DUCON Security
Explosion protection

Maximum blast protection thanks to ductile component behavior

DUCON concrete meets the highest safety requirements in the field of explosion protection with very low component thicknesses. Compared to conventional reinforced concrete, the required component thickness can usually be reduced to half or even a third, depending on the configuration. The reason for the high protective effect is the ductile material behavior of DUCON. While reinforced concrete causes dangerous flying debris when penetrated, DUCON only shows a dent after the blast and continues to offer a high level of protection against further explosions or break-in attempts.

In the case of fixed threat scenarios, we are able to carry out preliminary dimensioning to determine the required component thickness without the need for complex and cost-intensive simulations. This is based on numerous tests with contact, near-field, and far-field explosions that have already been carried out. This offers a simple way of dimensioning DUCON protective components in the early planning stages.

There are basically three installation options for using DUCON as explosion protection:

• As the sole protective component: In this case, DUCON absorbs the entire explosion load. Examples of this are free-standing protective walls or prefabricated facades that absorb the pressure wave and transfer the load to the floor slabs via the substructure, activating the pane effect without placing any load on the shell wall.
• On the load-facing side: This structure is particularly suitable for contact detonations. The DUCON protective element is mounted in direct contact with the shell on the side where an explosion is expected. In the event of an explosion, the ductile component distributes the load and protects the shell wall behind it from high point loads.
• On the side facing away from the load: If DUCON is located on the rear side of the shell, the protective element acts as a safety net. In the event of an explosion, the reinforced concrete wall in front of it is not destroyed, but merely pressed against the ductile DUCON panel. The structure prevents debris from being thrown, thus protecting people behind the wall, while at the same time maintaining the integrity of the wall and protecting it from collapse.

DUCON technology is used for explosion protection in walls and partitions in new and existing buildings. The building material has already been used to successfully protect several vulnerable infrastructures such as public facilities, embassies, data centers, and power plants.

Project examples:

• John F. Kennedy Airport, New York City
• German Embassy
• ECB, Frankfurt