Protecting People and Buildings from Terrorism Technology Transfer for Blast-effects Mitigation (2001) / Chapter Skim
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3 Translating Blast-effects Research into Practice
3 Translating Blast-effects Research into Practice
Pages 19-39
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From page 19... ...
DTRA understandably has tended to focus on military applications, but the committee believes that to achieve maximum effectiveness in realizing the goal of "protecting people in buildings," the results of the Blast Mitigation for Structures Program should be targeted to nondefense government agencies and the civilian design and building community, i.e., the nonspecialists in protective design. Although the military and civilian sectors have essentially identical technical requirements, somewhat different technology transfer approaches are warranted for the military versus the civilian and commercial aspects of the program.
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From page 20... ...
Successful technology transfer is goal-driven and the result of a cooperative association of the research, development, manufacturing, and user communities. Therefore, a key element of a Blast Mitigation for Structures Program technology transfer effort should be a periodic and systematized method for obtaining from the customer community (i.e., in the case of the Blast Mitigation for Structures Program, the military services, civilian agencies, state and local governments, and the private sector)
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From page 21... ...
. The committee would favor a more activist role for the Blast Mitigation for Structures Program because the somewhat limited market for blasteffects mitigation products appears to provide little incentive for manufacturers to participate actively in a "technology push" type environment, absent clear and specific guidelines for new product development.
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From page 22... ...
This work should be evaluated with the objective of identifying and synthesizing what may be of value for improving the performance of buildings in a blast environment. In addition, university centers such as the Protective Technology Center at Pennsylvania State University and the National Center for Explosion Resistant Design at the University of Missouri-Columbia offer opportunities in research and training that could be valuable resources for the Blast Mitigation for Structures Program and its client agencies.
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From page 23... ...
The third and broader element is articulation of the appropriate role of a defense support agency such as DTRA in facilitating technology transfer, particularly to the civilian sector. Venues for Dissemination of Information The Blast Mitigation for Structures Program is supporting research in many areas, including structural systems, structural and nonstructural components, retrofit materials and techniques, computational modeling, and the distinct but related area of health and injury effects.
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From page 24... ...
Earthquakes provide perhaps the closest analog for blast loads on buildings, and earthquake engineering offers the best example of a "lessons learned" program that could serve as a guide for the Blast Mitigation for Structures Program. Following several devastating earthquakes in the 1960s and 1970s, and the appropriation of substantial government funds, U.S.
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From page 25... ...
The improvements in engineering design developed through research and testing have ultimately been incorporated into practice, albeit rather slowly, through inclusion in one or more building code documents published by technical or professional societies such as the American Concrete Institute (ACI) , the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)
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From page 26... ...
In its earlier report, the committee noted that the Blast Mitigation for Structures Program should consider sponsoring an annual or biennial conference on blast-mitigation design and engineering (NRC, 2000~. Despite the fact that these issues are discussed at existing engineering, construction, security, and emergency management conferences, the committee now believes even more strongly that a single, integrated, multidisciplinary event would be of enormous benefit in the dissemination of the latest advances in blast-resistant design and construction, could stimulate the development of new and effective retrofitting concepts for existing structures, and could promote desirable interactions among all involved stakeholder communities.
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From page 27... ...
Contributors to the Blast Mitigation for Structures Program could provide valuable guidance to architects and to the landscape architecture and site design professions through papers, presentations, and workshops delivered at professional conferences and other gatherings of these groups. Again, the committee does not believe that these interactions currently occur at a rate sufficient to satisfy the demand for information.
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From page 29... ...
The delivery process for all facilities that could be the target of a terrorist attack, as well as buildings subject to natural hazards, should have as its goal the identification and successful management of risk factors that can adversely affect facility performance. Investigations of performance failure, whether structural or with respect to user expectations for a facility, have usually determined that most failures are preventable.
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From page 30... ...
Although risk will always be a factor with facilities presenting security and natural hazard concerns, better systems can be designed to both reduce the overall level of risk and manage the residual risk more effectively, particularly if the issue of risk is presented in a format that is understandable to individuals of diverse backgrounds. The committee believes that the Blast Mitigation for Structures Program should give some consideration to supporting the development of a performance-based design process that integrates security and natural hazard mitigation objectives with new technologies and risk management principles as shown in Figure 3.2.
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From page 31... ...
Despite the fact that DTRA has had little direct responsibility for civil matters within the United States, the committee believes that transferring the results of the Blast Mitigation for Structures Program to the civilian sector is in full accord with the DTRA mission and that the Blast Mitigation for Structures Program is also in an excellent position to facilitate Dr. Davis's charge to the workshop attendees.
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From page 32... ...
evaluating standards for the location of, and special security related to, day care centers in Federal facilities; and assisting the Administrator in developing and maintaining a centralized security data base of all Federal facilities. The committee believes that the results of the Blast Mitigation for Structures Program should be made available to the Interagency Security Committee (and its member agencies)
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From page 33... ...
SAVIAC, the Shock and Vibration Information Analysis Center, and DTRIAC, DTRA's Nuclear Weapons Effects Information Analysis Center, have addressed blast-effects and protective design issues and could potentially serve as a clearinghouse for products of the Blast Mitigation for Structures Program and other blastrelated information. If desired, a clearinghouse on the mode!
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From page 34... ...
The committee believes that the potential for deliberate, planned infliction of devastating damage is an aspect of the technology transfer question that must be openly discussed and resolved before there can be any meaningful dissemination of the results of the Blast Mitigation for Structures Program to the private sector. The primary objection raised to widespread dissemination of the results of the Blast Mitigation for Structures Program is that some of the information would be of value to terrorists in planning and carrying out future attacks.
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From page 35... ...
The committee believes that the Blast Mitigation for Structures Program is in an excellent position to provide the type of design guidance needed without compromising sensitive information that could aid terrorists. It is the committee's considered opinion that it would be shortsighted in the extreme for a government program to develop a body of knowledge that could save lives, reduce injuries, and mitigate property damage, and then withhold this knowledge from broad public access.
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From page 36... ...
Additional products that the committee believes would support the widespread dissemination of blast mitigation guidance include: Research summaries with a view to implementation in practice and results of tests that have demonstrated blast-resistant design methods for both new construction and retrofit conditions, Reports on the cost impact of varying levels of blast resistance for new and retrofit construction for different classes of buildings, and · Reports on the importance of providing safety against blast similar to existing reports on protection against earthquakes. SUMMARY The Blast Mitigation for Structures Program offers a great opportunity to save lives and reduce injuries in the event of a terrorist bombing.
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From page 37... ...
In fact, many seismic retrofit techniques such as wrapping concrete columns with carbon fiber material or securing fixtures and appurtenances to prevent them from causing injury are essentially the same as techniques for improving blast resistance. An important element of the Blast Mitigation for Structures Program technology transfer strategy should be to identify and highlight any common approaches that address a broad range of hazards.
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From page 38... ...
The infrastructure for these interactions also exists and can be adapted to the needs of the Blast Mitigation for Structures Program. What is required, and strongly recommended by the committee, is the necessary commitment of time and resources by DTRA and other relevant agencies to enable technology transfer for mitigation of blast effects.
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From page 39... ...
1995. Guidelines for seismic rehabilitation of older steel buildings.
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