Blast
Engineering

Experienced in all aspects of facade engineering, our expert team understands the increased need for security requires enhanced performance analysis and tailored blast design of exterior systems.

Our blast engineering team focuses on ensuring all elements of the building envelope are designed to best dissipate blast loads and minimize safety risks to the public.

Taking into account a structure’s dynamic behavior in relation to potentially extreme loading effects, we provide practical blast engineering solutions for curtain wall facades, windows, doors, storefronts, and connections of every size, shape, and complexity.

Featured Project

One World Trade Center

Glass Structure With Maximum Blast Security

Learn more about:

Abhishek Jain, PE - Blast Engineerin Lead at McLaren Engineering Group
Abhishek
Jain, PE
Blast Engineering Lead
Contact Abhishek

Static + Dynamic
Blast Analysis

Facade systems, glass windows, and doors represent weak points through which blast waves can enter a structure during a high pressure incident. Our team of facade experts perform detailed analysis and inspections to provide clients with project-specific design solutions to protect structures against a wide range of potential threats.

A static approach to blast analysis gives clients conservative design solutions and takes into account peak dynamic pressure without considering the effect of load duration. On the other hand, a dynamic blast analysis approach can provide more economical design solutions by including inertia effects and the energy absorption capacity of systems through inelastic deformations.

Static and Dynamic Blast Analysis an Curtain Wall Blast Design

Expertise

  • Curtain Wall Facades
  • Metal Panels
  • Storefronts
  • Windows
  • Window Wall Facades
  • Framing + Mullion
  • Skylight + Canopy
  • Hollow Metal Doors

Dynamic Glazing
Analysis

Laminated glass used in building envelope systems can offer increased protection when a structure is exposed to blast conditions. Generally, when windows glazed with laminated glass are subjected to a blast impulse, broken glass fragments tend to adhere to the plastic interlayer rather creating harmful glass shards or other debris.

Our facade engineers perform dynamic glazing analysis for laminated glass facade and building envelope elements to provide insights into the glazing’s functionality and resiliency in the effect of sudden blast imposed loads.

Blast Engineering - Dynamic Glazing Analysis

Expertise

  • Fire-Resistant/fire-proof lamisafe glass
  • PVB/SGP/SentryGlas laminated glass
  • Fritted Glass

Connection Design
Services

Failure to provide sufficient allowance for movements in the connections between the facade and structure cause the load to be transferred through elements of the building envelope. When not accurately designed to carry that load, a blast can cause cracks, failures, buckling of mullions, and/or breakage of glass.

Designing with blast forces and reactions top-of-mind, our facade team provides custom solutions for facade connections. In addition, we consider efficiency and cost-effectiveness of fabrication when providing attachment design support for building envelope systems.

Blast Engineering - Connection Design Services

Expertise

  • Brick
  • Solid Clay
  • CMU
  • Concrete
  • Steel
  • Aluminum
  • Wood
  • Cladding
  • Stone
  • Plastic

Member Analysis
For Blast Load

Vibrations caused by blasts are 3-dimensional and can result in different failure modes and component lifecycles. Using underdamped single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) and multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) member analysis, our team can provide clients with a multidimensional view of blast load impacts specific to their structure.

SDOF system properties are based on the dynamic equivalence of the elastic properties (vibration period and viscous damping) and on the comparability with nonlinear hysteretic behavior obtained by cyclic pushover analysis on MDOF models. The MDOF systems are based on a nonlinear macroelement model that is able to reproduce the in-plane shear and flexural cyclic behavior of pier and spandrel elements.

Blast Design - Member Load Analysis Drawing

Expertise

  • SDOF Modeling
  • MDOF Modeling
  • Vibration Analysis
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