A blast wall is a protective barrier designed to safeguard buildings and people from the force of explosions. These structures can be temporary or permanent and can protect against both accidental and intentional blasts. High-risk industries such as construction rely on blast walls to serve as a first line of defense in case of an explosion.
By absorbing shockwaves and containing debris, a blast wall reduces the radius of destruction, minimizes injury and protects nearby structures from damage. These barriers are essential wherever explosive materials are handled or high-pressure operations take place.
The purpose of a blast wall is to reduce the risk of explosive overpressure, debris and large pieces of material harming vulnerable buildings, people and equipment.
When to Use a Blast Wall
Blast walls should be used whenever there is a potential risk of explosion or high-impact force, whether from controlled demolition or unexpected blasts. Blast walls provide more protection from heavy blasts than blast shields. Specifically, they reduce the peak overpressure and can handle stronger blasts. They also last longer and don’t have to be put in place before a blast, the way blast shields do, making them ideal for ongoing construction projects and situations with multiple detonations.
How Blast Walls Are Utilized
Blast walls are used across a wide range of environments:
- Construction or mining operations erect blast walls before breaking and removing obstructive rock.
- Blast walls are positioned at pedestrian entry control points, like parking garages and airport terminals, to shield vulnerable facilities from blast fragmentation and blazes.
- Facility managers can retrofit older buildings with blast walls to withstand heavy explosive forces and enhance safety.
- The risk of chemical explosions and consequent injuries and damage, particularly at petrochemical manufacturing plants and research labs, can be mitigated with blast walls.
- Military bases use two or three blast walls around military aircraft to protect them from each other, but also to safeguard people if a terrorist attack occurs.
- Blast walls contain gas and vapor cloud explosions to help minimize the number of flammable gases the explosion consumes – an application most common in processing industries.
- Roadwork around the United States often requires blasting, whether that be to cut through part of a mountain or install pipes.
- Manufactured equipment that requires high-pressure testing can cause unexpected explosions. However, a blast wall or barrier can help prevent employee injury.
Our Blast Wall Benefits
TM International, LLC offers woven wire blast walls that provide several critical advantages over traditional barriers:
- Lightweight and flexible: Our blast walls are easy to install, remove and relocate. They offer more flexibility than many traditional blast walls, with more protection than blast shields.
- Eco-friendly. Made with recyclable materials, our barriers support sustainable practices.
- Durable. Our walls are noncombustible and fireproof. Made with 5/8-inch galvanized IWRC wire rope, these walls are made to last.
- Efficient containment. Our design helps vent hazardous fumes and reduces the likelihood of secondary explosions.
- Customizable. Our blast walls are available in stock sizes, or we can customize wall panels to your needs. You can link multiple panels to set up the protection you need.
These features make our blast walls ideal for industries seeking responsible blast protection solutions.
Characteristics of an Effective Blast Wall
Blast walls need to have specific characteristics that enable them to be effective at protecting or preventing damage to people or facilities. Without these characteristics, a blast wall is less likely to have the desired outcome and will not provide as much protection.
One of the most important characteristics of a blast wall is its material. Stainless steel is one of the most effective materials a blast wall can consist of since it has a high melting temperature and is durable. The material should also be heat resistant to the fullest extent possible. A blast wall canopy can prove to be even more effective since it covers more area than a straight wall.
Anti-ram capability is helpful against a vehicle attack. The wall’s material should also be malleable, which means it can absorb the energy from a blast without failure.
Blast Wall Materials
As mentioned above, a desirable attribute of a blast wall is high-quality material. While you can make a blast wall from concrete, stainless steel is the most effective material to use.
Steel has several qualities that make it stand out as the chosen material. Stainless steel is corrosion-resistant, which protects it from water. Steel is suitable for blast walls built in wet environments, but overall, it can be beneficial anywhere. The wall will last for an extended period since it takes a much longer time to rust.
Because explosions often result in fire, stainless steel is a good choice because it has a higher melting point than other materials. It’s also one of the most durable and ductile materials, which helps it absorb the energy from a blast without breaking.
Blast wall materials are important because less durable ones result in less protection. Employees and bystanders want peace of mind knowing they will be safe if an explosion happens. If you use stainless steel blast walls, employees, civilians and military members are more likely to stay safe in any explosion, whether it’s planned or unplanned or results from an attack.
Why Blast Walls Are More Relevant Than Ever
As user needs and threat profiles evolve, blast walls have become more essential than traditional blast shields in many environments. Modern applications increasingly call for scalable, modular solutions that can be deployed quickly and removed when no longer needed. We have designed our blast walls to be more versatile and protective in scenarios involving vertical infrastructure or sensitive public areas.
Blast walls offer greater containment of flyrock, mitigation of explosive overpressure and superior shielding from flying debris and fragmentation, especially in confined or urban areas. TM International’s woven wire technology provides superior venting, reducing pressure buildup and improving post-blast safety conditions.
These innovations make our blast walls the preferred choice for construction, demolition, mining and government agencies seeking to safeguard people and assets without sacrificing mobility or cost-efficiency.
Contact TM International, LLC for Blast Walls Today
At TM International, LLC, we specialize in manufacturing woven wire blast walls that are built for high performance. We provide trusted solutions that meet the highest safety standards, and we’re proud to ship internationally.
Contact TM International, LLC today to learn more about our durable, recyclable blast wall systems and request a quote.