If you've ever undertaken a building/remodeling project, even a personal one, you know it is crucial to choose the right contractor. Substandard materials, unnecessary delays, and lack of compliance are just a few of the pitfalls you must try to avoid. Finding a blast-resistant building vendor is similar to hiring a contractor, except that the stakes are much higher. Blast-resistant buildings are a vital component in high-risk industries, so it is necessary that you take all precautions to keep your team safe.  So, how do you know what companies are reliable and will provide you with the best blast-resistant building? Here are a few pointers to lead you to the right company.

Costing a project is not just about the price of materials. When mobilizing resources for a blast-resistant building, we need to consider direct labor costs, business disruption during the build, and even the cost of maintenance during the asset's lifespan. All factors considered, steel is more affordable than concrete for blast-resistant buildings.

  When you embark on a capital-intensive project such as a blast-resistant building, information is power. Before you tie up your finances in a building, you need to understand your vendor's blast-resistant building process. In addition, you need to understand your role in the process. Below, we walk you through the timeline and planning of a blast-resistant building.

There's a reason why Superman is known as the man of steel, not concrete. Steel is pound-for-pound, the strongest construction material. Not only is it strong, but it’s also durable. To demonstrate, decades after its construction, a 25-story building in London, the Winterton House, was due for an upgrade. When they stripped it down, they found that its steel frame was still in excellent condition. So, with just a little extra support, they rebuilt the residential units for a fraction of the cost. A blast-resistant building is designed to withstand an explosion, protect the occupants and remain standing after a destructive event. Therefore, you need construction material known for its tensile strength to keep your building (and most importantly, your team) protected.

Are you a Facility Manager or Superintendent in the Human Factors Engineering (HFE), Oil and Gas, or Petrochemical industry? If so, then you know providing the optimal blast-resistant building is a necessity to guarantee your team's safety in the event of an explosion on-site.  The building you choose must be well-tested and follow the American Petroleum Institute (API) recommended guidelines. You should consider safety during an explosion in order to limit the liability of workers during the construction of the facility itself. This can be achieved by selecting a modular-style blast-resistant building constructed in phases offsite and then quickly installed by a small staff.  Using modular steel blast-resistant buildings decreases both risk and interruption on your facility. The two main options for building materials of a blast-resistant building are either steel or concrete. With everything mentioned above regarding safety considerations, steel is the most viable solution of the two, and we greatly recommend it for your own facility. Steel has major advantages over concrete when constructing blast-resistant buildings, which we’ll explore below. These are four main benefits steel provides over concrete when constructing blast resistant buildings.

  Once you have commissioned your desired blast-resistant building, it’s time to start thinking about the installation. With most of the build happening off-site, site preparation can happen concurrently. During the project management and the manufacture of a blast-resistant building, it is essential that you prepare your site for the new building and keep tabs on the progress of the project.

Every part of a blast-resistant building is designed to keep employees safe from an explosion. From the layout and design to the completed walls and doors, blast-resistant buildings absorb the impact of a shockwave keeping occupants safe. RedGuard units have undergone the ultimate test, withstanding blast pressure of up to 9.9 psi. The modules maintained their structural integrity and protected the occupants with minimal injury. So how do we do this? To answer that question, we'll explore what a blast-resistant building entails.

  This article was co-written for the June 2021 issue of Hydrocarbon Engineering by members of the staff of RedGuard and RedGuard Specialist Services. It is republished here in its entirety.

When it comes to blast-resistant buildings, you need to ensure the integrity of the building’s engineering in order to keep your team protected in the event of an explosion. We often think about safety, but do not consider how reliable our information and products are.  An extremely important aspect of integrity you should consider is where the information about products or services you are buying comes from.  If your blast-resistant building company relies solely on their in-house engineers, then you are not guaranteed accurate, unbiased information. Instead, look for companies that use third-party engineers who have nothing to gain regardless of the results. Keep this in mind when analyzing data, watching blast tests, and ultimately choosing your blast-resistant building.  Another aspect to consider is structural integrity, which is an integral engineering tenet that ensures that a building or structure operates for the exact purpose it was designed. Structural integrity in blast-resistant buildings (BRBs) ensures that the BRB can support its weight, perform as expected, maintain safety, and minimize risks and hazards in case of accidents that result in blasts. Structurally sound BRBs are designed to prevent buckling and other forms of malformation for the length of its expected lifetime.

