In the past bombing incidents many fatalities and injuries are due the collapse of buildings near the blast site.
It only shows that most buildings do not include a blast resistant design in their structural plan. And now is the time for building owners and designers to take this matter seriously. Even though there’s no perfect blast resistant design for establishments, it’s important that building owners work with architects and engineers that are particularly knowledgeable on infrastructure protection. These professionals can help design a building that can withstand an explosion.
Usually, it is the owner of the building that decides whether to go for a blast resistant building or not. Although evacuation can be used as a mitigation strategy, blast resistance must be considered for buildings because complete evacuation isn’t possible given the limited time and the number of people inside the building that need to be taken into a safer place.
But for buildings that will be used for critical services, it is expected to be resistant to the damage that an explosion usually brings. For instance, people working in a firefighting department need to stay in the building to protect emergency response equipment such as fire firefighting vehicles and spill control equipment. A company that controls multiple units or a particularly high risk unit also needs to use a blast resistant building.
Though used interchangeably, there is a difference between the terms blast proof and blast resistant. Blast resistant is a term used for buildings that would have a resistance to some 3 psi overpressure. This term is therefore applied to lower exposure protected buildings. On the other hand, blast proof is applicable to buildings that could tolerate an overpressure wave from an explosion of 10 psi.
Indeed, in today’s society when bombing can happen in the most unexpected place and time, designing blast proof or blast resistant buildings is very important. Blast designs for buildings do not only help protect lives due to the added physical security but these also prove more practical in the long run.
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