What is an Explosion-Resistant Building?

Explosion-Resistant Buildings: Understanding Safety and Protection

If you hear the term “explosion-resistant” or “blast-resistant,” someone is likely discussing a structure specially designed to provide essential protection when the risk of explosions is high. At RedGuard, we lean more on the term blast-resistant, but you can think of those two terms as interchangeable. However, there is a difference when it comes to blast-proof or explosion-proof. (More on that later!)

Unlike conventional buildings, explosion-resistant buildings feature enhanced structural integrity under extreme conditions. Their primary goal is to prevent structural failure in the event of an explosion, ensuring that the occupants have the best chance of survival and minimizing the potential for fatalities.

The Importance of Explosion-Resistant Buildings

In chemical plants and high-risk industries, every second counts in the event of an emergency. Explosions, sometimes called blasts, are never expected. When it does happen, being inside of an explosion-resistant building can save your life.

An explosion can cause catastrophic damage and take the lives of those who work in these industries. That’s why high-risk industries must prepare for emergencies like explosions. Explosion-resistant buildings safeguard personnel and equipment and are specially engineered to withstand the immense forces generated by explosions.

Explosion resistance is not just a safety measure—it’s a necessity.

What Is an Explosion-Resistant Building?

As mentioned, an explosion-resistant building is a structure that is specifically designed to withstand the impact of explosions. These buildings are constructed with materials and features and use engineering practices that reduce the risk of damage caused by an explosion. The goal is to ensure it can endure specific levels of blast pressure without collapsing. This concept, known as blast resistance, allows the building to absorb and dissipate the force of the explosion, thereby protecting both personnel and vital equipment.

Explosion resistance even limits the damage to the structure itself. Unlike traditional buildings, explosion-resistant buildings are constructed with stronger materials and reinforced designs.

These explosion-resistant buildings should be tested and rated to withstand a calculated blast pressure, ensuring that the building remains standing and protects those inside in the event of an explosion. The calculated blast pressure should only be provided as part of a siting analysis performed by a qualified engineering firm.

Explosion-resistant building manufacturers have different approaches to blast resistance. There are different structural designs, different materials, and different levels of blast resistance. You’ll see brick-and-mortar structures, concrete modular, and, of course, hardened metals like steel. There could also be temporary or permanent structures and modular buildings anchored for permanent use. There are many possibilities, depending on the needs of the site. At RedGuard, steel is the material of choice, with temporary or portable buildings our LeaseFleet, and a wide variety of permanent custom explosion-resistant buildings, like RediSuite and SafetySuite.

Why We Say Explosion-Resistant and Not Explosion-Proof

It’s essential to understand that explosion-resistant is not synonymous with explosion-proof. While "explosion-proof" implies that a structure can entirely prevent explosions from affecting it, explosion-resistant buildings are designed to minimize damage and prevent loss of life rather than fully eliminating the risk.

In reality, no building is genuinely "explosion-proof." An explosion can release enormous energy that no structure can ultimately withstand. Claims that a building is explosion-proof are largely unrealistic, as no structure can be entirely impervious to explosions of all magnitudes. Explosion-resistant buildings are built to meet specific standards and guidelines that focus on reducing the impact of an explosion and preventing significant destruction, rather than offering an unrealistic expectation of total immunity.

While “explosion-proof” may sound correct, explosion-resistant or blast-resistant is the more accurate description of a structure's ability to withstand blasts and protect its occupants and assets in the face of an explosion.

This distinction is why rigorous third-party blast testing is critical. Controlled testing helps verify how well a structure can withstand explosive forces and ensures that designs protect against the risks in a particular hazardous area. Without proper testing, claims of explosion resistance would be nothing more than speculation.

More On Blast Tests and Explosion-Resistant Buildings

In 2007, RedGuard was the first manufacturer in the blast resistant building industry to not just independently test its designs, but to make the results of that blast test available to potential buyers and to customers.

In the years that followed, other companies followed suit and performed their own blast tests, but none as transparently as RedGuard. Some manufacturers didn’t even rely on independent third parties to perform those tests. These two points make up an important distinction among blast resistant building manufacturers.

In 2020, RedGuard chose to again test its blast resistant designs. This time, RedGuard had two independent third parties involved in the field test, with a blast charge almost five times the size of its original test. And yet again, they made the results available to potential customers, as well as posted videos and summaries online.

