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The next terrorist attack on United States soil may very well involve the release of chemical or biological agents. Although devices that are swift and reliable in detecting these agents have yet to be developed, there are steps that engineers can take to design buildings to better protect occupants in the case of such a release. By Norman J. Glover, PE.
The 1993 bombing of the parking garage beneath the World Trade Center in New York City and the 1995 bombing in Oklahoma City of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building served as wake-up calls for the United States. With the occurrence of these tragic events, it became apparent to Americans-perhaps for the first time-that terrorism is a real threat from which the United States is not immune.
Long before the 1993 and 1995 terrorist events took place, engineers and building officials had begun to investigate and implement methods aimed at preventing terrorist attacks and protecting building occupants should such attacks occur.The primary threat had been determined to be bombs detonated inside vehicles.The measures that have been implemented range from establishing defensive perimeters using concrete bollards and large, heavy planters to specifying laminated glass that will not break into dangerous shards in the event of a blast.
However, in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the concurrent anthrax incidents in the United States that killed five people, the effort to protect buildings from the depredations of terrorists have assumed greater urgency and wider scope.
Bombs, especially those delivered by vehicle, remain the terrorist weapon of choice, and for good reason: Bombs get immediate attention and can be used on a wide range of targets. The materials with which to make many types of bombs are readily available and inexpensive. What is more, a bombing can be carried out by a small group or even a single person, and there is a wide choice of delivery methods. Based on past events, there is also a high probability that terrorists using bombs will escape without apprehension or even identification.
Because bombs are seen as posing the greatest threat, much of the effort to protect buildings and their occupants from attacks has focused on preventing bombings and mitigating their results. That effort begins...