretical lifespan limitations of Vault-Tec technologies.
Vault-Tec itself didn't simply act as intermediary: It used the shelters to create technologies that could be used to redefine society even if the starship project fell through. An entire Vault was set aside to act as proving grounds intended to test a variety of prototype devices with the aim of rolling them out through the rest of the Vaults. Once Vault 88 was fully operational, the company expected to roll out new devices every fiscal quarter. Unlike other Vaults, Vault-Tec would send test subjects before any disaster scenario, starting in early 2078. Human lives were considered irrelevant, with quick iteration time given a priority.Vault 88 terminal entries The prototypes were meant to convert "useless" exercise into a socially-useful activity, manipulate the moods of the dwellers, or even develop crude forms of mind control.Valery Barstow: "Here we are. "(Valery Barstow's dialogue) Ethical concerns were dismissed as counter-productive and close-minded.The Sole Survivor: "So these experiments can be run ethically?"Valery Barstow: "If you insist on hobbling the prototypes' potential, yes, you could abide by as many ethical standards you'd like. I suggest being more open-minded, but the choice will be ultimately yours."(Valery Barstow's dialogue)
===The Great War ===
On October 23, 2077, the Great War came. The Vault-Tec air raid sirens blared, but the "cry wolf" effect resulted in few people going into the shelters. They were sealed and the experiments entered their decisive phase. The control Vaults functioned as intended and protected their populations. Others were not so lucky.Fallout Bible 0: "2077	October	23	Great War: Bombs are launched; who struck first is unknown... and it is not even known if the bombs came from China or America. Air raid sirens sound, but very few people go into Vaults, thinking it is a false alarm. The Vaults are sealed."Fallout 4 loading screens: "In the year 2077, the world was destroyed by nuclear fire. Very few managed to escape to the safety of the Vaults."
Within the next few decades, many shelters would fail as a result of their experiments. The few that did survive would often prosper. In 2091, after receiving the all-clear signal, Vault 8 opened and Vault City was founded.Fallout Bible 0: "2091	Vault 8 opens, and they use their GECK to create fertile ground for their city. This eventually becomes Vault City." A year later, the demonstration Vault in the ruins of Los Angeles opened. The inhabitants founded Adytum in what became known as the Boneyard.Fallout Bible 0: "2092	LA Vault opens, the Boneyard is founded and attracts survivors." Years later, Vault 15 opened.Fallout Bible 0, Fallout Bible 3 Timeline repair: Second strike: "2141 Spring Vault 15 opened."The Vault Dweller: "{108}{}{Tell me a bit about the town.}"Jarvis: "{111}{}{Well, Shady Sands was founded by a great ancestor of our current leader, Aradesh. He could tell you more of the story. We have a well and irrigation, so we do well for ourselves.}"(Jarvis' dialogue) While a large portion of the Vault inhabitants that left the overcrowded Vault would band into raider tribes by the winter of 2097Vipers design document included in the Fallout Bible establishes that Vipers left Vault 15 in 2097 (64 years before the game's time), emerging alongside the settlers that would establish Shady Sands. (marking the beginning of the Khans, Vipers, and Jackals),Fallout Bible 0: "2141 Winter Raiders begin to form in the region as food supplies run low. The Khans and the Vipers begin terrorizing local settlements." the remaining Vault dwellers would found Shady Sands in spring. The town used its G.E.C.K. well.The Chosen One: "{117}{}{Do you have a GECK?}"Mikey Frazier: "{119}{}{A GECK? Well, that's old history, so what the hell. You mean the old Garden of Eden Kit. We had one - I mean our grandparents had one. Used it when they came out of Vault 15. Got this place started, they say. It's all used up now.}"(Scmikey.msg) No one expected that these humble beginning would eventually culminate in the formation of the mighty New California Republic.Fallout Bible 0: "2122 Spring Shady Sands founded, wall erected against the raiders."
There was a darker side to the Vaults. As protective as they were, they would also ensure that the population within would be kept put for whatever purpose someone with less-than-ethical intentions might have for them. Such was the case in 2155, when the Master's forces captured a caravan of Vault dwellers from the L.A. Vault. He learned the location of the Vault and moved his base of operations there. Learning of other Vaults in the area, he realized their occupants were perfect subjects for his project. The super mutants began to scour the region for the Vaults, boosting the output of the Mariposa vats tremendously.Fallout Bible 0: "2155-2156 After capturing a caravan of strange-garbed travelers (Vault dwellers), Master learns the location of the Boneyard Vault, the future site of the Cathedral. He conquers the inhabitants and sets up operations there, and the human cultists begin to use the Vault as their powerbase. Within the Vault, the Master learns of other Vaults, and realizing their human occupants are ripe for transformation, begins to send out patrols to Vault locations in search of these other Vaults."Fallout Bible 5: "2155-2156 After capturing a caravan of Vault dwellers, Master learns the location of the Boneyard Vault, the future site of the Cathedral. He conquers the inhabitants and sets up operations there, and the human cultists begin to use the Vault as their powerbase. Within the Vault, the Master begins to send out patrols to Vault locations in search of these other Vaults."
Eighty years later, Vaults would serve another nefarious purpose, as the Enclave, the architects of the original experimentation program, raided Vault 13 on March 16, 2242; the inhabitants were taken to the oil rig, so that the inoculation rendering humans immune to the FEV-based toxin could be tested.Fallout Bible 0: "2242 May 16 Less than a day later, Vault 13 is opened, only to be greeted by two Enclave verti-assault squads. The squads kill three of the citizens who were "resisting capture," and storm the Vault, kidnapping all the inhabitants."The Chosen One: "{141}{}{That sounds nasty. Why are they using your people for a test?}"Martin Frobisher: "{142}{}{They took us all from our Vault because they wanted test subjects for the antidote. They needed people from outside the Enclave, and who were still pure-strain-humans. So they took us.}"(QCMARTIN.MSG)
By the late 23rd century, very few functional Vault-series shelters remain. The only known Vaults that still maintain societies comprised of the original dwellers and/or their descendants are Vault 101 (circa 2277), Vault 81 and Vault 118 (2287), and Vault 4 and Vault 33 (2296). Some other Vaults have kept their original experimental functions ongoing, such as Vault 112 (2277) and Vault 31 (2296), while many Vaults have been repurposed by outside factions as strongholds or, in the case of Vault 21, a hotel.
