One safety challenge that owner/operators of petrochemical facilities frequently encounter is how to protect personnel and property from hazards associated with the failure of roll-up doors following an accidental explosion.
Elegant solutions currently exist for the buildings themselves as well as many other common building components such as doors and windows; however, no such solutions have historically been available for roll-up doors. Previously, protecting against the risk of failure and fragmentation from roll-up doors involved cumbersome cable-catch systems or the use of hurricane-rated doors under the rationale that "it’s better than doing nothing."
Blast Resource Group (BRG), a leading metal building supplier and engineering consultancy, has been at the forefront of addressing this challenge. BRG’s engineers, with decades of experience conducting facility siting studies and indoor personnel vulnerability models, have found that the failure of non-structural building components like roll-up doors can significantly increase the vulnerability of personnel inside buildings. Because roll-up doors have a large surface area and are lighter weight building components, they are easily displaced by the force of a blast wave, accelerating into the building and posing a serious hazard. Studies consistently show a higher risk for buildings with roll-up doors compared to those without.
Blast-resistant roll-up doors negate risk in petrochem facilities
Shock tube testing videos illustrate Blast Mitigating (left) and Blast Resistant Shutter.
Recently, BRG announced the introduction of the only blast-resistant rollup doors available in the U.S. that are designed and tested to withstand explosions. BRG has partnered with GDS Global Ltd. (Gliderol®), a Singaporean company and prominent provider of commercial and industrial doors in Southeast Asia, to become the U.S. exclusive distributor of its patented blast-resistant products, known in Singapore as roller shutters.
BRG and Gliderol now offer roll-up door products, in sizes up to 12 feet wide by 16 feet high, in the U.S. that can achieve the following performance objectives and door response levels:
Blast Mitigating Shutter, PL 1 — Absorbs the blast load through large displacements that minimize the blast load reactions on the structure. This prevents component failure and debris generation while permitting egress following the explosion. PL 1 is capable of meeting this objective for applied blast loads up to 75 kPa, 1050 kPams (10.9 psi, 152 psi-ms).
Blast Resistant Shutter, PL 2 — Offers the highest level of protection available to minimize door intrusion into the building and maintain functionality post-explosion. PL 2 is tested and rated to withstand applied blast loads up to 75 kPa, 500 kPa-ms (5.8 psi, 72 psi-ms).
Blast Resource Group is a leading U.S.-based metal building supplier and engineering consultancy with decades of expertise in the design and analysis of blast-resistant structures for petrochemical facilities. The company specializes in providing innovative, safety-focused solutions to protect personnel and property from explosion hazards. Through partnerships with global leaders like Gliderol. BRG continues to pioneer advancements in building protection technologies.
For more information, visit blastresourcegroup.com or email info@blastresourcegroup.com.
