ABSTRACT
As Remennikov [2002] states: “Civil engineers today need guidance on how to design structural systems to withstand various acts of terrorism.” This paper seeks to set out some basic guidance for the civil engineer who needs to know about:
(i) the characteristics of a blast load produced by, for example, the detonation of a quantity of high explosive material contained in a terrorist-deployed Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED),
(ii) techniques to mitigate the effects of such a load that will allow him to design buildings that, though robust, are far from being fortress-like and
(iii) features that buildings should incorporate to reduced the damaging effects of blast loading.
