Revision of Army Technical Manual 5-1300/NAVFAC P-397/AFR 88-22, ''Structures to Resist the Effects of Accidental Explosions''

Abstract

In March 2003, the Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board (DDESB) established a technical working group to update the tri-service blast design manual, Structures to Resist the Effects of Accidental Explosions , Army Technical Manual 5-1300/Navy Publication NAVFAC P-397/Air Force Manual (AFM) 88-22 (TM 5-1300) (Department of the Air Force, 1990). The revision will be written to retain its open distribution, thereby providing an invaluable source of information to both government and private sector engineers. When first published in 1969, TM 5-1300 (Department of the Air Force, 1969) represented the state-of-the-art in the analysis and design of blast resistant structures. Based primarily on explosive tests of reinforced concrete walls, the manual provided a comprehensive introduction to the blast design process including load calculation, dynamic analysis, structural design, and detailing. Revision 1, published in 1990, updated and expanded the manual to include structural steel, masonry, and other materials. Since 1990, the increased computational capacity of mainframe and personal computers has revolutionized both conventional and blast resistant design. Armed with this powerful research tool, knowledge has advanced rapidly, necessitating not only update of TM 5-1300's present content but also added coverage. New sections are planned on innovative, cost effective materials; applicability and limitations of blast design software; and retrofit of existing structures. Constructability guidance will be expanded to aid engineers in reducing the cost of often complex, blast resistant structures. This paper summarizes the working group's activities to date and future plans. Emphasis is given to anticipated revisions and additions to the manual.