Development of Light Weight Structures to Provide Blast-Resistant Designs

In the past, blast-resistant designs for structures were often constructed with massive type structural systems, which relied more on brute strength than on finesse to achieve the required blast resistance. However, structures composed of COLD-FORMED steel components, such as sheet metal and metal studs, have shown great promise in providing blast resistance with the added benefits of low cost and ease of construction. Some examples of using such structures to provide containment for package handling facilities (PHF) are described in the paper for situations where blast containment is needed, such as a potential package bomb being discovered during the package vetting process. Results from tests and analytic data are used to illustrate aspects of design peculiar to such types of applications. Designs for specific capacities of PHF are described.

Development of Light Weight Structures to Provide Blast-Resistant Designs

In the past, blast-resistant designs for structures were often constructed with massive type structural systems, which relied more on brute strength than on finesse to achieve the required blast resistance. However, structures composed of COLD-FORMED steel components, such as sheet metal and metal studs, have shown great promise in providing blast resistance with the added benefits of low cost and ease of construction. Some examples of using such structures to provide containment for package handling facilities (PHF) are described in the paper for situations where blast containment is needed, such as a potential package bomb being discovered during the package vetting process. Results from tests and analytic data are used to illustrate aspects of design peculiar to such types of applications. Designs for specific capacities of PHF are described.