Civil Engineering Association

The terrorist attacks of 2001 riveted our attention on supposed deficiencies in our structural designs,
regardless of the fact that those structures, and the structures surrounding them, actually performed
well given the extreme loads to which they were subjected. While these attacks served as a call to
action to reevaluate our designs for these severe loads, the fact is that practitioners in the fields of
blast loads prediction and dynamic inelastic structural response prediction have been moving
steadily forward on research, guideline development and design practices for extraordinary loads such as blast and impact for the past four decades. Granted, these loads and the requisite analysis and designs to resist these loads have not been “textbook” practices in the past. The complexity of the loads and response mechanisms of individual components and assemblages of components has required that the development of the design practice in this field has been one involving a mix of empirical, analytical and, recently, sophisticated numerical methods.

This “Facts for Steel Buildings: Blast and Progressive Collapse” document serves to provide the latest information and guidance available for commercial and industrial buildings subjected to these extraordinary loads and responses. It is not intended to supplant existing guidance for hardened military construction for warfighters. The document presents background and definitions for explosive loads and progressive collapse, general principles of blast loads and response prediction, recommendations for structures designed to resist blast and mitigate progressive collapse, recent guidelines and Federal and DoD requirements, some observations from historical events, and some information on ongoing research.

This document is intended to be a “primer” for engineers, architects, developers and owners. A
follow-on and companion “Design Guide for Blast and Progressive Collapse”, to be published by
AISC, will provide detailed analysis and design recommendations.

The terrorist attacks of 2001 riveted our attention on supposed deficiencies in our structural designs, regardless of the fact that those structures, and the structures surrounding them, actually performed well given the extreme loads to which they were subjected. While these attacks served as a call to action to reevaluate our designs for these severe loads, the fact is that practitioners in the fields of blast loads prediction and dynamic inelastic structural response prediction have been moving steadily forward on research, guideline development and design practices for extraordinary loads such as blast and impact for the past four decades. Granted, these loads and the requisite analysis and designs to resist these loads have not been “textbook” practices in the past. The complexity of the loads and response
mechanisms of individual components and assemblages of components has required that the development of the design practice in this field has been one involving a mix of empirical, analytical and, recently, sophisticated numerical methods.

The terrorist attacks of 2001 riveted our attention on supposed deficiencies in our structural designs, regardless of the fact that those structures, and the structures surrounding them, actually performed well given the extreme loads to which they were
subjected. While these attacks served as a call to action to reevaluate our designs for these severe loads, the fact is that practitioners in the fields of blast loads prediction and dynamic inelastic structural response prediction have been moving steadily forward on research, guideline development and design practices for extraordinary loads such as blast and impact for the past four decades. Granted, these loads and the requisite analysis and designs to resist these loads have not been “textbook” practices in the past. The complexity of the loads and response mechanisms of individual components and assemblages of components has required that the development of the design practice in this field has been one involving a mix of empirical, analytical and, recently, sophisticated numerical methods.

This “Facts for Steel Buildings: Blast and Progressive Collapse” document serves to provide
the latest information and guidance available for commercial and industrial buildings subjected to these extraordinary loads and responses. It is not intended to supplant existing guidance for hardened military construction for warfighters. The document presents background and definitions for explosive loads and progressive collapse, general principles of blast loads and response prediction, recommendations for structures designed to resist blast and mitigate progressive collapse, recent guidelines and Federal and DoD requirements, some observations from historical events, and some information on ongoing research.

This document is intended to be a “primer” for engineers, architects, developers and owners. A follow-on and companion “Design Guide for Blast and Progressive Collapse”, to be published by AISC, will provide detailed analysis and design recommendations.
This document is presented in 8 sections as follows:
Introduction
Section 1: General Science of Blast Effects
Section 2: Determining Threats and Acceptable Risk
Section 3: Resistance of Steel Structural Systems to Blast and Locally Extreme Loads
Section 4: Mitigation of Progressive Collapse in Steel Structures
Section 5: Best Practices to Mitigate Blast Effects
Section 6: Best Practices to Mitigate Progressive Collapse Effects
Section 7: A recent History of Blast and Collapse Events
Section 8: Research and Future Needs Acronyms
References
Members of the AISC Blast and Impact Resistant Design Committee and invited – professionals participating through review and comment included:
John Abruzzo John Barsom
Jim Brokaw Nanci Buscemi
Ed Conrath John Crawford
Joseph Englot Mohammed Ettouney
Thomas Faraone Bill Faschan
Ramon Gilsanz Bruce Hall
Ronald Hamburger David Houghton
Theodor Krauthammer H. S. Lew
Andy Longinow Robert McNamara
Scott Melnick Reed Mosher
Robert Owen Jayendra R. Patel
Robert Pekelnicky Terry Peshia
Ahmad Rahimian David Ruby
Jon Schmidt Robert Smilowitz
Harold O. Sprague Douglas Sunshine
The American Institute of Steel Construction
(AISC) provided funding for the preparation of
this document

AISC - FACTS 2 - BLAST AND PROGRESSIVE COLLAPSE
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The Facts for Steel Buildings series provides important historical perspective and practical guidance on broad topics beyond the scope of AISC codes and specifications. Click on the title of each item to learn more about the contents and to download a PDF of the item for free.

Facts for Steel Buildings Number 1 - Fire
Facts for Steel Buildings Number 2 - Blast and Progressive Collapse
Facts for Steel Buildings Number 3 - Earthquakes and Seismic Design
Facts for Steel Buildings Number 4 - Sound Isolation and Noise Control
Facts for Steel Buildings Number 5 - Vibration