Blast Effects on Building

Abstract

Increasing terrorist activities on civilian buildings has drawn attention of structural engineers towards blast effects on structures. As it is difficult to predict manner of terrorist attack, mitigating blast effects on building is a challenging task. This paper gives a brief view of blast load acting on the building. Due to detonation of particular explosive having certain charge weight, pressure on the structure is exerted depending on the distance of the explosion. The various approaches for calculating blast pressure are presented. The basic difference between blast and earthquake load is discussed. Damage mechanism due to blast load and general recommendation for minimizing blast effect is also discussed, Blast effects and points to be considered in building elements like glazing, column and transfer girder is included.