==Construction==
A typical Vault is built deep underground in a geologically stable area (typical choices include mountain rangesVault 13 and remote areas away from population centers),Vault 106 but such shelters have also been built below the foundations of modern citiesVault 12 in order to survive the effects of a nuclear blast.Vault Dweller's Survival Guide p.1–2: "Vault-13 is designed to provide protection from the effects of a nuclear blast. To better understand the protection provided, we have included a section from the High Energy Weapons FAQ that explains how a nuclear blast causes damage." Vault-Tec's method was patented as the Triple-S Technology (Safety, Survivability and Sanitation),Museum of Technology Vault system tour: "Triple-S Technology is Vault-Tec's convergence of the three most important parts of apocalyptic endurance: Safety, Survivability and Sanitation!"(Vault-Tec exhibit messages) to provide a maximum of comfort to the inhabitants without compromising their safety. Vaults were typically built using reinforced concrete and solid metal sheeting to ensure durability and longevity of the shelter construction.Vault appearance in the games. The primary protection came in the sheer amount of earth covering: Vault 13 was shielded by 3,200,000 tons of soil, at 200 feet (60m) of thickness,Vault Dweller's Survival Guide p.1–1: "Important Vault statisticsVault Number ............................13Starting construction date .........August 2063Ending construction date ..........March 2069Starting Budget .........................$400,000,000,000Final Budget, with interest ........$645,000,000,000Total number of occupants .......1,000 (at capacity)Total duration ...........................10 years (at capacity)Number of living quarters .........100 (hot bunking required if at maximum capacity)Door thickness ..........................4 yards, steelEarth coverage .........................3,200,000 tons of soil, at 200 feetComputer control system .........Think machinePrimary power supply ...............Geo-thermalSecondary power supply ..........General Atomics Nuclear Power backup systemsPower requirements .................3.98mkw/dayStores .......................................Complete construction equipment, hydro-agricultural farms, water purification from underground river, defensive weaponry to equip 10 men, communication, social and entertainment files (for total duration)" while Vault 88 was sheltered by granite deposits common to Quincy.Location of Vault 88.
The entrance was controlled by a Vault blast door and an airlock.Vault appearance in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, and Fallout: New Vegas. The Vault doors had a projected 2% failure rate in case of a direct hit by a nuclear missile.Museum of Technology Vault system tour: "Sleep in quiet comfort knowing that our impenetrable Vault doors can withstand a direct hit by an atomic bomb with only a projected 2% failure rate."(Vault-Tec exhibit messages) The only shelter hit by a nuclear weapon is Vault 87 and the blast damaged the door beyond repair. Vault 87 overseer's terminal: "The main door to Vault 87 is damaged beyond repair and we are detecting extremely high levels of lethal radiation outside and in the entry tunnel.." Some featured additional protective measures, such as an additional external blast door and reinforced access corridor, like Vault 8, or were accessed vertically through an elevator inside a protective dome that caused to blast wave to sweep over the dome and leave the Vault door intact, as is the case with Vault 111. Regardless of the presence of these measures, all entry points into a shelter were overpressurized to keep contaminants out.Fallout 4 trailer
The precise method of constructing Vaults evolved greatly as Vault-Tec accumulated experience in constructing these vast underground shelters. The first shelters were built using contemporary technologies, combining prefabricated elements with poured concrete and modular machines and electronics.Damaged sections of Vaults clearly show rebar used to reinforce concrete. The demonstration Vault built in Los Angeles set the standard for this first generation of Vaults built in California, which used the same kind of technology used for military and industrial construction, such as nuclear reactors, military bunkers, or corporate research facilities.Assets used to depict the Vaults in Fallout and Fallout 2 are also used to depict the Glow, Mariposa military base, the Sierra Army depot, toxic caves bunker, and Navarro. Vault-Tec quickly started implementing its own, purpose-built technologies. Vaults started becoming more and more modular, using entire prefabricated sections built to spec on the factory floor and assembled on site. Many second-generation shelters exhibited a combination of both old and new technologies, with the only fully next-generation Vaults built on the East Coast, in Boston and Appalachia.The evolution of Vault technologies between Fallout and Fallout 4 follows a path of technological progression and refinement. These were built entirely using prefabricated sections complete with all the necessary infrastructure, fixtures, and fittings, greatly reducing construction times.Vault-Tec Workshop components. 
By 2077, Vault-Tec could rapidly construct Vaults, especially in areas where natural or artificial features such as stable cave networks or underground tunnels permitted it. For example, the stability of Quincy's granite quarries and the ground allowed extensive excavation operations, creating a network of natural and artificial caves. After reinforcement, these caves were connected to a temporary railroad that rapidly delivered all the necessary prefabricates, construction equipment, and other necessities.Vault 88's construction site demonstrates late model Vault construction in practice, see this image.
===Infrastructure===
In order to power the entire installation, Vaults were provided with a variety of power sources, depending on local geology and the actual size of the Vault (with the average being approximately 220 dwellers).Average calculated from known Vault dweller sizes. The largest of them, like Vault 13, required nearly 3.98 MWh/day for continued operations for its 1000 occupants (housed in a hot-bunking system). In order to meet the demand, the shelter used a geothermal power plant as a primary source, with General Atomics nuclear power as backup. Infrastructure is designed for durability, but also for convenience. Critical elements are usually hidden behind wall panels so as to keep them out of harm's way.
The usual go-to solution was geothermal power, in areas where it was practical. If not, the usual fallback option was the aforementioned General Atomics nuclear power plant, often used as the primary power source due to its reliability and scalability. Concrete, steel reinforcements, and SimuSun lighting were also utilized. Vaults can hold double the number of occupants under a hot bunking system. Vaults are known to use the systems listed below.
Vault 	Number of occupants 	Primary power supply 	Secondary power supply
Vault 8 	Unknown, estimated at 100-200The total size of the citizen population is 103 in 2241, when it's nearing capacity. Approximate figure, adding in the outsiders and servants.	Nuclear reactorThe Chosen One: "{221}{}{Broken Hills? Where are those?}"Lumpy: "{230}{}{Broken Hills is where we get all the uranium that we need for the atomic reactor from. From what I understand, the uranium is mined by mutants down there. But they have humans trade the stuff for them.}"The Chosen One: "{231}{}{Why do they have humans trade the stuff for them?}"Lumpy: "{250}{}{Well, because they trade uranium to Vault City, too. Vault City treats anyone that’s not a pure strain human just like lepers. So, Broken Hills uses human traders. Some guy named Chad, I think.}"(GCLUMPY.MSG)	None
Vault 13 	500 (1000 with hot bunking) 	Geothermal 	General Atomics nuclear power
Vault 51See article for references. 	52 (at sealing) 	Vault Star super-reactor 	None
Vault 75Vault 75 Survey data 	88 	Unknown 	Unknown
Vault 76 	500, later reduced to 88Construction plans 	LightLife geothermalDual Vault Star super reactors:File:FO76 Vault 76 interior 95.png 	General Atomics nuclear power
Vault 81Vault 81 Survey data 	96 (plus unknown number of researchers) 	Nuclear reactor 	None
Vault 87Citadel terminal entries; Vault-Tec terminal, Vault 87 	Unknown 	General Atomics nuclear power 	Versicorps fusion power
Vault 88 	Construction unfinished, none given 	Vault-Tec super reactor 	None
Vault 92Citadel terminal entries; Vault-Tec terminal, Vault 92 	245 	General Atomics nuclear power 	None
Vault 94Vault 94 terminal entries 	Unknown 	Class-VI fusion reactor 	Class-VIb fusion reactor
Two Class-VIII reactors servicing G.E.C.K. containment and control
Vault 95Vault 95 Survey data 	72 	Unknown 	Unknown
Vault 106 	107 	Rok-Solid Brand geothermal 	General Atomics nuclear power
Vault 108 	475 	General Atomics nuclear power (designed to fail after 240 months or 20 years) 	Steam Whistle mini geothermal
Vault 112Citadel terminal entries; Vault-Tec terminal, Vault 112	85 	Sure Power geothermal 	X-Tra Sure Power geothermal
Vault 114Vault 114 Survey data 	120 	Unknown 	Unknown
All of that power was necessary to power the facilities necessary to sustain the people living within. Apart from air filtration systems required to keep the air breathable, which was already an issue without toxic contaminants leaking in,Vault 22 terminal entries; terminal, Vault 22 Expedition, entry 3 Vaults also included hydro-agricultural farms and food synthesizers to provide sustenance, water purification systems (able to take even sewer waste and convert it into up to 15,000 gallons of drinkable water each day with no loss of output for 250,000 hours of operation),Vault locations v34.129: "Vault 12
Under the sprawling metropolis of Bakersfield, lies the technological magnificence of Vault 12. Built with every amenity in mind for the prospective Vault Dweller, Vault 12 was given the "Pressed Vault Suit" award for attention to preparedness. Buried far underground, the protection that Vault Dwellers will receive will be unprecedented. Much like all other Vaults, Vault 12 has been fitted with the newest in Vault Water Purification Systems. Able to take even the waste located in the sewers of Bakersfield, this system is able to deliver over 15,000 gallons of pure, refreshing drinking water every day.