While it may seem reasonable for a company to rely on its own engineers to test their own designs—citing the need to protect “trade secrets”—this approach creates a clear conflict of interest. Without independent testing, there’s no external oversight to ensure that the test results are accurate and unbiased.

In many industries, third-party validation is essential to maintaining trust. For example, you wouldn’t buy medication from a doctor who both diagnosed the illness and manufactured the drug. The same principle applies to explosion-resistant buildings—independent testing is necessary to ensure blast calculations hold up under real-world conditions.

The concern is even greater when companies rely on outdated test data or make significant design changes without retesting. A blast test conducted years ago on an older iteration of a design does not prove that a newer, modified blast-resistant building will perform the same way under explosive forces. Without recent, independent testing, these companies are selling unverified designs—potentially putting lives at risk.

Even if a company separates its engineering, construction, and sales teams, they all ultimately serve the same organization, with shared financial incentives. This interconnected structure makes it difficult to ensure truly objective testing. That’s why independent, third-party blast testing remains the gold standard for verifying the safety and reliability of explosion-resistant buildings.

Why Are Explosion-Resistant Buildings Essential for Safety?

When it comes to hazards, removing people from a hazardous area is always the first priority and first line of defense. Unfortunately, that isn’t always a possibility when it comes to volatile substances and processes that carry the potential for devastating explosions. That means safety precautions must be taken. That’s the reality for oil and gas, chemical processing, manufacturing, and many other sectors. Explosion-resistant buildings are crucial in these environments, as they provide essential protection.

Beyond personnel, these buildings also protect valuable assets, including machinery, equipment, and sensitive infrastructure, which are costly to replace and crucial to maintaining operations. Control rooms are just one example of an area where assets and equipment would need to be protected, since an operational disruption could cause safety concerns, or even a catastrophic event. Control rooms must remain intact and functional in the event of an explosion or other emergency.

Key Features of Explosion-Resistant Buildings

Explosion-resistant buildings are engineered to withstand specific levels of blast pressure. These levels are determined based on the risk assessment of the site and the potential for explosions in a specific area. For example, an oil refinery may require a higher level of blast resistance due to the volatile chemicals used in the facility, while a manufacturing plant may have less stringent requirements based on the materials they handle. Explosion-resistant designs are tailored to the expected level of threat, ensuring that the building can endure the forces of a blast without failure, protecting people and assets within the building. But not all blast resistant buildings are equal.

How much damage a building could have in an explosion is referred to as a building’s response level. A high response building would potentially see a high level of damage, and sustain structural damage in the event of stronger explosions. These buildings could still be used in less hazardous areas. Blast tents might also be used in less hazardous areas. Medium response aligns with widespread damage, and significant repairs. Low response buildings are the strongest, showing less damage, and usually requiring only moderate repairs after an explosion. Low response buildings are used in the most hazardous areas.

At RedGuard, safety is our priority, and we only manufacture occupied buildings that have a medium or low response.

Structural integrity plays a vital role in the design of explosion resistant building with medium and low response. Explosion-resistant buildings are constructed using durable materials which help distribute the blast force throughout the structure. In addition to using robust materials, the building's design must account for factors such as shockwave pressure, debris impact, and thermal effects. Key features such as reinforced walls, blast-resistant doors and windows, and specialized HVAC are integrated into the structure to prevent damage and control the energy released by an explosion.

Materials Used in Explosion-Resistant Buildings

The backbone of explosion-resistant buildings is the type of materials the buildings are constructed from. Steel, reinforced concrete, and composite materials are commonly used for their strength and ability to withstand immense blast pressures. For building exteriors, RedGuard favors steel as its material of choice due to its high tensile strength and flexibility. These qualities allow it to absorb and distribute explosive energy effectively without compromising the building's integrity.

Impact-Resistant Glass and Explosion-Resistant Doors

In an explosion-resistant building, windows and doors are designed to withstand the shockwaves and flying debris caused by explosions. Impact-resistant glass is used to prevent shattering and penetration, ensuring that personnel are shielded from the dangers of broken glass. There are also concessions to be made about whether a window is necessary for the design. In high-hazard areas, for example, it’s best not to have windows, unless they are necessary for observations while managing a process.

Similarly, explosion-resistant doors are an essential feature, engineered to resist the pressure generated by a blast. These doors are typically made from reinforced steel or other high-strength materials and are equipped with mechanisms that ensure they remain intact and functional, even under extreme conditions.

