During the preliminary design stage, it is important that structural response analysis methods be quick but reasonably accurate. One such method, applicable to plate and shell structures, is the ‘finite strip method’. This paper first presents a review of the finite strip method. A detailed description is then given of the extension of the finite strip method to nonlinear analysis of air-blast loaded plates and stiffened panels. For validation of the finite strip results, comparison is made to those found using ADINA and to experiment.