The Design And Retrofit Of Buildings For Resistance To Blast Induced Progressive Collapse

(Cont.) Several blast-resistant features found in the Pentagon were not present in the design of the Murrah Building, thereby increasing the vulnerability of the structure to damage and collapse. The development of design codes and guidelines for blast resistance presents a number of challenges. These challenges generally arise from the erratic nature of blast loads and the difficulty in standardizing design procedures for variable levels of threat. While it may be difficult to implement general guidelines and codes for blast resistance, existing knowledge of blast hardening techniques can be applied to the design of buildings on a risk-based, case-by-case basis.