BLASTSHIELD Glass : Blast Mitigation Solutions

1. BLASTSHIELD Glass : Blast Mitigation Solutions While we can’t prevent explosions and bomb blasts entirely, building owners and other stakeholders can use a number of strategies to reduce the impacts of such events. These strategies, referred to collectively as blast mitigation, can include using specialized materials, considering blast-resistance in building design and using products such as blast shields and walls. Blast mitigation doesn’t refer to preventing blasts from occurring in the first place. Instead, it deals with minimizing the damage caused by these explosions. The energy of a detonation, including shock waves and sounds waves, as well as flying fragments, can cause damage to structures and injury to people. Blast mitigation is concerned with making buildings resistant to these forces and protecting people and assets from the damage they can cause. The shock waves created by large blasts, for example, puts extreme pressure on windows that causes them to break and sends shards of glass flying through the air, multiplying the danger of the incident. This only occurs, however, if the window is made with regular glass. Windows made with blast-resistant glass will instead crumble without sending glass flying. Improving the blast resistance characteristics of windows is vital because flying glass is typically the biggest cause of injury in explosions such as vehicle- bombing incidents. In many cases, they can cause up to 70 to 80 percent of the injuries resulting from such an attack. The industries that use blast mitigation strategies are those with facilities that are most likely to experience a blast and facilities that would sustain the most damage. Often these are the types of buildings that are most likely to be the targets of terrorist attacks or those that deal with substances that have the potential to explode. Example of facilities that utilize blast mitigation techniques include airports, government buildings, large commercial buildings and petrochemical plants. Organizations develop approaches to blast mitigation by conducting risk analyses of structures and using the data from these evaluations to plan the best methods. Taking these precautions is crucial to the safety of the people that work in and visit these buildings as well as to protecting the critical assets they house. Blast Mitigation Materials You can use many different materials to mitigate the impacts of blasts. These materials can thicken or reinforce the walls of structures, absorb impact or help catch flying fragments. The right substance for your purposes will depend on what you need to protect and the risks you need to protect it from. Although there are other potential options, here are some of the most common blast mitigation materials:  Wire Mesh: Various types of blast mitigation products are made of wire mesh. The metal used for the wires is typically steel. Mitigation products that use wire mesh include blast shields, containment tanks and curtains.

2.  Laminated Glass: For windows, organizations can use various laminated glass options to improve blast resistance. The best option is two layers of laminated glass with air space in between. For cost reasons, though, a layer of annealed or tempered glass and a layer of laminated glass with air space in between is often used. The standard recommendation in the U.S. is quarter-inch laminated glass with an interlayer. Interlayers may be made with polyvinyl- butyral (PVB), plasticized PVB, cured resin, aliphatic polyurethane and other materials.  Window Film: When retrofitting an existing window to improve its blast mitigation properties, organizations often use window film. Applied to the inside of the glass, these films catch will glass fragments if a blast occurs. While not as ideal as laminated glass, window films work well for retrofitting and providing a quick fix. They may require replacement due to damage from UV rays, cleaning and other factors.  Foam: You can also use advanced polyurethane foam to absorb some of the force of blasts and direct some of the energy away from people or critical equipment. This material, which comes in many different forms, is typically flame-retardant and self-extinguishing and maintains its capabilities under high temperatures.  Polyurea Coatings: Spray-on polyurea coatings can be applied to virtually any material to enhance its blast mitigation. This product coats the outside of another substance in a rubber-like film that mitigates the force of blasts and helps hold together the substrate it coats. Also sometimes called an elastomer coating, you can apply this product in a layer of a few inches thick to less than one inch thick. Visit https://fgglass.com/ for Fire rated glass, Lead glass, Radiation shielding glass, X-ray room glass, CT scan room glass, PET scan room glass, Mammography room glass, Bullet proof glass, Bullet resistant glass, Bullet-resistant glass for cars, Glass for defense vehicles, Glass for military vehicles, Glass for military protection, Armored glass, Terrorist protection glass, Impact safety glass, Impact resistance glass, Protective glass against burglars, Burglar resistant glass, Shatter proof glass, Explosion proof glass, Blast proof glass, Blast resistant glass, Safety glass for jewelry showrooms.