Transparent Curtain Walls Perform Well in Blast Tests.

Open architecture does not have to be sacrificed in this age of security jitters. So said experts during a recent conference in Chicago, Illinois, called "Transparency: the Art and Science in Building Design," sponsored by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, Chicago. Terry Palmer, a principal of structural engineer Magnusson Klemencic Associates, Seattle, Washington, cautioned attendees of the April 15-16, 2004, conference not to blow the subject of blast resistance out of proportion. He presented a concept for cable-supported glass walls outfitted with friction, viscous or yielding dampers to absorb blast pressure.