A blast wall is a barrier designed to protect vulnerable buildings or other structures and the people inside them from the effects of a nearby
explosion
An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume associated with an extreme outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Supersonic explosions created by high explosives are known ...
, whether caused by
industrial accident, military action or
terrorism
Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
.
Effectiveness
Research by
Cranfield University
, mottoeng = After clouds light
, established = 1946 - College of Aeronautics 1969 - Cranfield Institute of Technology (gained university status by royal charter) 1993 - Cranfield University (adopted current name)
, type = Public research uni ...
Defence Academy
A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally provides education in a military environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned. ...
, building on earlier work, has shown that blast walls have the following properties:
* A non-deforming upright wall will significantly reduce the peak blast
overpressure
Overpressure (or blast overpressure) is the pressure caused by a shock wave over and above normal atmospheric pressure. The shock wave may be caused by sonic boom or by explosion, and the resulting overpressure receives particular attention when m ...
and impulse in an area between 4 and 6 wall heights behind it
* Similar protection occurs at greater distances behind the wall, but to a diminishing extent
* Blast walls perform best if the explosion is relatively close to the front of the wall
* "Canopied" walls (with a top section overhanging the front face) show some improved blast protection over plane walls
* A 90-degree canopy is more effective than a 45-degree one
* Walls containing sand or water work well, and cause little damage if they fail
* A wall has to stay intact long enough to "interact" with the blast in order to have any effect
Types
Permanent blast walls can be made from pre-cast
reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having hig ...
, or steel sheeting.
Various types of moveable blast wall have been manufactured. These include the
Bremer wall
A Bremer wall, or T-wall, is a portable, steel-reinforced concrete blast wall of the type used for blast protection throughout Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Bremer barrier resembles the smaller Jersey barrier, which has been used widely for vehicl ...
concrete barriers used in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
and
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
by
US Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
, and the
HESCO bastions, wire mesh containers filled with sand or soil, which are used by
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, s ...
.
See also
*
Blast shelter
A blast shelter is a place where people can go to protect themselves from blasts and explosions, like those from bombs, or in hazardous worksites, such as on oil and gas refineries or petrochemical facilities. It differs from a fallout shelter, ...
*
Shockwave
In physics, a shock wave (also spelled shockwave), or shock, is a type of propagating disturbance that moves faster than the local speed of sound in the medium. Like an ordinary wave, a shock wave carries energy and can propagate through a me ...
*
Revetment (aircraft)
References
External links
Fortification (architectural elements)
Explosives engineering
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