Vault 13
Located in a scenic mountainous region northwest of Vault 12, this Vault offers an endless supply of pure water to the inhabitants. The rumors that the water table in the area could easily be contaminated in the event of a Nuclear War have been found by the Department of Water and Power to be completely unfounded. In the event that the water in the area were to become tainted, remote even though it may be, Vault 13 has been fitted with the government approved Vault Water Purification System. Rated to work without significant loss of output for over 250,000 hours, prospective Vault Dwellers should have nothing to fear.
Vault 15
Due east from Vault 13, construction on this Vault has gone extremely smoothly. Much work was done to reinforce the walls of the third level of this Vault, to make all the future Vault Dwellers more secure in the knowledge that in the event of even a major earthquake, the regulatory computers of the Vault would continue to function. Recent tours of the newly constructed Vault, have had many a potential Vault Dweller walking away with a new found awe of the improvements done to this already impressive Vault." and other necessary amenities, like a Vault-wide intranet allowing instant access to any entertainment, social, and educational files from any terminal in the Vault.Vault networks are referred to in Fallout and other games. Vaults were also equipped with incinerators for disposal of the dead and likely other waste products.A birthday poem Security was provided by heavy duty doors (which could be sealed by security in case of disturbances) and an extensive network of Eye-On-You surveillance cameras.Museum of Technology Vault system tour: "Concerns about security? Our Eye-On-You Cameras enable the Vault's leader to watch your every move. You'll never be alone again!"(Vault-Tec exhibit messages) The entire Vault was typically managed by a single, centralized computer system, the most advanced of which is the ZAX series of supercomputers, currently known to have only been used in Vault 51.See ZAX 1.3c for details. The most common brands were Brainpower and Think Machine.Citadel terminal entries; Vault-Tec terminal
All of the systems were reported to function without failure for nearly 900 years,Vault 101 PA System: ""Did you know - Vault-Tec water and life support systems can sustain a vault for over 900 years, without failure?"" though the uneven quality of components would prove this claim untrue. For example, the water chips were manufactured by a low-bid contractor, resulting in poor quality and a high failure rate. Such was the case with Vault 13 in 2161, exacerbated by the fact that the process was too complicated for a workaround system.The Vault Dweller: "{105}{}{Do you have a water chip?}"Paul: "{134}{}{A Water Chip? The ones from the old Vault-Tec shelters?}"The Vault Dweller: "{135}{}{Yes!.. Do you have one?}""{136}{}{No. Those things were junk, they were prone to failure. We don’t deal with purifying our own water here. We have water delivered by caravans from the Hub.}"(PAUL.MSG) For the resettlement of the surface, the shelters were provided with complete construction equipment and preselected installations received one or two G.E.C.K.s, intended to help the inhabitants create a viable civilization in the post-nuclear world after the "all clear" signal is sent.Vault City central computer: "{238}{}{According to the archives, there is no GECK currently in stock at Vault City's Amenities Office. The people of Vault City seem to have used the only one they had to help establish the place when they came to the surface.}""{239}{}{Scroll through the remaining information.}""{240}{}{From what you can make out in the archives, two GECKs were part of every Vault's standard inventory package. Only one was shipped to Vault 8, however.}""{241}{}{Cross-reference the GECK shipment information.}""{244}{}{Due to a shipping error, it appears Vault 8 received a box of surplus water chips intended for another Vault. The other Vault most likely received Vault 8's second GECK.}"(VICENCOM.MSG)Vault 101 terminal entries; overseer's terminal, Letter from Doctor Stanislaus Braun
Fo3 Vault Corridor.png|A typical corridor in a Vault
Fo3 Vault Vent.png|Vents provide breathable air throughout the Vault
Fo3 Vault Piping Detail.png|Easily accessible pipework for maintenance
Fo3 Storage.png|A storage room, the thick bulletproof windows are obscured with folding blinders
Fo3 Vault Tech Tunnel.png|A typical technical and maintenance tunnel in a Vault
Fo3 Vault Reactor Level.png|A typical Vault reactor
===Vault dwellers===
The total number of inhabitants could be as high as 500 (1,000 with hot bunking)Due to scaling, the size of Vaults in games should not be taken at face value. None of the explorable Vaults in the games have enough space or facilities to actually house 1,000 people (or rather 500, as hot-bunking is used at maximum capacity). in installations like Vault 13 and Vault 76Citadel terminal entries; Vault-Tec terminal, Vault 76 and as low as 100.Citadel terminal entries; Vault-Tec terminal, Vault 106 As the government only commissioned 122 Vaults as part of Project Safehouse, only a fraction of the 400 million U.S. citizens would actually be accepted into the Vaults.Fallout Bible 0: "Basically, the Vaults were never intended to save the population of the United States. With a population of almost 400 million by 2077, the U.S. would need nearly 400,000 Vaults the size of Vault 13, and Vault-Tec was commissioned to build only 122 such Vaults. The real reason for these Vaults was to study pre-selected segments of the population to see how they react to the stresses of isolationism and how successfully they re-colonize after the Vault opens." The duration of stay varied. Some shelters were only intended to stay sealed for ten years (Vault 13, though this directive was overridden), while others were designed for 38 years and more, like Vault 108.Citadel terminal entries; Vault-Tec terminal, Vault 108
Since the Enclave never really intended for the Vaults to save anyone, they used Project Safehouse and Vault-Tec's network of shelters for a grand social experiment, to test the occupants in unique circumstances.The Chosen One: "{221}{}{What do you mean?}"Dick Richardson: "{222}{prs35}{We had a number of sanctuaries that would enable the glorious American civilization to endure. These facilities - the vaults - were part of the great plan.}"The Chosen One: "{223}{}{Those damn Vaults didn't work the way they were supposed to. A lot of people in them died.}"Dick Richardson: "{224}{prs36}{Actually, they worked almost exactly the way they were supposed to. You might call it a social experiment on a grand scale. }"The Chosen One: "{225}{}{An experiment?}"Dick Richardson: "{226}{prs36a}{The Vaults were set up to test humanity. Some had not enough food synthesizers, others had only men in them, yet others were designed to open after only 6 months. They each had a unique set of circumstances designed to test the occupants.}"(Qhprzrch.msg) The Enclave eventually abandoned their goal of settling on another planet and decided to resettle the one they already had. Vault monitoring and research continued as the Vault Behavioral Project. In order to monitor the populations being experimented upon, the Enclave's oil rig possessed a great deal of equipment that allowed them to observe and control the Vaults. For example, the Enclave sent the all clear signal to Vault 8 shortly after the war, prompting them to leave the shelter and build their city. These monitoring tools also let the Enclave see that the population of Vault 13 was largely intact, although this wouldn't become important until much later.Fallout Bible 0: "Vault 13: Intended to stay closed for 200 years as a study of prolonged isolation, the broken water chip forced the Overseer to improvise and use the Vault Dweller as a pawn. Later study of the Vault 13 records by the Enclave led them to their current plan to end the war."PoseidoNet in Fallout 2 identifies the Oil Rig as "Control Station Enclave" along with many other sites named "Enclave".
