Limiting Construction

Various methods are available to limit the damage from the effects of an explosion. The best options are to provide some pre-installed or engineered features into the design of the facility or equipment that allow for the dissipation or diversion of the effects of a blast to nonconsequential areas. Wherever these mechanisms are used the overpressure levels utilized should be consistent with the risk analysis estimates of the WCCE incident. 

Where enclosed spaces may produce overpressures blow out panels or walls are provided to relieve the pressure forces. The connections of the panel are specified at a lower strength that normal panels so it will fail at the lower level and relieve the pressures. Similarly, combustible or flammable liquid storage tanks are provided with weak roof to shell seams so that in case of an internal explosion, the built-up pressure is relieved by blowing off the roof and the entire tank does not collapse. 

For exposed buildings at onshore facilities, heavy monlithic concrete construction is used. Entranceways are provided with heavy blast resistance doors, that do not face the exposed area. 

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Operate below minimum oxygen concentration Practice good housekeeping Grind/blend under inert atmosphere Provide damage limiting construction... 

Damage Limiting Construction Construction of equipment (building) with weak sections to limit the damage to the equipment (building). The weak sections fail early and prevent damage to the rest of the equipment (building). 

Designation No. Significant Feature Applications Best Suited Limitations Construction... 

In the fully industrialized countries, there is only limited construction of new factories, power generation plants, or large hospitals, office towers, and the like. Consequently there is an equally limited number of entirely new cooling systems. Moreover, such existing cooling systems as are currently in operation are, for the most part, already being provided with water treatment programs. 

Thailand is primarily an agrarian economy as evidenced in Table 9.20. The major fertilizer company was considering a large expansion using locally produced ammonia as feedstock. If this occurred, the domestic natural gas supply would have to be apportioned, or imports would be needed, to supply the petrochemical projects. In early 1999 there were 18 projects on hold or under limited construction until the economic situation eases [13]. 

Figure 6-12 depicts various building layouts incorporating spatial separation and damage limiting construction. 

Factory Mutual Engineering Corporation, Damage-Limiting Construction. Loss Prevention Data Sheet 1-44, Norwood, MA, July, 1991. 

Reduction of moisture load Limit construction moisture Initially dry materials... 

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