We understand the lengths that our customers go through to keep themselves and their team safe. We also know that sometimes the terminology around blast resistant buildings and their blast ratings can be confusing. Some readers might actually be reading this from the comfort of a BRB and wonder how it was determined to be a safe space. 

In industries and environments where vessels, infrastructure, and buildings must routinely operate under conditions of high temperature and pressure, eruptions or explosions may occur unexpectedly if safety protocols are overlooked, equipment wears out, or another problem arises. To ascertain the structural integrity of these infrastructure elements under high-stress conditions – and to assess the effects on personnel working in such environments – manufacturer blast testing on structure designs is essential. In a blast test, structures and fittings in a configuration similar to standard working conditions are subjected to a controlled explosion under test monitoring conditions. The results of such a test can provide valuable information as to the safety or otherwise of current building standards and materials, and inform the wider industry on how improvements can be made, and best practices enforced.

For many years, RedGuard has been known for its blast-resistant buildings within the oil and gas industry. It started in 2005, after a tragic event in Texas City. At the time, the company was known for the steel storage buildings that it leased to companies for their rugged and spacious storage capacity. Because they had the infrastructure and capabilities already in place, they were asked to design a protective steel modular building. The goal was to protect people the way steel containers had protected the equipment on the site of that tragedy, when personnel had perished in simple work trailers, while tool shed containers remained intact. 

Across a range of industries – oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing to name a few – facilities and infrastructure must routinely operate under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure. Though professionals in these areas typically exercise due care and take the necessary precautions, incidents can and do occur, resulting in ruptures and localized explosions or blasts. Here, we explore why structural steel is the most suitable material for blast resistant buildings.

As the name suggests, blast-rated doors can withstand the force emanating from highly compressed air spreading outwards after an explosion. The doors are usually constructed using thick steel and come with features designed to withstand high pound-force per square inch (psi) associated with blast events. Blast-rated doors are categorized based on the psi they can withstand.

This article was originally published in the January 2021 issue of BIC Magazine. It is re-published here in its entirety. 

Not all blast-resistant buildings are created Equally When it comes to blast-resistant buildings, it may seem like it makes sense to lump them all into the same category when considering their strength. However, there are differences in their design and build that can make a difference. 

This press release, announcing the company's latest blast test, was sent on December 10, 2020 on behalf of RedGuard. 

This article was originally published in the October 2020 issue of BIC magazine. It was written by Eric Rienbolt, one of RedGuard's subject matter experts and our Custom Projects Manager. On a daily basis, codes and regulations influence our activities. At their root, they provide minimum standards for safety, health and general welfare that allow us to safely carry out the various responsibilities we perform throughout our workday.

This article was originally published in the September 2020 issue of BIC magazine, but had to be edited for brevity. It is published here in its entirety. It was written by Bryan Bulling, one of RedGuard's subject matter experts and our Northeast Regional Area Manager.

The following article was originally published in the June/July 2020 issue of BIC magazine. It was written by Chris Priddy, one of RedGuard's subject matter experts and our Gulf Coast Regional Area Manager. RedGuard has been a leading designer and provider of modular blast-resistant buildings to the global market since the industry began, following a blast event in Texas City, Texas, in 2005. Our company was asked to provide a safe, blast-resistant alternative to the mobile and modular buildings on similar sites.

Planning a capital project can be a complex undertaking. Add in something like blast-resistant buildings and there are even more parts to the planning process. Goals must be set. Timelines must be arranged to avoid upsetting workflow. And you have to find a vendor with turnkey services and experience with all the intricacies of your project. 

  If you have a blast-resistant building on your site, you know that they require occasional service and maintenance. You may not know that there are alternatives to having the service performed by the company you purchased it from and that there could be a few minor ways to get the most out of performance. And, if you are considering a blast-resistant building purchase, you may be curious about what to expect.

The following article was originally published in the May 2020 issue of BIC magazine. It's published here in its entirety, including details that were edited out of the original article for space. It was written by Bryan Bulling, one of RedGuard's subject matter experts and our Northeastern US Regional Area Manager. While the use of blast-resistant buildings is widespread, there are still many in the industry who have not utilized modular buildings during outages and projects. Instead, they stage operations outside the facility and transport labor in and out.