Pre-selected segments of the population accepted into Vault-Tec's shelters would enjoy a very high quality of life, though it would be completely different from the free market capitalist consumerism experienced on the surface - a planned socialist utopia underground (giving China the last laugh). As a closed system, the Vaults were designed to recycle and reuseVault 101 PA System: “Remember - Your Pip-Boy is not a toy. Proper cleaning and maintenance will ensure the device's operation for this, and future, generations.”The Lone Wanderer: "It's all right. Seems kind of old, though."Stanley Armstrong: " That one I've been saving just for you, though. The A series is a bit heavier than some of the fancier models, but it won't let you down. "(Stanley Armstrong's dialogue) as much as possible and implement a completely planned economy that would maintain the system for the planned duration of the Vault. Every inhabitant would be registered with a unique 11 digit Vault identification number (or VID)Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Character biographies p.3–1-2 and provided with clothing, bedding, and other accommodations necessary for their life within the Vault.Letter from Vault-Tec: “Vault-Tec provides all clothing, bedding, and accommodations for residents. Personal belongings must be reviewed and approved of by an authorized Vault-Tec hermetics technician before such belongings can be delivered to your reserved quarters within the Vault. In the event of an emergency entrance to the Vault, no personal belongings will be permitted beyond the main door of the facility.” 
The only exception was food and water, as these could only be procured with the proper ration coupons (at least in some Vaults).The Lone Wanderer: "You do look hungry. What, your mom drank up all the ration coupons again?"Butch DeLoria: ""(Butch DeLoria's dialogue) Luxury, non-essential goods were available for purchase in exchange for work credits, a form of currency earned through performing work for the Vault. The aforementioned ration coupons would sometimes also be used as a form of currency.Vault 92 terminal entries; Supply Shop, Intra-Vault Mail 000482 Nourishment would be provided by a combination of food grown in hydroponic farms, like in Vault 13, or food synthesizers, capable of creating a variety of foodstuffs. Water would be provided by purifying liquid drawn from the local water table.
Vault dwellers would be unable to use their own clothing in the long term. While dwellers could arrange to have their belongings sent to their quarters in advance, there was a strict policy disallowing bringing baggage along in case of an emergency entrance. The uniform Vault jumpsuit would replace regular clothes. Manufactured inside the Vault, it was designed for utility and comfort. Enterprising dwellers could, however, customize theirs to add a bit of individuality to the generally conformist design.Vault jumpsuit appearances. Planning and conformity also extended to other areas. For example, trash disposal would only be permitted in designated receptacles on pre-set trash burning days. These receptacles would also be used for the disposal of corpses, as there was no space for proper burial in the confined environment of the Vault.Vault 101 PA System: "Remember - A clean Vault is a healthy Vault. Please place all trash into the appropriate incineration receptacle on your scheduled burning day." Children would also be assigned their first work duties starting with the day after their tenth birthday.Alphonse Almodovar: "Congratulations, young /! I don’t have to tell you how special this day is, do I? Down here in Vault 101, when you turn 10, well, you’re ready to take on your first official Vault responsibilities. So here you are. As Overseer, I hereby present to you your very own Pip-Boy 3000! Get used to it. You’ll be getting your first work assignment tomorrow. Ha ha ha ha ha!"(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue)
In exchange for these sacrifices in lifestyle, dwellers would receive private quarters provided with the latest in home appliances, including Floorsuck Autocleaner Systems to minimize sweeping,Museum of Technology automated Vault system tour: "The living sections make use of our revolutionary Floorsuck Autocleaner System for those darned messy kids. Never sweep again!"(Vault-Tec exhibit messages) Culinator 3000 Kitchen Systems for cooking,Museum of Technology Vault system tour: "Moms will love how our Culinator 3000 Kitchen System makes cooking a breeze. Mmmmm, I can smell the muffins baking now!"(Vault-Tec exhibit messages) and access to complete libraries of social and entertainment files together with the public Entertainotron room.Museum of Technology automated Vault system tour: "Bored? Don't be! Step into our Entertainotron Room and watch the latest holotapes or perhaps listen to a symphony. Another Vault-Tec innovation!"(Vault-Tec exhibit messages) A standardized education would be received by all Vault dwellers, including schooling in arithmetic, chemistry, biology, history, and other sciences.Future Imperfect Tertiary education would also be provided and Vault-trained specialists would be highly sought after the apocalypse and count on a stable career in their chosen field, like Doc Mitchell from Vault 21, who opened a practice in Goodsprings after the Vault was opened.The Courier: "Tell me about yourself, Doc."Doc Mitchell: "Well, I already told you I came from a Vault. After that, was a traveling doctor for a spell. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Most folks out here ain't educated, so people with medical knowhow are hard to come by. Found that I could help a lot of people with what I knew, and that was all right with me. Eventually, I went back and married my childhood sweetheart and that was the end of my traveling days. Didn't miss it none then. Still don't."(Doc Mitchell's dialogue)
Their health would be assured by well-educated doctors with access to the latest in medical technologies. Auto-Docs capable of performing a broad variety of procedures and manufacturing medical drugsThe Chosen One: "{209}{}{I think endorphine blockers could be used to neutralize Jet once it's in someone's system. I can't test it without some endorphine blockers, though.}"Troy: "{212}{}{We don't have endorphine blockers here, but I could program the Autodoc to manufacture some. Would you care to explain to me your theory?}"The Chosen One: "{213}{}{Well, you see Jet's chemical addiction is probably the hardest thing to shake, so I was thinking that if we introduced endorphine blockers into the body we could...}"(VCDRTROY.MSG) were the standard issue of the Emergency Medical Labs (which were equipped well enough to rival clinics).The Courier: "Where would I find a diagnostic scanning module?"Caesar: "It's been said that Auto-Docs were standard equipment in the underground Vaults where mankind survived when the bombs fell centuries ago. You can search the Vaults, but every Auto-Doc my Legion has run across has been stripped for parts long before we found it. Maybe the infestation has been there long enough to keep scavengers out. Why don't you go and see?"(Caesar's dialogue) Some Vaults were also equipped with facilities for cloning replacement tissue and organs.The Chosen One: "{290}{}{You mentioned before you were a doctor... I'm something of a doctor myself.}"Troy: "{124}{}{You are? It's a pleasure to meet you. If you have the time, perhaps we could compare notes? It is not often that I get the chance to speak to another physician.}"The Chosen One: "{125}{}{Absolutely. I'd love to learn some of the medical techniques you Citizens use.}"Troy: "{128}{}{Excellent! Well, first, let me take you on a tour. Over here, we have the monitoring systems...}""{130}{}{... and that is how we can clone cells to make replacement limbs. We have to be careful that the tissue cultures don't get contaminated, but... in any event, I think I've talked enough... hope it was informative.}"The Chosen One: "{132}{}{Thanks for the tour, Doctor Troy. It's been very educational.}"(VCDRTROY.MSG) To avoid the development of medical problems, shelters were lit using a Simu-Sun lighting system simulating natural sunlight.Museum of Technology Vault system tour: "Being underground got you down? Smile! Our SimuSun Lighting mimics the feeling of being outside with only a fraction of the sunburn potential."(Vault-Tec exhibit messages) It was estimated that living in a properly maintained Vault would result in an average lifespan of 92.3 years.Vault 101 PA System: "Did you know - the average life expectancy of a resident in a properly maintained Vault is 92.3 years?" Prolonged isolation, even in generations born after entry, took its toll. Vault depressive syndrome was a common problem, manifesting as intense depression that could be debilitating. The usual recourse was to prescribe and treat it with anti-anxiety medication.Vault 101 terminal entries; Vault 101 medical data system, Freddie Gomez Furthermore, those who exited successful Vaults seem to have a heightened chance of suffering from xenophobia (fear of strangers) and/or agoraphobia (fear of open places).Examples include Michael Angelo, who doesn't dare leave his workshop even for inspiration, the Boomers who shoot artillery at anything that comes close to them, and the Vault 101 security, who still don't exit the Vault even after the Lone Wanderer opens its door. (Escape!)
