Reinforced concrete is really a wonderful thing (the same goes for reinforced concrete masonry unit (CMU) block walls). We take two completely different types of materials (concrete and steel) and combine them to take advantage of the best of both materials. Concrete (and CMU) elements are strong in compression – like when gravity presses down […]
Industry Developments
What Makes An Extraordinary Load Different?
As part of our day-to-day consulting practice, we deal with what can be termed as Extraordinary Loads. I was recently in a design meeting and when I mentioned what I consider to be a fairly low blast load, the structural engineer’s eyes widened. She said that this load would change the entire design, and she […]
Three Critical Elements to Include in RFP and Tender Documents ForBlast Resistant Design
Those of us who have been in the business of designing and building blast resistant buildings for a long time have seen RFP and Tender documents evolve from a single line statement (e.g. “Meet ISC Security Criteria”) to long lists of referenced documents and required approaches. The problem is, that if not carefully and meticulously […]
Anti-Shatter/Blast-Resistant Window Film Applications – Which One Is Right For You?
Over the years, federal governments, private corporations and international non-governmental organizations have been responding to terrorist attacks on their people and their properties by instituting physical security criteria and requirements. One of the first measures that is often implemented is the installation of blast resistant (a.k.a. anti-shatter, fragment retention) film on the exterior windows of […]
The Importance of Site Visits For Blast Vulnerability Assessments
When writing an RFP for a Blast Vulnerability Assessment there are a number of things to consider, one of which is whether to pay for the engineers of the assessment team to visit the site in person. Often, the inclination may be to reduce the cost of the assessment by excluding a site visit. We […]
Do You Need Help Navigating the Ever-Changing World of Safety & Security Criteria?
Did you know that there are more than 100 documents devoted to blast resistant/anti-terrorism design or testing for buildings? Do you know which ones apply to you? Our team recently sat down to review the most recent standards and guideline documents to make sure that we were all up-to-speed on the latest and greatest in our […]