Research Article: Access Control Points - Reducing a Possible Blast Impact by Meandering

Researchers from the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission have published a research article[1] in the Advances of Civil Engineering journal which looks into the design of meandering access control zones inside or in close proximity to buildings in view of the risk of internal explosive events. It outlines a strategy for limiting the consequences of an internal blast and guaranteeing that the produced blast wave does not propagate into vulnerable areas.

The authors base their analysis on calculations with a numerical model which has a protective wall system in the form of a meander allowing unobstructed access of the public, while reducing the power of a possible blast into the building interior. The calculation confirms that the reduction of the pressure is significant if meandering walls are used both in terms of primary blast effects and for fragments resulting from explosions or shooting attacks.

Meandering walls are not a full protective solution but they can be considered an effective risk reduction measure.