Security inside the Vault was provided by its dedicated security force, usually hand-picked by the overseer. A typical Vault was provided with enough firearms and armor to arm ten men. Surface monitors and communications systems were designed to facilitate connecting with other Vaults, though this functionality was either never implemented or failed soon afterwards.Vault Dweller's Survival Guide p.5–14: "EQUIPMENTVault-13 comes prepared with the latest in survival equipment. The items in your storage containers will last 1,000 people over 10 years in comfortable and modern surroundings. When it is time to leave the Vault, and return to rebuild America, your friends at VaultTec have provided you with everything that you will need. We have ensured that all of your rebuilding needs will be covered""Yeah, right. Who wrote this? What budget did they get? We already used most of the equipment on failed attempts to contact an outside civilization. And we’ve been in here a lot longer than ten years. We have little left to give you, but we will give you what we can.""undergone extensive testing to make sure the equipment is reliable."Fallout Bible 4:"7. When the bombs dropped, all communication between the Vaults where severed, so if their was no way to communicate with the Vaults how did the Enclave send a massage to Vault 13 telling the people its time to go?""Communication between Vaults was never in place (it might ruin the experiments), but communication with the government/Enclave/Vault-Tec was a different story... they needed some way of monitoring the Vaults.""The Enclave, having access to the Vault-Tec construction plans (not too surprising, considering the fact that the Vaults were funded by the government) had a way of monitoring events taking place within the Vaults... not only could they access their computers and systems remotely, (including PIPBoys and the personal logs of the Vault Dwellers), but the early Overseers of most of the Vaults knew of the ties to the government, and it was part of their duties to download information on the citizens and the Vault into an computer archive that the government could easily access."
==Layout==
Due to the nature of the project, Vaults were provided with standardized facilities and layouts. Some Vaults were built according to a uniform design plan (like Vaults 8, 12, 13, and 15), while others had to be adapted to local geological features. The following section attempts to summarize the most common design features.
Common schematic of Vault design used in mountainous areas.1 - Natural bedrock2 - Reinforced concrete that creates the outer shell of a Vault3 - Entrance area4 - Living quarters5 - Command center
===Entrance===
A Vault was designed to provide the best possible protection from nuclear fallout, indirect blast effects, and any unrest that might occur following a global thermonuclear war. Protected by a massive Vault blast door available in several different variants, from the basic Seal-N-Safe Model No. 343,Fallout, Vault 15 townmap through fortified doors, all the way to the high tech fortified Vault entrances, the entrance area would double as an overpressurized airlock. There future dwellers would undergo decontamination and processing by Vault-Tec personnel, then change into Vault jumpsuits provided in sealed packages before entering the Vault.Vault 111 procedures, as depicted in Out of Time. Vault doors would be operated either remotelyFallout, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, and Fallout 4 have remotely locked entrance doors. or from control pods located near the door (both outside and inside the Vault). Specific access codes would be necessary to operate the door.Fallout scenery description: "{17100}{}{Door Entry Computer}""{17101}{}{This computer controls the large Vault door. You have to enter a specific access code for the computer to work.}"(PRO SCEN.MSG (Fallout)) Some Vaults were provided with an external blast door, providing additional protection against the blast.Vault 8 and Vault 111
Several layouts were developed for entrance areas. The earliest designs, derived from the demonstration Vault,The Los Angeles Vault contains a prototype Vault door and airlock combination, establishing it as the earliest variant had a simple airlock, terminating in a security door fitted with additional armored plating to deter attackers and protect against radiation. This airlock would typically contain a status terminal and a locker for emergency supplies.The pre-rendered cutscene after the overseer's briefing shows the interior of the airlock in detail 
Later, more advanced layouts greatly expanded the airlock into a fully-featured processing and decontamination station. Advanced Vault doors and airlocks would funnel prospective Vault dwellers into a decontamination shower and then to a separate area for disrobing and changing into jumpsuits (which would later double as a staging area for excursions), before allowing them to enter the shelter. A separate room to the side would be used for monitoring purposes.Appearance of airlocks in Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas
The latest, fortified airlocks seen only in high-tech areas such as the Commonwealth further iterate on the system. The entry door connects to a retractable catwalk leading into the Vault, monitored by security officers and staff during processing. The entrance area, painted in warm colors with a reassuring corporate slogan prominently displayed (Welcome Home), would typically include a security station and an array of radiation scanners that would analyze people entering the Vault proper.Appearance of airlocks in Fallout 4 and Fallout 76
;East and West Coast (nine-cog model)
Vault112.jpg|Nine-cog blast door 
Fo3 Vault 101 Entrance.png|Airlock/decontamination area
Fo3 Vault Entrance Control Station.png|Airlock/decontamination control station 
Fo3 Vault 101 entrance hall.png|Entrance hall
;Massachusetts and West Virginia (fortified model)
Vault 81door.jpg|Fortified blast door 
Fo4 V111 Vault door seen from the inside.png|Blast door seen from the inside
Fo4 V81 Processing area.png|Airlock/processing area
Fo4 V81 Rad Scanners.png|Rad scanners flanking the entrance deeper into the Vault 
===Living quarters===
Living quarters were typically located deeper into the Vault and their design varied by the installation. A standard level had 20,000 square feet of usable area.Fallout manualVault 15 worldmap The standard approach was to provide discrete apartments to Vault couples, provided with a private sanitary compartment, terminal, and a bed, on top of any additional amenities they may require.Fallout and Fallout 2 Vault design 
Different philosophies were implemented depending on the designer and the intended purpose. Some did away with apartments in favor of separate dormitories for genders,Vault 11 where multiple dwellers would occupy the same room, or for apartment blocks composed of a bedroom (with one or two beds, the former typically utilized under hot bunking) and living space, with common lavatories accessible in the corridors.Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 4 Vault designs Other facilities typically located in living quarters include diners, cafeterias, classrooms, laundry rooms, and even cigar lounges.
