Barrier for protection from an explosion
U.S. and Afghan soldiers standing behind a blast wall made from HESCO bastions in Afghanistan in 2012 A blast wall is a barrier designed to protect vulnerable buildings or other structures and the people inside them from the effects of a nearby explosion , whether caused by industrial accident , military action , or terrorism .
Effectiveness
Research by Cranfield University Defence Academy , building on earlier work, has shown that blast walls have the following properties:
A non-deforming upright wall will significantly reduce the peak blast overpressure and impulse in an area between 4 and 6 wall heights behind it
Similar protection occurs at greater distances behind the wall, but to a diminishing extent
Blast walls perform best if the explosion is relatively close to the front of the wall[1]
"Canopied" walls (with a top section overhanging the front face) show some improved blast protection over plane walls
A 90-degree canopy is more effective than a 45-degree one[2]
Walls containing sand or water work well, and cause little damage if they fail
A wall has to stay intact long enough to "interact" with the blast in order to have any effect[3]
Types
Damage to Bremer wall concrete barriers in Afghanistan, 2012 Permanent blast walls can be made from pre-cast reinforced concrete ,[4] or steel sheeting.[5] Various types of moveable blast wall have been manufactured. These include the Bremer wall concrete barriers used in Iraq and Afghanistan by US Armed Forces , and the Concertainers , wire mesh containers filled with sand or soil, which are used by British Armed Forces .