Right now, essential businesses are learning to fulfill business needs in ways they never dreamed. And other businesses have been put on hold indefinitely, hopefully to return in the future. These are all in an effort to keep the country running, while we flatten the curve against the coronavirus.  RedGuard has been providing workplace storage and mobile office space since 1998 and started focusing on safe space in 2005, after a refinery accident necessitated the birth of the blast-resistant building industry. We championed that cause, and now you could say that, as a company, we are the leaders in providing a variety of workplace safe spaces. 

This content was created for and originally published in the April 2020 issue of  BIC Magazine. It was written by Dean Alcott, one of RedGuard's subject matter experts and our Market Development Manager.  The bulk of blast-resistant buildings are utilized in large refinery and petrochemical facilities. Recently, there has been a dramatic increase at midstream facilities, like fractionation plants and compressor stations, of buildings for temporary use (rentals for turnaround and maintenance) and permanent use (control rooms and operator shelters).

  If you’ve purchased a blast-resistant building, or even if you’re still in the bid phase considering your options, you may be wondering what happens once you send in the purchase order. Once the deal is done, is it just a matter of waiting? 

The following article was originally published in March 2013. It was written by our company's founder, Jeff Lange. We've updated it to reflect current industry facts and trends.    Although there are no regulations in place for the design and construction of blast-resistant buildings, many of us are working toward that goal. In the meantime, here is a list of questions everyone should ask before buying a blast-resistant building. If you'd like to read a more comprehensive guide to blast-resistant buildings, we've shared that too.  1. Was the Module designed and tested by a blast expert? The science of blast-resistant building design is no longer a new science, but it is still true that only a small group of experts have tested their designs. Make sure your blast-resistant building design has been taken off the drawing board and successfully blast-tested under the supervision of a well credentialed engineer. There's no shame in asking about your vendor's "experts." Even if they are civil or structural engineers, it's worth knowing about their training and background. Do they have years of experience in the science of blast-resistant design, or did they take a three day course to qualify them? 

Choosing a blast-resistant building can be tricky. It’s not just a matter of deciding on a design and picking the amenities you want. Some factors come into play, and without the right partner or planning, it can seem like a complicated maneuver to get what you need to protect your site. 

Representing our brand, CoverSix Shelters, we are attending NATO's Industry Day, hosted by the Military Engineering Centre of Excellence. The conference is Wednesday, December 4, in the city of Ingolstadt, in Bavaria, Germany. 

If you’ve worked in the oil and gas industry, you’ve probably heard a lot about OSHA regulations, or the term Process Safety Management. This article will touch on just one part of that system, the process hazard analysis, and the facility siting study that it will call for. The cost of a facility siting study is not an expense that one generally looks forward to. Still, when it could mean the difference between proactively spending money on a study, versus reactively spending money to pay for repairs, lawsuits, or damages, it’s easy to see the clear choice.  RedGuard, for many years a leader in designing blast-resistant buildings, also offers niche engineering services specifically related to explosion resistance in classified areas. Our experts include specialists in the energy sector, risk management, as well as structural engineers, and chemical engineers with many years of experience in the analysis of impact and blast response. Our expertise in blast response comes from being pioneers in the industry.

Thankful. Grateful. Appreciative. Agradecida. Dankbaar. Asante. Reconnaissante.

At RedGuard, we realized from the beginning that having a culture centered around safety just made sense. We create a product designed to keep people safe, to ensure that at the end of the day, someone working in one of our buildings is going home to their family, even if the unthinkable happens. 

Developing good safety habits in a manufacturing setting, refinery, or other industrial setting is the first step in cultivating a culture where safety is the first priority. This is beneficial for legal reasons if you're the person responsible for ensuring the safety of your team, but, as a short-term benefit, you can watch for improved morale. The long-term benefit is improved workplace health and safety performance and a culture that sustains itself when employees embrace safety and set an example to new teammates.  We sat down with Steve Crider to discuss these benefits. 

