Seismic Structures Found to Resist Blasts

OAKLAND, Calif. – Degenkolb Engineers won an award from the American Council of Engineering Companies for its contribution to a national study on earthquake safety and blast-resistance for buildings.

Degenkolb earned the Engineering Excellence Honor Award for its role in analyzing how the federal building in Oklahoma City would have performed had it been seismically-reinforced when bombed.

The 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building provided a good model because the exact size and location of the bomb were known, settling a widespread debate among engineers about whether seismic strengthening offers blast protection.

Degenkolb Engineers demonstrated that retrofitting, including installing blast-resistant windows, may have reduced blast damage by 90 percent. “With the results of this study, the federal government has an incentive to develop and adopt a multi-hazard mitigation strategy,” says Chris Poland, Degenkolb’s president and CEO.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) hired Degenkolb in 2001 to investigate whether the could have minimized damage and loss of life in Oklahoma City. The bombing caused 168 deaths, damage to more than 300 buildings, and $1 billion in destroyed property and lost revenues.