Blast-Resistant Glazing Design

Abstract

When blasts occur in urban areas, many injuries and sometimes deaths result when glass shards fly from windows fractured by airblast pressure. The use of blast-resistant glazing can mitigate the number and severity of glass-related injuries if blasts occur. In this paper, the writers present two methods to facilitate blast-resistant glazing design. One of these methods is primarily restricted to government facilities while the other exists in a consensus document for public use. Both of these methods rely on laminated glass as the blast-resistant glazing material. Both methods address all facets of blast-resistant glazing design, including attachment of the glazing to the framing members and an estimate of the forces necessary for designing framing members and connections.