Fo1 Vault 13 Level 2.png|Standard living quarters layout
Deloria living room.jpg|A typical apartment block
Fo3 Vault Living Room.png|A typical living room
Fo3 Vault Apartment.png|A typical bedroom 
Fo4 V81 Living Quarters.png|Late model apartment 
Vault 81 player room.png|A smaller apartment
Vault75-Residential1-Fallout4.jpg|A dormitory
Fo3 Vault Lavatories.png|A public lavatory
Fo3 LQ Diner.png|A diner
Fo4 Vault 81 TV 7.png|A cafeteria
Fo3 Vault Classroom.png|A classroom, prepared for the G.O.A.T.
Vault81-Classroom-Fallout4.jpg|Late model classroom
Fo3 Cigar Lounge.png|Entrance to a cigar lounge
===Emergency medical lab===
Typically found on the entrance level, the EML is one of the most important places in the shelter. Despite its name, a typical EML is a fully-featured medical clinic allowing dwellers to undergo medical procedures in a safe and sterile environment. A medic is expected to be present on site 24 hours a day, to respond to any emergencies immediately.Fallout, upon entering the Vault 13 EML for the first time The EML typically varies in size between Vaults. Some installations abandon the moniker entirely and simply refer to it as the clinic.
Fo3 Vault Clinic 2.png|A typical EML
Vault81-Clinic-Fallout4.jpg|Late model EML
Fo4 Vault 81 TV 4.png|An operating theater
Fo3 Doctor Office.png|Clinicians office
===Command center===
The command center is the nexus of Vault activity, where all the computers necessary to maintain the Vault's various functions. Centered around the overseer's office, it typically incorporates the security station, armory, computer core, meeting room, and library, although many variations of the layout have been developed.Variations in Vault design across the series 
The oldest Vault designs usually dedicated an entire floor of the Vault for these purposes, owing to the multiple functions it was supposed to fulfill. One wing of the level would incorporate the overseer's office, a vaulted chamber with a command post equipped with a pair of CZ-53 5mm miniguns designed to defend the overseer, connected to the main processing computers (including the water purification controls)Location of the water chip at Vault 12 and the security post with the Vault's main armory. A Vault security guard would be posted in the area on watch around the clock.Vault appearances in Fallout and Fallout 2
Later designs would forgo the inclusion of a discrete command post and hall, in favor of a more modest office. The workplace of the overseer would typically be located in an area overlooking the atrium - the center of activity within the Vault, where dwellers would spend their leisure time, socialize, and even engage in sports.Referenced in Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas: Baseball, Catch the Mutant, and other games would be played in the atrium The office would typically connect to necessary administrative and security facilities, such as the computer core, security station and armory, laboratories and the personal quarters of the overseer and their family.Vault appearances in Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, and Fallout 4
Fo1 Vault 13 Level 3.png|A standard command center design
Overseer lower levels.jpg|Command post
Command PostFOBOS.png|Corporate Vault command post
Fo3 Vault Overseer Office.png|Overseer's office
Fo3 Vault 101 Escape Tunnel.png|An integrated escape tunnel
Fo3 Vault Status Screen.png|A Vault status screen in the office
Fo3 Atrium View.png|View of atrium from the office
Fo3 Vault 101 Overseer's Room.png|Overseer's quarters 
Fo3 Vault 101 Amata's Room.png|Auxiliary quarters of the overseer
Fo3 Vault 101 Overseers Living Room.png|Overseer's living room
Fo3 Vault 101 Overseers Corridor.png|Overseer's office reception area 
Fo3 Vault 101 Ops.png|Operations room
Fo3 Systems.png|Systems room
Fo3 Vault Security.png|Security station
Fo3 Vault Security 2.png|Interior of the security station
Fo3 Vault Jail.png|Security station holding cell
Fo4 V81 Reception Overseer Office.png|Late model reception area 
Fo4 V81 Overseers Office.png|Late model office
Fo4 V81 Overseers Office Quarters.png|Late model personal quarters of the overseer
==Notes==
* In the TV series, a map of the intended Vaults is shown with only 115 dots, although it is possible some dots are hidden behind the presenters. If one overlays a map over it, it seems all states have Vaults except New Hampshire and Indiana. It also suggests there is a Vault in Canada, either in Saskatchewan or Manitoba, as well as at least one in Mexico.
* Vault 51 was outfitted with a ZAX AI, which sought out an overseer.
* Vault 12 had its overseer's room sealed due to the fact that the main door of the Vault was doomed never to close.
* East Coast Vaults and Mojave Vaults (3, 11, 19, 21, 22, 34, 51, 63, 75, 76, 81, 87, 88, 92, 94, 95, 96, 101, 106, 108, 111, 112, 114, 118) use a different door mechanism than on the West Coast/California. These Vaults employ an opening mechanism that is contained entirely within the Vault itself, pulling the door inwards and simply rolling it to one side. The doors seen on West Coast/California Vaults, however, pull the seal outwards and use an external clamp to slide it aside (with the exception of Vaults 4 and 33, which use a similar design to that of 76).
* East Coast and Mojave Vaults lack storage rooms in the overseer's office; they are instead located near the atrium.
* Vault 0 (Fallout Tactics) and the Corporate Vault (Fallout Brotherhood of Steel) had an entirely different layout than other Vaults.
* Vault 76 has a unique Vault door exterior design, having a prominent plaza with Vault 76 signage around it, rather than the concealed entrances seen on most other Vaults. Vault 33 also uses this door design, but with minor alterations. 
* Vault 81 has an entire wing that is cut off from the rest of the Vault.
* Vault 111 and Vault 118 both have an elevator exit leading to the surface just outside the airlock.
* Vault 114 can be found inside Park Street station.
* Vault 118 has a parking garage and is under Cliff's Edge Hotel.
* The Commonwealth, Appalachia, and Maine Vaults are painted in a yellow and blue shade, while Washington D.C., California and Mojave Vaults are a dull metallic gray. Also, the Commonwealth, Appalachia, and Maine Vaults' hue is the same as the traditional Vault jumpsuit, compared to the lighter blue seen in D.C. and the Mojave.
** Again, Vaults 4 and 33 seem to be exempt from the trends of the other West Coast Vaults, and use the same style aesthetics and vault suits as the Commonwealth, Appalachia, and Maine Vaults.
* Thus far, all known Vaults with a number lower than Vault 34 have been on the western half of the U.S., while all known Vaults numbered 51 and over have been located on the east half.
==Appearances==
Vaults appear in all Fallout games to date.
