REVISION

OF
TRI-SERVICE REGULATORY DESIGN MANUAL
"STRUCTURES TO RESIST THE EFFECTS OF ACCIDENTAL EXPLOSIONS"
(TM 5-1300, NAVFAC P-397, AFM 88-22)

Angelo Castellano, Joseph Caltagirone, ARRADOM

Frederick E. Sock, Norval Dobbs, Ammann & Whitney

ABSTRACT
Initial guidance in the field of protective structures design was
provided in 1969 with the publication of the Tri-Service Design Manual
'Structures to Resist the Effects of Accidental Explosions" (TM 5-1300,
NAFVAC P-397, AFM 88-22).
The manual presents procedures for determining
the blast effects resulting from an explosion and techniques for the design
of reinforced concrete structures subjected to blast loads. A considerable
amount of data, much of it not covered in the current manual, has been
accumulated since its publication.
This information has brought about the
urgent requirement for revising the manual.
This paper briefly describes
the topics in the manual that will be revised, those that will be added,
the format of the new manual, and the various committees set up to oversee
the revision.

41035

REVISION
OF
TRI-SERVICE REGULATORY DESIGN MANUAL
"STRUCTURES TO RESIST THE EFFECTS OF ACCIDENTAL EXPLOSIONS"
Introduction

The initial guidance in the highly specialized and complex field of

protective

design

was provided

in

1969

when

the Tri-Service

Manual,

"Structures to Resist the Effects of Accidental Explosions" (ref. 1) was

published.

The manual

presents procedures

for

determining

the

blast

effects resulting from an accidental explosion and also techniques for the
design of reinforced concrete structures which will provide protection for
personnel, equipment and other explosive items.
A considerable amount of data (published as technical documents and
others yet to be published) has been accumulated since the development of
the Tri-Service Manual.
contained

in the

Although some of this data updates the information

manual,

most

of

it deals

with

topics

not

covered

initially.
Efforts by the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Private Industry in the area
of blast effects and structural design created the urgent need for the
revision of the manual to include recently published data and additional
information.

The publication of the Tri-Service Manual was considered a

major step forward in the field of explosion-resistant protective design.

The revision of the manual and the addition of newly developed technology
will greatly improve this important document.

1036

This paper describes qualitatively and in a concised form, the various

topics in the manual that will

be updated.

included will also be described briefly.

Additional

topics to

be

The functions and activities of

the various committees set un to oversee the revision of the manual will be
presented.
Organization of Committees
Figures 1 and 2 show an organization chart of the various institutions
and individuals involved in the revision and update of the Tri-Service
The revision of the manual is sponsored

Manual.

Defense Explosives Safety Board (DDESE).

and

Development

Command

(ARRADCOM)

guidance to the Steering Committee.

preparing

the

revised

manual

by the Department of

The U.S. Army Armament Research

provides

administrative

and technical

The ARRADCOM team has also the task of

througn

Consulting Engineers, New York, N.Y.,

a contractor,

Ammann

& Whitney,

and their subcontractor, Southwest

Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas.

Steering Committee
The Steering Committee,

comprised of experts from the Department of

Defense Explosive Safety Board

Office

(DDESB),

Army,

of the Chief of Engineers (OCE)

(fig.

Navy,
2),

Air

Force and

the

meets twice a year to

review the findings and recommendations of the two subcommittees; namely,

Blast Technology

and

Design

Application.

The Steering

Committee will

periodically review the revision of the manual.

1037

______

Blast Technology arid Design Application Subcommittees

These subcommittees consist of personnel from the Army, Navy, Air
Force, DDESB, COE and private industry (fig. 2).

They meet every four

months to identify new technological advances and to recommend appropriate

revisions.

They will also review the revised manual at the 50 percent

stage of completion and the final draft.

Topics to be Revised

Two of the most frequently used design aids in the Tri-Service Manual
are Figures 4-5 and 4-12.

They show the variations of pressures, impulses,

velocities and other parameters of shock waves with scaled distances based
upon tests performed with TNT.

Since their development and incorporation

1J

into the manual in 1969, additional theoretical and empirical information

has become available, some of it published in the manual prepared by
Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) for the Department of Energy (ref. 2).(
Some of the curves illustrated in the figures have been revised and refined
by C. Kingery of the Ballistic Research Laboratories (BRL),

and these new

curves will be incorporated in the revised version of Figures 4-5 and 4-12
(figs. 3 and 4).
Other figures and charts to be revised include, but are not limited
to, the following:
1. Figure 4-6 (fig. 5), Reflected Pressure Coefficient vs. Angle of

Incidence - Will be replaced by new curves for pressure and

impulse variation.

1038

(7

2.

Figure 4-63,
-

Exterior Leakage Pressure vs. Ground-Scaled Distance

The existing curves in the manual are out-dated and will be

replaced.

The bulk of the new data will be extracted from CEL

Report TR R828 (ref. 4).

3. Figure 4-65, Maximum Mean Pressure in a Partially Vented Chamber

At present, the four existing curves, namely, NOL, Weibull, SWRI

and TM 5-1300

(fig. 6),

depict

pressure

chamber.

These

in a

additional

data

from

different
curves

conditions

will

be

for mean

analyzed

and

tests performed in Norway and the United

Kingdom will be added to form a revised curve.

4. Figure

4-72,

Leakage

Pressure

Coefficient

vs.

Pressure

Differential - Recent test data will be examined for the revision

of this figure (fig. 7), which is considered to be inadequate.