Design Elements for Maximum Protection in an Explosion

It’s essential to ask explosion-resistant building manufacturers about the most important parts of their design and how those elements protect in the event of an explosion. Buildings with a similar look may have different approaches to blast resistance.

Reinforced Framing, Vertical Stiffeners and Flex in Explosion-Resistant Buildings

Reinforced framing is essential for maintaining the building’s structural integrity when subjected to explosive forces, and so is the placement of vertical stiffeners. RedGuard relies on what it calls its rib cage design to provide dynamic load transfer or flex, during an explosion. Essentially, this means that during an explosion, the steel walls are designed to move a minimal amount, thereby absorbing the energy of the blast wave.

Other building types, particularly precast concrete, are rigid and don’t flex like steel. They instead rely only on the strength of the building material. This flex in a steel building is a “fail-safe” that is engineered into the design.

Specialized HVAC and Fire Protection for Explosion-Resistant Buildings

Design elements for explosion resistant buildings go further than explosion resistance. Sometimes, with an explosion comes fire, or the release of toxic gases. To protect against these, an explosion-resistant building should also offer options for fire protection and toxic gas protection, making it a multi-hazard building.

Steel buildings like those offered by RedGuard are inherently resistant to some fires, like flash fires. Flash fires go along with explosions and happen when flammable materials combust rapidly in the air. For other types of fires, like jet fires or pool fires, RedGuard employs a combination of wall assemblies, insulation, and, when required, intumescent coatings to meet a facility's specific requirements.

For dangers like toxic gas exposure, RedGuard offers a few options, like gas detection, which warns building occupants of the presence of toxic gas; specialized HVAC that has positive pressure to keep out toxic gas; and airlock systems for high hazard environments that require sheltering in place.

Regulatory Standards for Explosion-Resistant Buildings

We’ve written before about how in the oil and gas industry there are no federal laws or regulations that control what precautions a facility must take to maintain a protective environment if there is an explosion on site. Some things fall under the Process Hazard Analysis that OSHA requires every five years, and other guidance comes from following the American Petroleum Institute’s Recommended Practices. For explosion resistant buildings, this means following API RP 752 and API RP 753.

1. API RP 752 (Recommended Practice for the Location of Process Plant Permanent Buildings)

The American Petroleum Institute (API) has developed guidelines under API RP 752, which focuses on the siting of permanent buildings within process plants. This standard helps ensure that buildings, including explosion-resistant structures, are located at safe distances from hazardous areas to mitigate the risk of explosion exposure. It also provides recommendations on building design to reduce the impact of an explosion, such as reinforcing structures and using blast-resistant materials.

2. API RP 753 (Management of Hazards Associated with Location of Process Plant Buildings)

API RP 753 specifically addresses the management of hazards related to the siting of occupied portable buildings in process plants, including recommendations for explosion-resistant building design. It provides guidance on ensuring the safety of personnel in case of an explosion, particularly when these buildings are close to potential sources of danger, such as flammable or explosive processes.

RedGuard’s Expertise in Explosion-Resistant Building Design

When it comes to protecting lives in hazardous areas, experience and expertise matter. Having verified designs matters. Third-party testing matters.

RedGuard has been at the forefront of explosion-resistant building design for nearly two decades, pioneering innovations that set the standard for safety and reliability. As a recognized industry leader, RedGuard specializes in designing and manufacturing high-quality blast-resistant buildings that meet the stringent demands of high-risk environments.

Unlike one-size-fits-all solutions, RedGuard takes a tailored approach, working closely with customers to understand their unique safety challenges and site-specific risks. Whether a facility requires temporary blast-resistant buildings, like LeaseFleet, or a fully customized, permanent structure, such as RediSuite or SafetySuite, RedGuard provides solutions that are rigorously tested and built to perform when it matters most.

RedGuard’s commitment to safety extends beyond design and construction. The company emphasizes independent third-party blast testing to ensure that every building meets or exceeds industry standards. By continually refining and improving designs based on the latest safety research and real-world testing, RedGuard remains a trusted partner for companies that prioritize safety, compliance, and operational resilience.

Safety is the foundation of everything we do at RedGuard. Our team is dedicated to providing best-in-class explosion-resistant buildings that are engineered to withstand the harshest conditions. We have the expertise and proven track record to help you find the right solution.

Don’t leave safety to chance—protect your workforce and your operations with RedGuard’s industry-leading explosion-resistant buildings. Contact us today to learn more about our solutions or to schedule a consultation with our experts.