Newsroom
Protection Engineering Consultants research
and guidelines for blast-resistant highway bridges
published by National Academy of Sciences
Austin, Texas, March 15 -- The National Academy of Sciences and the Transportation Research Board’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) has published NCHRP Report 645, "Blast-Resistant Highway Bridges: Design and Detailing Guidelines." The report, presenting code-ready language containing general design guidance and a simplified design procedure for blast-resistant reinforced concrete bridge columns, is the result of NCHRP Project 12-72, directed by Dr. Eric Williamson at the University of Texas at Austin and conducted by Kirk Marchand, Aldo McKay and Carrie Davis of Protection Engineering Consultants.
NCHRP Report 645 contains results of experimental blast tests and analytical research on reinforced concrete bridge columns intended to investigate the effectiveness of a variety of different design techniques. The report will be of immediate value to highway bridge designers, says Waseem Dekelbab of the NAS, as there is a need to protect the nation’s bridges from intentional or accidental explosions.
"The impacts of these loads on buildings and military structures have been studied for many years, but design for resistance to explosive effects is a new area for bridge engineers," Dekelbab says. "Much research and development has been done on the effectiveness of seismic strengthening details for buildings and bridges, and it has been suggested that these or similar bridge details, used in new construction or as a retrofit, may serve also to resist explosions and provide a predictable level of protection. There is a need to meld knowledge of seismic and extreme-event design for new and existing structures with the equally well-known field of blast-resistant design and the relatively new field of highway bridge blast-resistant design."
Under NCHRP Project 12-72, the research team was selected to develop design and detailing guidelines for improving the structural performance and resistance to explosive effects for new and existing bridges. Research was performed by the University of Texas at Austin with the assistance of Protection Engineering Consultants and Modjeski and Masters, Inc. The report fully documents the research leading to the developed design and detailing guidelines for blast-resistant reinforced concrete bridge columns.
About the NCHRP
Created in 1962 to conduct research in acute problem areas that affect highway planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance nationwide, the NCHRP is administered by the Transportation Research Board and sponsored by the member departments of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration.
About Protection Engineering Consultants
Protection Engineering Consultants provides research, design and consulting services to enhance the physical protection of people, systems and the built environment. Working with government agencies, the design community and industry, PEC brings expertise in multi-hazard assessment and protective design to mitigate blast, ballistic and vehicular impact attacks and accidents. Through the application of established and novel scientific methodologies as well as government and industry best practices, Protection Engineering Consultants helps clients maximize the physical security of plant, property and people while preserving utility and aesthetics.
For additional information, contact:
Kirk Marchand, P.E.
Managing Principal
+1 512 380 1988
kmarchand@protection-consultants.com