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In this episode of The Structural Engineering Channel Podcast, we talk to Sharon Gallant PE, SE, managing principal at KPFF Consulting Engineers. Sharon talks about blast protection and shares some interesting insights about active shooter and hostile vehicle mitigation related to structural engineering design.
Engineering Quotes:
Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Sharon in This Episode:
- Could you give our listeners an idea about your career journey to date and what you focus on today as a structural engineer?
- Can you tell us about your involvement in the ASCE SEI Structures Congress?
- Can you tell us about the history of blast engineering?
- How have you seen the threat of terrorism most impact the job of structural engineers?
- What type of people would benefit the most from going to the panel you are presenting at the Congress?
- Can you give us a sneak peek into the session entitled Active Shooter Mitigation: Ballistic Hardening and Other Ideas, which you will be presenting at the SEI Congress?
Here Are Some of the Key Points Discussed About Blast Protection and Active Shooter Mitigation in Structural Engineering:
- The purpose of the manual practice is to provide structural engineers with the procedures by which physical security design is accomplished.
- Blast protection moved beyond military and conventional warfare as the frequency of terrorist and domestic attacks increased.
- Although blast engineering is starting to get integrated into the design of our buildings, it is still voluntary. ASCE 59 is not really a code because it is not mandatory, as it is not part of our international building code. It is, however, a standard that is followed when clients want to integrate design for terrorist events into their facilities.
- With blast engineering you are designing structures for extreme loading conditions. However, you are not really designing for static loads and elastic behavior. You are designing using a nonlinear time history analysis method.
- It is not economical to design a building that performs elastically in response to blast loading of an extreme load.
- Any design team that is working with a government facility, or even a private facility that requires protective design for buildings, will benefit from joining Sharon’s Structures Congress panel. Owners of buildings that occupy high-risk tenants in high-risk countries could also benefit from joining in on this panel at the SEI Congress 2020.
- The Active Shooter Mitigation session will help designers understand the process of designing for ballistic facilities.
More Details in This Episode…
About Sharon Gallant PE, SE
Sharon has over 25 years of professional structural engineering experience in delivering protective design consulting services focused on antiterrorism/force protection (ATFP). In 2015, she joined KPFF to spearhead the new Protective Design Group. Bringing a unique background in manmade and natural hazard mitigation design, Sharon is adept at working with clients to identify their risks and prioritize the implementation of corrective design measures through an integrated, multi-hazard approach with a focus on cost/benefit decision-making. Her areas of expertise include the design of building structures for seismic, blast, progressive collapse, perimeter security, and forced-entry/ballistics effects. Sharon has worked in multiple market sectors including government and institutional, from mission critical facilities to historic structures. Previous to joining KPFF, she was the Project Director as well as an Associate Principal for two well-known engineering companies.
Books Mentioned in This Episode
Structural Design for Physical Security: State of the Practice
Blast Protection of Buildings (ASCE/SEI 59-11)
Sources/References:
Structural Design for Physical Security Manual of Practice
Risk Management Series
Structures Congress 2020
This episode is brought to you by CSI, Computers and Structures, Inc. which is recognized globally as the pioneering leader in software tools for structural and earthquake engineering. You can learn more about them at www.csiamerica.com
This episode is also brought to you by Maser Consulting P.A., a privately owned, multi-discipline, consulting and engineering design firm with a unique balance of public and private sector experience. Established in 1984 by Richard M. Maser, PE, PP, CME, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, the firm has an expert staff of licensed engineers, planners, surveyors, landscape architects, and environmental scientists with offices strategically located nationwide. Click here to learn more about Maser Consulting P.A. today.
Please leave your comments or questions in the section below on blast protection and active shooter mitigation in structural engineering.
To your success,
Mathew Picardal, P.E., & Alexis Clark, P.E., M.ASCE
Hosts of The Structural Engineering Channel
