Impact and blast products are designed to protect life and property during catastrophic events.

Due to ever increasing impact requirements, products and projects are under increased scrutiny for their ability to withstand hurricane and tornado events. Testing consists of ball bearings and/or 2” x 4” boards being shot at representative samples followed by positive and negative pressure cycles. After major events, extensive research and investigation occurs to determine what else could be causing further damage. The results are considered for further code enhancements.

Designing products to protect occupants during a blast occurrence is a challenge due to the complexity of determining the details of the charge weight and standoff distance. Blast design entails not only building and window design but also the surrounding environment and landscaping, as well as the distance away from the building that a vehicle is allowed.

To learn more about this topic, visit the Aluminum Impact and Blast Protection web page.