Anticipating the post-blast condition of structures.

Designers charged to develop blast-resistant structural designs must be able to address the technical aspects of the explosion process and provide structural components with sufficient strength and ductility to resist the applied pressures. The blast environment is different from those of other loads with which designers deal, and uncertainties about the actual response of structures often are higher. For these reasons, designers often have less confidence in their abilities to explain to their clients their expectations about the actual response of the building to a blast event. This paper identifies some elements of the conventional design process that do not translate directly to blast-resistant design, reasons why uncertainties in performance expectations differ from those encountered with other load sources, and the need to understand and acknowledge residual risks for the facade, the structure, and the safety of the occupants of blast resistant buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]