Design of Commercial Buildings to Mitigate Terrorist Attacks

Course Description:

The purpose of this course is to introduce concepts that can help building designers, owners, and state and local governments mitigate the threat of hazards resulting from terrorist attacks on new buildings. This course specifically addresses four high-population, private-sector building types: commercial office, retail, multi-family residential, and light industrial. However, many of the concepts presented here are applicable to other building types and/or existing buildings. The focus is on explosive attack, but the course also addresses design strategies to mitigate the effects of chemical, biological, and radiological attacks.

Learning Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Learn how to calculate the expected extent of damage and injuries to be expected in an explosive event, based on the size of the explosion, distance from the event, and assumptions about the construction of the building.
• Understand three types of building damage that can lead to injuries and possible fatalities and know which is the most sever building response.
• Learn about the primary goals of the design professional when designing a civilian structure to save lives in the event of a terrorist attack.
• Understand what can be done architecturally to mitigate the effects of a terrorist bombing on a facility.