==Behind the scenes==
* As per original Fallout developer Jesse Heinig above, the original development team never had a definitive list of Vaults created or a hard number while Fallout was worked on. Heinig suggests that there are under 200 Vaults based on the numbers of Vaults seen in the Fallout series thus far, with gaps in numbering due to a lack of completion and/or straight-up corruption.
* The visual identity of the Vaults from Fallout 3 onwards was defined by the late Adam Adamowicz. His work would continue to influence developers, as their look in Fallout 4 was inspired by his concept art and many details not featured earlier made their way into the next generation game, for example, the angled lamp in living quarters modeled by Josh Jay.
* A trailer for Fallout 76 states Vault 76 was the first to be opened after the Great War. This is not actually true, even in the context of Fallout 76:
** Vault 94 — reopened on October 23, 2078, and eventually led to the creation of The Mire.
** Vault 87 — the Fallout 3 guide mentions, "The dwellers of Vault 87 were turned into Super Mutants in 2078, and have been a presence in the Capital Wasteland ever since" which suggests they did manage to leave the Vault.
** Vault 29 — Harold is said to have left in 2090 according to the Fallout Bible
** Vault 8 — was opened in 2091 according to Fallout Bible
** Los Angeles Vault - was opened in 2092 according to Fallout Bible
** Vault 15 — was opened in 2097 according to Fallout Bible
** Vault 22 — Sylvie is said to be out of Vault 22 by 2097 according to Year: 2097
===Experiment===
* The Vault experiment was an idea created by Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky during the initial stages of Fallout 2 development. While the introduction of this idea was established in the Bible in 2002,Fallout Bible 0:"I read the start thing of the bible thats on the net. One thing I don't agree with in the fallout universe is that the Vaults were just a bunch of "social experiments". I mean why. Even though the enclave were a bunch of assholes, why would they want to purposely see their own country men die when the Vaults were societies last chance at a good survival. I like to think that lots of people died because the Vaults just didn't work. Like in FOT there is a terminal that says that money had been diverted from much needed common sense things to an underground game hunting facility or whatever it was. experiments was a bit over the top, but corruption is far more believable. that's what i think anyhow. and Fallout 3, is it a possibility or not?""Michael""Answer: The Vault experiments were an idea created by Tim Cain, and I don't really know the reason behind them, but I can offer some speculation.""First off, thematically, it's pretty creepy, and we all know that developers will pull all sorts of crazy shit to try and mess with players' heads. It's possible that Tim had just finished watching an X-Files episode and had conspiracy theories swimming around in his subconscious. As to your comment about the experiments being a bit over the top, well, yeah. We're guilty as charged.""Secondly, as proven time and again in Fallout 2, the Enclave isn't a particularly rational bunch of fellows. Thematically, they embrace a paranoid view of the world and a heightened sense of superiority over everyone else in Fallout.""Third, the federal government (or whatever branch of federal government was responsible - it was not necessarily the Enclave) may not have ever considered the Vaults as society's best chance for survival - the government may have considered themselves the best candidates for rebuilding the world and already had their asses covered in the event of a nuclear or biological war by relocating to other remote installations across the nation (and elsewhere) that weren't necessarily Vaults. The Enclave certainly didn't seem to be devoting much effort to digging up any other Vaults and trying to use the human stock there to rebuild civilization.""Fourth, a lot of people did die because the Vaults didn't work. Some suffered worse fates.""Nonetheless, even members of the Enclave probably could not answer the question of who created the Vault experiments and their reasons, as many of the people responsible for the creation of the Vaults died long ago, and many records were lost in the great static of 2077. President Richardson was familiar with the purpose of the Vaults, but he never saw them as more than little test tubes of preserved humans he could mess with."RPG Codex interview with Leonard Boyarsky it took a further 21 (!) years for Tim Cain to reveal The True Purpose of Vaults in Fallout. Coined at the end of the development cycle of Fallout, Cain was inspired by a conversation with Chris Taylor, who pointed out that even with a thousand Vaults the size of Vault 13, Vault-Tec could only preserve a million US citizens at most, out of a population of hundreds of millions. Cain agreed, and reflecting upon the 1950s projections for human survival in the wake of a global thermonuclear war - which consistently foresaw an uninhabitable, irradiated hellscape - realized that this could be the point of the Vaults: The Enclave assumed that the Earth would be uninhabitable and decided to build a multi-generational starship to colonize another planet and begin again. However, lacking the know-how on how to build such a vessel (apart from mastering nuclear fission to power it for centuries), it would need data. From there, it was a simple step to have the Vault-Tec director suggest using Vaults as giant social experiments to gather data on building the vessel, testing technologies, and addressing contingencies. Vaults were (re)designed with that purpose in mind, and retroactive continuity made it easier to explain the Vault Dweller's banishment . Cain noted that while he isn't aware of the design specifics in subsequent games, he always interprets them through the "starship lens" and sees how the even strangest experiments could provide data useful to making a generation ship.
* The developers actually intended for the player to first encounter information about the Vault experiment as they read the Vault 8 records in Fallout 2. They could discover a classified file (opened with a successful Science skill roll) explaining the purpose of Vault 8 was to be a "control Vault," designed to hold 1000 people and open at a designated time. This file was intended to foreshadow the discovery of the true and sinister purpose of the Vaults. The player character could also apply their Science skill to the central computer in Vault 13 to obtain a history of Vault 13, the overseer's involvement in the Vault Dweller's expulsion, and even worse, the true purposes of the Vaults. The overseer was conscious of the true purpose of the Vaults as social experiments on a grand scale, and consequently drove out the Vault Dweller because of fear they would ruin the experiment or uncover it.Fallout Bible 0: "The player was also intended to apply his Science skill to the central computer in Vault 13 to obtain a history of Vault 13, the Overseer's involvement in the Vault Dweller's expulsion, and even worse, the true purposes of the Vaults. The Overseer was conscious of the true purpose of the Vaults as social experiments on a grand scale, and he drove out the Vault Dweller because he was afraid that he would ruin the experiment... or uncover it. Of course, the Overseer himself caused problems not long after this, according to Martin Frobisher, the leader of Vault 13 in Fallout 2:"There used to be an overseer, many years ago, but he did a bad thing and many of our people left the Vault. Only to die in the Wastes, I'm sure. He was tried and sentenced to death for his crime. We haven't used the title since."Martin did not see the Overseer executed, however... his information comes from the Vault 13 records passed down by his ancestors."
* Vault 29 and Vault 70 were to appear in Van Buren, the canceled Fallout 3 project by Black Isle Studios. Van Buren was also the first game to directly elaborate on the starship idea via the location of Bloomfield Space Center, but the idea never manifested and wasn't explored in depth in design documents.
* A Vault 69 advertisement appears in Van Buren concept art.
