Blast Protection of Buildings — Detailing and Performance Qualification

Abstract

This paper presents the work of the Blast Protection of Buildings Task Committees on Materials Detailing and Performance Verification. The paper covers the last two chapters of the Standard that deal with design and detailing of structural components constructed of steel, concrete, masonry and fiber-reinforced plastics (Chapter 9), and performance qualification of site perimeter components, structural and nonstructural components and shielding structures (Chapter 10). The materials chapter references existing US standards where applicable and identifies more stringent design and detailing requirements for blast effects as needed. Prescriptive detailing requirements are scaled according to four Levels of Protection (LOP). Each LOP, from I to IV, provides increasing blast resistance beyond the nominal resistance provided by conventional design methods. The chapter on performance qualification address issues related to verification of the performance characteristics of manufactured products by analysis and design, and peer review of blast-resistant designs and performance qualification.