Blast resistant modular buildings for the petroleum and chemical processing industries

There exists a need for blast resistant yet portable buildings to protect personnel temporarily assigned duties within explosively hazardous areas. Blast resistant portable buildings (BRPBs) are a valuable asset for protection of temporarily assigned personnel involved in activities located near potential explosion sites. Portable. Stackable and modular. Blast designed and ductile. Several companies have designed products to meet this need. Blast resistant portable buildings are the size of a typical office trailer; however, they may be installed in a variety of configurations and floor plans. The buildings are similar in design and construction to steel shipping containers but they are larger in scale, are much stronger, and are intended to be occupied within hazardous areas. Typical siting issues for modular buildings involve blast related requirements, process related requirements and conventional loading requirements. Examples of these requirements include: Sliding and overturning during blast response. Positive pressure and forced ventilation requirements. Seismic and wind loading. This paper describes blast performance, structural siting issues, and presents different applications of blast resistant modular buildings that have been installed at various facilities.