==Vaults from media==
===Fallout===
Fo1 Vault 12 Level 1.png|Vault 12, an experiment Vault to test radiation on people with a door that does not close properly
Fo1 Vault 13 Level 1.png|Vault 13, the beginning Vault which is a special case "control group" Vault to stay closed until subjects were needed by the Enclave
Fo1 Vault 15 Entrance.png|Vault 15, an experiment Vault for diverse people to clash cultures
Fo1 Demonstration Vault.png|Los Angeles Vault, a demonstration Vault which actually helped people survive
===Fallout 2===
Fo2 Vault 8 Entrance.png|Vault 8, a control Vault 
Fo2 Vault 13 Entrance.png|Vault 13, now with intelligent deathclaws
Fo2 Vault 15 Entrance.png|Vault 15, a bit different compared to the first Fallout
===Fallout: Tactics===
V0 bos0117.jpg|Vault 0, a control Vault in Colorado meant to act as the hub for the Vault network
===Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel ===
Vault prototype.png|Vault prototype, the Brotherhood's base in Texas
Secret Vault entrance.png|Corporate Vault in Los, Texas, for Vault-Tec employees to survive the Great War and continue research
===Fallout 3===
Vault87MainRoom.jpg|Vault 87, an experiment Vault meant to test the Forced Evolutionary Virus on people
Fo3 Recording Studio.png|Vault 92, an experiment Vault claimed to preserve the best musicians, but white noise was used for mind control
Trouble on the Homefront (quest).jpg|Vault 101, the beginning Vault, an experiment for residents to never leave
Vault 106 computers ruined.jpg|Vault 106, an experiment Vault to drug people via the air system
Fo3 Vault 108 LQ Entrance.png|Vault 108, an experiment Vault to test conflicts in leadership
Vault 112 TQ.jpeg|Vault 112, an experiment Vault where residents are trapped in a virtual simulation
FO3 Museum of Tech interior 8.jpg|Museum of Technology exhibit Vault, simply meant to advertise the Vaults
Concept art
VaultTecVaultSecure.png|
VaultTechNeverTooLate2.png|
vault tunnel art.jpg
vault art tunnel.jpg
vault space art.jpg
vault bar tunnel art.jpg
vault concept art.jpg
vaultimageconceptart.jpg
Vault87conceptart7.jpg
Vault87conceptart6.jpg
Vault87conceptart4.jpg
Vault87conceptart3.jpg
Vault87cart2.jpg
Vault87conceptart2.jpg
Vault87conceptart.jpg
===Fallout: New Vegas ===
Recreation area.jpg|Vault 3, a control Vault where residents agreed not to leave until a water leak occurred
Vault 11 Interior.jpeg|Vault 11, an experiment Vault where people, to avoid dying, voted others to be overseer
Vault 19 entrance.jpg|Vault 19, an experiment Vault to see if paranoia can be induced through non-chemical/non-violent means
Vault 21 Atrium.png|Vault 21, an experiment Vault to study a society where conflict is resolved through chance (i.e. gambling)
Vault 22 Oxygen Recycling.jpg|Vault 22, a Vault meant to research agriculture
Allamericanlocation.jpg|Vault 34, a Vault filled with weapons to see if people will attack others
Securitron vault House terminal.jpg|Securitron vault used exclusively by Mr. House for storage of his securitron army, located under The Fort
===Fallout 4===
Vault75-Classroom-Fallout4.jpg|Vault 75, an experiment Vault to refine human genetics where children are raised and "unfit" teens are killed upon reaching age 18
Fo4 Vault 81 ext TV 31.png|Vault 81, an experiment Vault to create a cure to humanity's illnesses, but its residents would have been test subjects; one of the few still operating Vaults in the wasteland
Vault88-Main-Fallout4.jpg|Vault 88, a Vault meant to test prototype devices to put in other Vaults
Vault95-Atrium-Fallout4.jpg|Vault 95, an experiment Vault to see if chem addicts can successfully recover from addictions
Fo4 V111 TV 18.png|Vault 111, the beginning experiment Vault where residents are cryogenically frozen and studied
Vault 114 atrium.png|Vault 114, an experiment Vault to see how rich people deal with their wealth being taken away
FO4-FarHarbor-Vault118-Atrium-SecondFloorView.jpeg|Vault 118, an experiment Vault to see how rich people and poor people will co-exist
AmongTheStars-Atrium-NukaWorld.jpg|Vault-Tec: Among the Stars, a display Vault at Nuka-World to advertise Vaults
Textures
VaultNumber95 d.png
DLC06VaultSignsSector01 d.png
V111GreebsAlpha01NEW d.png
ClipboardWithSPECIAL d.png
V111DoorSpecialDECAL01 d1.png
VltHallResPaneled04School d.png
VaultNumber114 d.png
VaultNumber111 d.png
VltDecals01 d.png
T60BodyDecal VaultTec d.png
V111LabelSet03 d.png
PlayerHouse Ruin Calendar01 d.png
CrateLarge01VaultTec d.png
VltBoxcar02 d.png
VaultNumber81 d.png
VaultNumber75 d.png
VaultTecForm01 d.png
VaultIDCard d.png
V111LabelSet02 d.png
DLC04BillboardsPrepforthefuture d.png
VltHallResPaneled04School02 d.png
V111LabelSet01 d.png
VaultTecVanLogo01 d.png
VltWorkShop01 d.png
VltConduitsVents01UtilYellow d.png
V111Signs02 Damage d.png
V111SignWelcome01NEW d.png
V111Signs01 Damage d.png
V111DoorSpecialDECAL01 d.png
===Fallout 76 ===
Ls raidervault01.webp|Makeshift vault, a work-in-progress vault made by Vault-Tec employees after learning the company would not allow them into other Vaults
FO76NW Vault 51 (Atrium).jpg|Vault 51, an experiment Vault to see how a computer will manage its residents
F76 Vault 63 Main Door.png|Vault 63, a mysterious Vault with an unknown purpose
Fallout76 Teaser Atrium.png|Vault 76, a control Vault where only America's "best" and "brightest" were allowed in
FO76WL V79 GOLD STORAGE VAULT 1.png|Vault 79, a secret Vault meant to hold the country's gold reserves
FO76 GECK Beauty shots 4.png|Vault 94, an experiment Vault to see how non-violent groups fare when presented with post-apocalyptic societies
FO76LL Vault 96 03.png|Vault 96, an experiment Vault to conduct genetic experiments on people to research mutated fauna
FO76 Vault-Tec University Atrium.png|Vault-Tec University, a Vault meant to educate people studying to become overseers and learn about Vault-Tec
F76 Whitespring Congressional Bunker Restaurant.png|The Whitespring bunker, a secret Vault meant for American government officials to survive the Great War
Maps
F76 Vault 76 Construction Plans.png
VltOverseerMaps01 d.png
VltOverseerMaps01 d1.png
Vlt88OverseerMap01 d.png
VltOverseerMaps02 d.png
VltOverseerMaps01 d2.png
===Fallout TV series===
Vault4atrium.jpg|Vault 4, an experiment Vault where its scientists brought in surface refugees to experiment on them
Vault 31 cryo.jpg|Vault 31, an experiment Vault meant to preserve Vault-Tec employees but also breed super Vault-Tec managers
Vault 32 door.png|Vault 32, a sister experiment Vault for Vault 31's residents to have a healthy breeding pool
FOTV Official Trailer Still 010.png|Vault 33, a sister experiment Vault for Vault 31's residents to have a healthy breeding pool
Vaultcountrymap.jpg|Map of every Vault's location
==Videos==
E3 2008 - Fallout 3 Trailer
==See also==
* Vault depressive syndrome
* Vault jumpsuit
==References==
Non-game
 
de:Vault
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ko:볼트
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zh:避难所