Building Structures to Minimize Blast Injuries

Earlier blasts reminded us of demolitions of buildings in the US. But now, blasting reminds us of 9/11 and terrorist attacks. Post 9/11, governments have started emphasizing the need for blast containment designs that help in minimizing blast injuries.

Terrorism has threatened the internal security of many countries, including the US. In the last decade, Americans have seen numerous terror attacks in their country, among which 9/11 was the most devastating. The threat of terrorism has forced governments and construction companies to pay special attention to design buildings that are capable of absorbing blasts or at least minimizing and containing the destruction caused by the blasts so that loss of life can be brought under control.

 Controlling the catastrophic collapse of a building by means of structural, architectural, and emergency envelope systems are among the best techniques to minimize blast effects. Terrorist organizations have become advanced and they may use the best materials available on the market, which means the governments and the designers have to be extra cautious while designing and testing blast containing buildings. In a terrorist attack, most of the fatalities occur because of sudden collapse. For instance, in the 1987 Oklahoma city bombing, more than 80 percent of the overall deaths were because of building collapse.