Industries
Our Experience
Blast load design, which helps protect federal buildings in the event of an explosion, can be complicated, but fortunately we’ve had special training in this area. Our experience includes using both static equivalent procedures and the Single-Degree-of-Freedom Blast Effects Design Spreadsheets (SBEDs) produced by the Protective Design Center of the Army Corps of Engineers. We also understand how to design Department of Defense (DoD) structures that comply with Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP) standards for blast loads.
Challenges
- Blast load calculations may be required for federal projects and buildings where federal institutions are housed or building projects that receive federal funding. The goal of any blast design project is essentially to turn an exterior wall into a “net” — so that if there’s an explosion outside the building, the metal will yield and remain intact, which provides more protection and limits destruction.
- Since government facilities are often institutional, architects and contractors pay close attention to the facade, which is typically designed with long-lasting materials such as brick or metal paneling.
Recently Completed Government Projects
VA Connecticut Healthcare System
West Haven, CT
Iron Engineering provided the cold-formed steel stud design for the exterior walls of this one-story, 12,000-square foot addition. Design considerations included ATFP standards for blast loads at the exterior walls. Special welded embedded plates were placed at the foundation wall and slotted angles were installed at the roof. This allowed for the accommodation of roof deflections while maintaining the required blast load connection capacity.
VA Boston Healthcare System
Boston, MA
Iron Engineering provided the cold-formed steel stud design for the exterior walls of this one-story, 16,500-square foot addition. Design considerations included ATFP standards for blast loads at the exterior walls.
Blast Design Sample
Download an example of a blast design project.
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