NAC Control Room Blast-Hardening Retrofit

Overview

We developed detailed structural retrofits for blast hardening of the NAC building at a Total refinery. The NAC building is a single-story, load-bearing masonry structure consisting of eight-inch thick unreinforced and reinforced CMU walls that support gravity roof loads and act as shear walls. The existing roof system was a non-composite steel deck supporting approximately three inches of concrete, supported by open-web steel joists.

Highlights

• We validated and modified the blast loads to more accurately reflect the applied blast loads on the structure.
• The upgrade was designed in accordance with Design of Blast Resistant Buildings in Petrochemical Facilities by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE, 2010).
• All structural components were designed to meet the Medium Response criteria set forth by ASCE.
• Blast-resistant structural upgrades included strengthening the reinforced and unreinforced CMU walls and adding a cap roof, designed to resist blast loads, above the existing roof structure.
• Our design minimized down-time and interruptions to operations inside the building.;