Blast Resistance of Door & Frame Assemblies

by Roy Canon, Ph.D.

Vice President Technology
Deansteel Manufacturing Co.

A blast event is characterized by a very sudden, almost instantaneous, pressure rise to a peak value
followed by a decay in the pressure magnitude to ambient level (see Figure 1).

Figure 2 illustrates an idealized blast wave. The blast pressure rises instantaneously to a peak value,
Pmax, expressed in pounds per square inch (psi), and decays linearly to zero. The time required for the
decay is the duration of the blast wave, td, expressed in milliseconds (ms). The impulse, I, expressed
in psi-ms, is the integral of the time-pressure history of the blast wave equation (this is represented by
the area inside the pressure-time plot). The magnitude of the impulse can be computed from the
following formula for an idealized blast wave:
Pmax td
I =
2

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The response of building components such as door and frame assemblies subjected to blast loading is
affected by both the magnitude and duration of the blast load as well as the stiffness, mass, and
ultimate load bearing capacity of the component. For a given structural member, many peak pressure
and impulse combinations will cause a given maximum deflection in the component. This can be
understood by considering that a low peak pressure/large impulse (or long duration) blast load and a
high pressure/small impulse (short duration) blast load can both cause the same maximum deflection in
a given component. Likewise, a mid-range pressure and impulse load can also cause the same
maximum deflection in a component.

If a building component, such as a hollow metal door, is subjected to a variety of peak blast pressure
and blast duration combinations and the on-set of permanent deformation of the doors is measured, the
results can be plotted as a Pressure-Impulse, P-i, diagram. The resulting graph would be similar in
shape to the one shown in Figure 3 although the actual vertical and horizontal position of the graph
would be a function of the strength of the individual door as determined by width, height, thickness and
reinforcements.

Figure 3 General P-i Diagram

The graph illustrates that the tested doors do not experience any permanent (i.e., plastic) deformation
for low pressures and impulses (the region to the left and below the P-i curve). Higher blast pressures
and/or impulses would result in permanent deformation of the doors (the region above and to the right
of the curve). The degree of permanent deformation would depend on the applied blast loads (both
pressure and duration).

A series of curves can be developed for a structural component by determining the blast pressure and
impulse levels that result in a similar degree of deformation (e.g., maximum deflection or rotation) of the
component. Figure 4 shows a series of three curves for an actual 3-0 X 7-0 Blast Resistant Door
design for various levels of response to blast pressure and impulse combinations. These curves

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present the pressure/impulse combinations that result in the same level of rotation at the edges of the
door panels. The resulting zones representing the same level of deformation (or no deformation) have
been categorized based on the qualitative performance of the doors.

Figure 4 P-i Diagrams for a 3070 Door Panel

There are four blast resistance performance categories for door and frame assemblies defined in ASTM
F2247-03. They are summarized in the following table.

Table 1. Blast Resistance Performance of a Door Assembly per ASTM F2247-03

The specimen is unchanged (no permanent deformation) after the loading incident
Category I
and the door is fully operable. The specimen remains intact and responds elastically.
The door is operable but measurable permanent deformation to the door panel
Category II exceeding 2 mm (5/64) has been experienced. The specimen remains as an
integral system.
Non-catastrophic failure. No structural failure occurs to the specimen that prevents
Category III the specimen from providing a barrier to blast wave propagation. However, the
specimen is permanently deformed and the door panel is inoperable.
The door panel is severely deformed. For a seating load test, the deformation of the
door panel must be limited to a level that does not cause the door panel to forced
through the door frame opening. For an unseating load test, the latching mechanism
Category IV
is permitted to fail, allowing the door to swing open; however, the door panel shall
remain supported by the hinges and it is evident that the door panel will not become a
flying debris hazard.

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From the graphs in Figure 4, it can be seen that an 8 psi blast pressure having a 100 psi-ms impulse on
one of these doors would produce a Category II response. The door would be permanently damaged,
but it would still be functional.

From the foregoing information, one can see that to fully specify the blast resistance level for a door
assembly more information is required than the anticipated peak blast pressure. The blast impulse (or
blast duration) is equally important. Furthermore, the desired performance level of the door unit must
be specified (i.e., how the door unit responds to the projected blast event). A Cateogory I response
would allow reuse of the door unit, but it may prove to be an excessively expensive option for many
projects where higher blast loads are potentially possible. For most applications, a Category II
response would be desirable to provide protection from the blast event and permit operation of the door
after a blast event.

Additional information on blast resistant door units can be found on our company web site:
www.Deansteel.com, or you may contact Sales@Deansteel.com.

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