Civil Engineering and ConstructionBlast Resistant Design of Buildings for Oil and Gas Facilities
Vapour cloud explosions at refineries and gas plants have shown that control rooms and occupied buildings near process units can kill the people they were meant to shelter. This course covers how such buildings are specified and designed to survive a defined overpressure. Delegates begin with explosion phenomena and how blast loads are characterised by peak overpressure, impulse and duration, then move to siting studies and the performance levels an owner sets. Dynamic response follows through single degree of freedom models, pressure impulse diagrams and ductility and support rotation limits. Design of reinforced concrete, steel framed and modular buildings is covered, along with blast doors, windows, penetrations and the connections that often govern. The course closes on upgrading existing buildings. Delegates leave able to review blast design criteria and calculations.
Course objectives
- Explain deflagration, detonation and vapour cloud explosion phenomena relevant to process plant
- Characterise blast loads by peak overpressure, impulse, duration and reflection
- Apply building siting and occupancy principles used in facility risk studies
- Analyse structural members using equivalent single degree of freedom methods
- Interpret pressure impulse diagrams and response limits for different damage levels
- Design concrete, steel and modular buildings and their connections for blast loading
- Specify blast doors, windows and penetrations compatible with the building response
- Evaluate options for strengthening existing buildings against blast
Who should attend
- Structural engineers on oil, gas and petrochemical projects
- Process safety and loss prevention engineers
- Owners' engineers reviewing contractor designs
- Facility and plant engineers responsible for occupied buildings
- Suppliers and designers of modular and blast resistant buildings
Course outline
- 01Explosion hazards in process facilities
- 02Blast load parameters and reflection
- 03Building siting and performance levels
- 04Dynamic material properties and response limits
- 05Single degree of freedom analysis
- 06Pressure impulse diagrams
- 07Concrete, steel and modular building design
- 08Doors, windows, penetrations and connections
- 09Upgrading existing buildings
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 to 16 October 2026 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | |
| 21 to 25 December 2026 | Online | Online | R8,500 per delegate | |
| 18 to 22 January 2027 | Cape Town, South Africa | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | |
| 15 to 19 March 2027 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate |
Blast Resistant Design of Buildings for Oil and Gas Facilities
From R8,500