We’ve written recently about the problems with blast-resistant buildings, and one problem that we hear about sometimes has to do with blast-resistant doors. Blast-resistant doors are made of steel and weigh-in at around 450 pounds. That’s a lot of weight for a door, considering the average solid-core door on a home weighs well under 100 pounds. 

Purchasing a blast-resistant building is no small responsibility to undertake. It involves months of planning (sometimes more than a year), depending on the scope of the project. Part of the due diligence on an investment of this size and magnitude is not only looking for benefits but also in looking at the challenges that one might encounter. 

RedGuard will be exhibiting at ABC of Southeast Texas' 25th Outdoor Extravaganza on October 24, at Ford Park in Beaumont, Texas.

Every industry has its jargon, and after a while, it’s easy to forget that not everyone understands the terminology that we often hear on an everyday basis. This is especially true if you’ve just started in your career and haven't learned it all yet. Even those who have worked in an industry for a long time may not want to admit they don’t know the meaning of a common acronym, even if they understand its usage. 

This content was created for and originally published in the May 2019 issue of Chemical Engineering. It was written by Bryan Bulling, one of RedGuard's subject matter experts and our Northeastern US Regional Area Manager.  In March of 2019, two separate explosions and fires in the Houston area reminded those of us who work in, or close to the chemical industry, of the risks and dangers present in chemical facilities. Chemical plants in Crosby and Deer Park, Texas both witnessed explosions and fires that resulted in injuries, damage, environmental impact, and negative public blowback. In both cases, it took several hours or more for crews to regain control over the incidents. In the meantime, nearby residents, schools, and businesses hunkered down under shelter-in-place orders. Both facilities are reportedly named in lawsuits.

In an industry that is as young as that of blast-resistant buildings, much of the terminology is still very new. This industry only came to be in 2005, after an explosion at a Texas City refinery that killed 15 people and injured nearly 200.

RedGuard will exhibit at the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants' Association (VPPPA) Safety+ National Symposium, held August 27 - August 30 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA. You will find RedGuard at booth #441.

In the oil and gas industry, there are no federal laws or regulations that control what precautions a facility has to take to maintain a protective environment in the event of an explosion on their site.  (OSHA dictates a Process Hazard Analysis every five years, but leaves the methods of fulfilling that open to interpretation.)

This article was originally published in September of 2012. It has been updated to reflect current industry findings. In the blast-resistant building industry, we toss around the term "response level" all the time and assume everyone knows what it means. And maybe everyone here does, but the difference between a low response building and a high response building can mean the difference between life and death, so it's worth a closer look, even if you already know the basics. And, if you don't yet know the basics? it might be a good idea to read up on blast resistant buildings, from cost to common issues, to questions to ask before you buy. We've written the ultimate guide to blast-resistant buildings.  

When scrutinizing blast-resistant structures, one of the first considerations to make will be the type of structure that you need. You should always make decisions based on the particular needs of your facility, based on determinations from your facility siting study or similar recommended practices.

Some jobs are inherently dangerous, and there might not be anything you can do to remove the dangerous elements. Those who work in manufacturing, chemical processing plants, or oil and gas refineries, understand that. 

The following article was originally published in the June/July 2018 issue of BIC magazine. It was written by Bryan Bulling, one of RedGuard's subject matter experts and our Northeastern US Regional Area Manager.  As a building designer, I watched some of last year’s disturbing events unfold with both great sadness and professional interest — Hurricanes Harvey and Irma; the mass shootings in Las Vegas and Parkland, Florida; and the seemingly endless list of cyber-related breaches. These all revealed areas where we can and should begin to address new safety and security measures. During this critical moment in environmental health and safety, I would like to offer some topics and insights that might prompt engineers and designers to improve the safety and security for the occupants of your buildings.

Explaining TRIR and Why It's Important At RedGuard, we take safety seriously, even down to saying that safety is in our culture. One of the ways we measure that is our TRIR, or Total Recordable Incident Rate. This blog post was originally published in 2018, but has since been updated with current numbers.   As a manufacturer of blast-resistant buildings, it makes sense that knowing our safety rating would also be important to our customers. After all, if a company won't share their safety rating and they make a product designed to keep you safe, you're already starting on the wrong foot. So, as you can imagine, "What's your safety rating?" is a question our team gets asked fairly often. Here's how we approach that.

