Project challenges
Invicta Durasteel was approached to design and install a Durasteel blast barrier protection system in a new, high capacity sports stadium. This section of the stadium would host VIPs (including members of the royal family) for prestigious events, and so would have to be protected against the prospect of a targeted attack against these individuals.
The blast protection system would be required to protect the entirety of the VIP enclosure from the prospect of a terrorist attack, either from a bomb detonated inside the stadium (in a space parallel to the VIP enclosure) or a vehicle-borne device outside of the stadium (e.g. a truck bomb on the outside perimeter of the building).
A concrete system was not seen as viable in this scenario, as it would have to be considerably thicker and heavier than an equivalent Durasteel barrier system, posing both structural and logistical issues. The interior of the suite was also planned to utilise marble overcladding for aesthetics, which would add additional depth and weight to the partition walls.
Technical constraints
In order to protect the enclosure from the point of ingress on the lower floors to the viewing area in the stands, it was deemed that the blast protection system would need to be rated to CPNI C15 standard, as per UK government guidelines.
The dimensions of the space would require a three-sided system protecting the side and back walls, with the front wall consisting of reinforced glass for viewing the events in the stadium. There would also need to be separate systems to protect the lower floors of the enclosure, including the entry points, stairs and lifts up to the viewing area.
The doors and penetrations through the blast walls would also have to be protected, so as not to affect the integrity of the blast protection system. All of this would have to be achieved within the physical and aesthetic parameters of the structure, much of which used marble and other high-end decorative finishes.
Installed solution
Invicta designed and installed a blast-proof partition system which met CPNI’s C15 standard, having been blast tested to a maximum overpressure of 269 kPa with an impulse of 840 kPa-ms. The blast-proof partitions were manufactured to a nominal thickness of 240mm, with a nominal height of 5.1m.
Invicta met this standard by testing its systems against TNT blasts of 100kg at 20m, 200kg at 20m and 100kg at 15m, all of which were passed successfully.
Key benefits
All the doors, penetrations, openings and accessories were designed and utilised in a way that would not compromise the effectiveness of the system, and the partitions were finished in a manner that complemented the aesthetics of the rooms they were in.
End result
Invicta Durasteel successfully designed and installed a three-sided blast protection system for the new stadium, protecting the VIP enclosure within the stadium from both interior and exterior blast threats.
The system was tested to the most rigorous international standards, and integrated numerous accessories, features and access points without compromising its effectiveness. It was also finished with high quality cladding to maintain the aesthetics of the space, again without impeding its purpose.
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