5. The human tolerance table will be updated, using recent data
published by the Lovelace Foundation.
Besides the revision of other tables and figures in the manual, some
topics have to be updated appropriately.

One such example is the effect on

explosive output due to shape of explosive and number of charges.

This

data which was previously referred to as "TNT Equivalency" will now be

referred to as Equivalent Charge Weight with the effect produced by the

variation of explosive material referred to as TNT equivalency.

.1039

Additional Topics to be Included

Since the development of the Tri-Service Manual,

ARRADOM and other

organizations of the Army, Navy and Air Force have done a considerable
number of studies on blast effects and the blast-resistant capacities of
various structural elements.

These studies will be reviewed and the topics

pertinent to the subject of the manual will be incorporated.

Some of these

topics are listed in Figure 8.

Format of Revised Manual
To account for the addition of much needed information such as that
outlined in the preceding sections, the revised manual will be divided into
five volumes.
lat
IVoum

section will include the revisions of

oains:This

the first four chapters of the present manual and also additional topics
such

as

the effect

of

charge

shape on

pressure output,

and multiple

explosion effects.
Volume II - Concrete Design and Fragment Impact:

The bulk of the data

in this volume will constitute the revised information from Chapters 5, 6

and 7 of the present manual.

Additional information will include, but not

be limited to, below ground concrete cubicles, single-revetted barricades

and response of flat slabs to pressure-time loadings.

Volume III - Steel Structures:
information.
provided,

This volw-e will contain primarily new

Design criteria for steel elements and structures will be

together with results of tests performed on pre-engineered and

strengthened steel buildings.

1040

1'-

Volume
Design:

IV

Other

Factors

to be Considered in Explosive Facility

Chapter 10 of the current manual will be revised in this volume.

Data will also be provided on safe separation distances between explosive

items,

blast-resistant

capacities

of

glass

windows

and

frames,

and

earth-covered magazines, etc.

Volume V - Computer Programs and Guide:

Like Volume III, this section

is new and will deal with the computer programs currently available to the
Army, Navy and Air Force.

The listing of the highly specialized programs

(i.e., those programs written for blast design) will be provided in this
volume.
It

is

hoped that the division of the revised and updated manual into

five volumes will allow for

a detailed

and vivid

presentation

various topics in this highly complex field of blast design.

of the

References

will be provided in each volume in the event that additional information in

any particular topic is required.

Conclusions
The revision and update of the manual will be completed by the end of

1983. By then, It is anticipated that the five volumes that constitute the
manual

will

contain

protective design.

the

most

recent

data

available

in the

area

of

Memos have been sent out to various Division Engineers

and Commanders of the Army, Navy and Air Force asking them to identify any
shortcomings of the present manual.
account

in order

that

Their responses have been taken into

the final manual will

various users.

1041

satisfy the needs of the

REFERENCES
1. "Structures to Resist the Effects of Accidental Explosions (with
Addenda)", Department of the Army Technical Manual TM 5-1300,
Washington, D.C., June 1969.
2., "A Manual for the Prediction of Blast and Fragment Loadings on
Structures", DOE/TIC-11268, U.S. Department of Energy, Amarillo,
Texas, November 1980.
3.

GLADSTONE
1977.

and

DOLAN,

"Effects of Nuclear Weapons",

3rd Edition,

4. KEENAN, W., and TANCRETO, J.E., "Blast Environment from Fully and
Partially Vented Explosions in Cubicles", Technical Report R828,
prepared by Civil Engineering Laboratory, Naval Construction
Battalion Center, Port Hueneme, California, for Department of the
Army, Picatinny Arsenal, Dover, New Jersey, November 1975.

1042

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STEERING CONITTEE
Dr. T. Zaker, DDESB
W.L. Armstrong, NCEL
W.C. Buchholtz, AFESC
Lt. Col. W. Mills, COE
Major S. Hawn, AFESC
L.W. Saffian, ARRADGOM

SUB-COMMITTEES
Blast Technology

Design Application

C.N. Kingery, BRL, ARRADCOM

P.D. Price, DDESB

R. Lorenz, NSWC

W. Keenan, NCEL

Dr. W.E. Baker, SwRI

R. Lein, CO"

H.S. Napadensky, IITRI

N. Dobbs, A&W

J.P. Caltagirone, ARRADCOM

R.L. Wight, OCE

P. Nash, AFESC

H.D. Nickerson, NFEC

Cpt. P.L. Rosengren, AFESC

A. Castellano, ARRADCOM

Figure 2.

STEERING AND SUB-COMMITTEE MEMBERS

1044

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Figure 3

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Blast Parameter for ;3pherical Free Air Burst of TNT

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1049

1.

Full containment and below ground cells and single-revetted

barricades.

2. Overturning of structures subjected to blast loads.

3. Primary fragment penetration and secondary fragment impact.
4. Multiple explosion sources, simultaneous and sequential
detonations.
5. Design of structural steel buildings.
6. Pre-engineered and strengthened steel buildings; structural steel
elements (ARRADOM reports).

7. Computer analyses of frame structures and other structural

elements.
8. Tests performed on cold-formed steel panels, window frames and
glass, including performance specifications for blast windows.
9. TNT equivalencies of explosives and propellants.
10.

Leakage pressures due to venting.

11.

Ground shock effects.

12.

Blast environment due to explosions within structures.

13.

Blast environment within structures due to explosions outside the

structure.

14.

Blast door design.

15.

Design of reinforced concrete flat slabs, beam and column.

16.

Suppressive shielding design.

Results of ESKIMO test series.

Figure 8. New data to be incorporated in the Protective Design Manual

1050