What Affects the Price of a Blast Resistant Building? If hazardous areas are part of life on your worksite, you’ve probably arrived here to determine what the real costs are associated with getting outfitted for safety. For many, a facility siting study indicates the need for blast-resistant buildings, or BRBs, to protect your team and valuable assets in the event of an explosion. Many factors can affect the cost of a blast resistant building, such as whether you lease standard units, lease modified standard units, or choose to have your BRB custom built. Here are some points to address when getting a bid from a manufacturer:

When a blast event occurs at a facility in the oil and gas industry, blackouts, disorientation, concussions, internal bleeding, and even fatalities can occur. While the latter components are widely published in the aftermath of an event, what is less known is the far-reaching and negative financial impacts of both personal injuries and structural damage. Discovering the impact of a blast event requires an in-depth look at the trickle-down and oftentimes continuous financial costs of the incident. 

Can you afford not to have a blast-resistant building on-site?  By their very nature, companies in the oil and gas sector handle highly volatile materials. As such, these companies should take the steps needed to protect both their personnel and facilities from the extensive damage that can occur during a blast event. Fortunately, a blast-resistant building (which is also referred to as a blast-resistant module, BRB, or BRM), can be the very solution that companies need to protect personnel and mission critical equipment during and after a blast event.  The risks during a major blast event to human lives and bodies is high and arguably one of the most important considerations when investing in a blast resistant structure. 

Every day our RedGuard sales directors are out in the field, meeting with customers and potential customers about blast-resistant buildings. This amounts to potentially hundreds of meetings a year. Our team is made up of professionals, subject matter experts in blast-resistant structures. They ascertain needs, they give "lunch and learn" presentations, and they listen. 

RedGuard will exhibit at the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants' Association (VPPPA) Safety+ National Symposium, held August 28 - August 31 at the Gaylord Opryland Convention Center in Nashville, TN. You can find RedGuard at booth #129.

      What's in a name? Would a blast-resistant module by any other name be just as safe?  Apologies for the bad Shakespearean reference, but that aside, "What's in a name?" is often used to imply that the names of things do not affect what they really are.

It’s a pleasure when a client gives you free rein to run with a project, show what your product is truly capable of and design what the client really needs. When a client gave RedGuard such an opportunity, we were able to push the envelope for blast-resistant building design.

This article was originally published in September of 2017. It has been updated to reflect current industry findings. Facility siting studies can help manage the risks associated with working in hazardous environments and can help prevent accidents resulting in major financial loss, injuries, and lost lives. 

If you've landed on this page to specifically answer the question, "What is a blast resistant modular building (BRM)?" then you've come to the right place. RedGuard has had an interest in blast resistant buildings since 2005, when the industry began to emerge in the aftermath of a blast event that killed 15 people and injured hundreds more. We've made it our business to protect lives, AND to offer a wealth of information and guidance about blast resistant buildings. 

When working on a design/build project, a firm grasp of its intended purpose is critical to get the project’s design and estimate on the right track early. Recently, I participated in a discussion with a gas facility’s project team to establish design parameters for a control room project. As I took notes, I noticed that the terms “shelter-in-place” and “safe haven” were being used interchangeably to describe the building’s attributes by members of the team, as if they were the same. I immediately recognized the need to research the designations to educate the team on the unique characteristics of each. After some research, here’s what I found.

One of the benefits of advertising in trade magazines is the added benefit of occasionally being asked to submit guest articles to those publications. It’s a great way to let the experts in your organization shine and to build a name for yourself when it comes to industry expertise. We enjoy this benefit and, and we realize that so do companies that sell products similar to ours. In those articles, the writer isn’t allowed to use specific product names or even mention the affiliated company, except for a final note at the end where the reader can seek more information. It's important to note that while the articles are intended to be written without an advertising focus, they are still written by those with a vested interest in selling a product. What does this have to do with polyurea coatings?

Imagine the scenario:

Blast-resistant building design gets more fun every year. The original designs conceived by RedGuard in 2005 were “bare bones,” which still have endless applications — from guard shacks to tool cribs. The latest blast-resistant building design interiors look more like luxury offices than metal buildings, with new variations emerging all the time. With corrugated metal as our basic building block, there’s no end to what we can do.