New Technology to Protect Public Buildings from Terror Attacks
Public spaces such as stadiums and shopping centres will soon be better protected from terror attacks thanks to new technology developed by engineers at the University of Sheffield. The blast prediction tool can save lives by predicting the level of damage an explosion will likely cause in public buildings and transport hubs.
The technology could also support safety assessments under Martyn's Law, legislation passed following the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017 that killed 22 people and injured more than 1,000. The University of Sheffield engineers, who developed the tool to predict the impact of bomb blasts, say it could also be used to develop materials that can be placed around explosives to reduce their energy.
The researchers, from Sheffield's Blast and Impact Group, have shown that the tool is more accurate and faster than methods currently used by government agencies to predict bomb damage. Their findings, published in the journal Process Safety and Environmental Protection, indicate it can predict the impact of any explosion in a confined space, including structural damage and potential injuries.
The team says the tool could help design buildings and infrastructure better equipped to withstand explosions by reducing structural damage and injuries to people nearby. Following recent bomb attacks, engineers and government agencies have been urgently seeking quick-running tools to predict and proactively prevent casualties.
Dr Andrew Barr explained: 'Explosions inside buildings can be far more destructive than those in open air. When high-pressure shockwaves hit walls and other obstacles, they bounce back and interact, creating a sustained pressure that can cause severe injuries and major structural damage.' He added that engineers have typically relied on look-up charts developed decades ago for TNT explosions, which are fast but cannot be easily adapted to other explosive types or scenarios.
Dr Dain Farrimond said: 'We hope to use this knowledge to help develop materials that can be placed around explosives to safely reduce their destructive energy. We would then also be able to model the blast-reducing effects of these materials by adapting the predictive tool, further assisting quick decision-making by engineers and government agencies.'
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act, known as Martyn's Law after victim Martyn Hett, was enshrined in UK law last year to better protect the public from terrorism. It requires certain public premises and events to be prepared to keep people safe in the event of an attack. The new model could enable rapid assessment of multiple potential scenarios, even when the exact mass or composition of the explosive is not known.
Sheffield engineers are working with the Steel Construction Institute (SCI) to incorporate the model into their EMBlast software, which is used by the industry for predicting blast effects on buildings.
